Americans are buying guns in record numbers in a trend firearm experts, store owners and buyers say has been spurred by a concern over personal safety in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and the civil unrest following the killing of George Floyd, which led to efforts to defund the police, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.
A surge in gun sales began in March when unemployment rose to its highest level since the Great Depression as states ordered lockdowns to combat the spread of the coronavirus. In June, background checks for firearms, which gives the best indication for gun sales, were up 136%, compared to a year earlier.
Another indication of the current trend is that background checks in June for civilians wanting a license to carry were the highest since the FBI began carrying out checks two decades ago.
What made this upswing unusual from those in the past is that dealers estimate that 40% of sales are to first-time buyers, a rise over the average of about 25%, according to a survey by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a firearms industry trade group.
Previous spikes in sale were mostly fueled by diehard Second Amendment supporters who already had guns but wanted more before they feared legislation would make it harder to purchase them, according to the Journal.
Another clear difference this time is the type of weapon being sold. In the current wave, nearly two handguns, mainly used for self-protection, are being sold for every rifle or shotgun, according to federal data.
In previous upswings, there were rushes on AR-15 style rifles after Second Amendment supporters were concerned that they would be banned following a particularly horrific mass shooting.