Gun sales up again

Despite the fact that the economy is taking a beating, and Paul Helmke keeps saying that the shooting sports are declining, gun sales were up again in April – making it 4 straight months that gun sales have increased from last year.

The FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) reported 940,961 background checks on the sale of firearms in April, a 12 percent increase from 840,271 reported in April 2007. Adjusted state figures for April show background checks up 10.7 percent. Year-to-date figures reveal a total of 3,945,510 background checks reported by NICS. The increase coincides with an uptick in excise taxes reported by firearms and ammunition manufacturers, an increase in small-arms production and a slight increase in hunting license sales — all key economic indicators for the firearms industry.

I’ve posted these blurbs that I get from NSSF pretty much once a month for every month this year – it’s been a good year for firearms sales.  People aren’t just buying black rifles, they’re buying all kinds of guns: semi-automatic pistols, rifles, shotguns, handguns, you name it and it’s flying off the shelves.

I was talking to one of the local gunshops this last Saturday, and they said that a particularly hot-hot item was the new Ruger LCP – I guess there’s a market for compact carry guns that can go in a pocket.  In fact, my Dad is probably going to be picking one up shortly.

As I ramble on, the point I’m trying to make actually isn’t that the industry is strong – even though sales are up, a lot of that is probably a reaction to the politics that are being played out in front of us right now.  What will be important is how well we as gun owners, shooters, and hunters maintain this kind of market momentum after the election, no matter who wins.

Plus, you can tell your wife that you’re stockpiling ammo in case gas goes up to 10 bucks a gallon and there’s a breakdown in emergency services.

7 Comments

  1. Why would I have to feed my wife any kind of excuse for stockpiling ammo beyond simply saying I’m stockpiling ammo?

  2. Sometimes my wife does not share my priorities.
    I know, hard to believe.

  3. Caleb,
    “…abnormal ammo purchases”?

    What an interesting, hypothetical concept.

    Oh, you probably meant purchasing too little.

  4. Personally, I won’t allow myself to dip below 10,000 rounds. Sitting on 15,000 now.

    One more thing, I’m trying to encourage everyone to save their pennies and buy a gun immediately after SCOTUS gives its Heller decision.

    Let’s cause a spike.

  5. Something like that, although what I really meant was buying more than our budget allows.

    My wife and I live on a pretty disciplined budget, and shockingly enough she doesn’t often share the same budgetary priorities that I do. Which is actually a good thing, because otherwise I’d buy .50 BMG rifles instead of food.

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