With the civil unrest and other weirdness of 2020, it’s no surprise that gun sales are through the roof. We are seeing record setting sales in both firearms and ammunition. July alone saw over 2.9 million guns sold. By the end of the summer, gun sales had surpassed all of 2019. Concealed carry permits also rose during the year, as more people took control of their personal safety.
The latest numbers, according to the Washington Free Beacon, show over 16.5 million new guns sold in 2020 so far through October, with two months left before the year is up. The previous record for most guns sold in a year was 2016, with 14.9 million sold through December, putting this year’s total more than 1.6 million higher.
The election has played a major role in the increase sales, as gun owners are concerned that any change in Washington could result in tighter gun restrictions, both in the firearms themselves and magazines.
“This much is clear as we head into Election Day: Americans of all political persuasions are exercising their Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms and doing so in record numbers,” NSSF spokesman Mark Oliva said in a statement release on November 2.
Regarding the record numbers increase monthly, Oliva said, “Each month since March has been the strongest of that month ever recorded.”
While this increase in gun ownership may be a good sign in the long run, not all the news is good for gun owners, both old and new. In the near-term this sales jump has caused an ammunition shortage in many of the most common calibers including 9mm, 45ACP, and even the traditionally easy to find .22LR. Thanks to COVID restrictions, many manufacturers have had to cut back on shifts and workers inside factories. Ammo parts are also hard to find, with some manufacturers resorting to sourcing primers from as far away as Canada simply to have enough to meet normal demand.
Oliva pointed out this is not just a Republican or conservative wave. “This hasn’t been a phenomenon of just red states, but also blue states. Never before have so many Americans chosen to exercise their right to firearm ownership, including the estimated 6.9 million who purchased a firearm for the first time this year,” he said.
Whatever the outcome of the election, one thing is for sure: more Americans than ever have chosen to arm themselves for personal protection and whatever else comes next. ~ David
David Workman
David is an avid gun guy and a contributing writer to several major gun publications. In addition to being an NRA Certified Pistol Instructor and RSO, David trains new shooters on basic handgun skills and CCW requirements and is a strong advocate for training as much as you possibly can. "Real life shootouts don't happen at a box range."
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