By Larry Keane

October’s firearm sales figures are in and if this is an indicator of how Americans feel about guns – folks, it’s a landslide.

NSSF released the adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figures for October. They aren’t record-breaking. They’re a record-shattering 1.76 million background checks completed for the sale of a firearm across the nation. That brings the annual total to 17.2 million, leaving the previous record in the rear-view mirror. That was 15.7 million background checks in 2016, also an election year, when Hillary Clinton promised to re-enact the failed 1994 Assault Weapons Ban.

Those buying firearms this year are facing the threat of former Vice President Joe Biden and his running mate U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) with outright confiscation of lawfully owned semiautomatic rifles.

Just two days before voters walked into the booth, Biden reiterated his gun control aspirations. Apparently, he’s unaware of the record-breaking numbers of Americans buying firearms this year, including the 6.9 million estimated first-time buyers.

How’d We Get Here?

The sales surge started in earnest in March, when 2.3 million background checks were conducted for the sale of a firearm. That was the most ever recorded in a single month since record keeping began in 1999. Since then, between 1.6 and 2.2 million checks have been conducted each month, giving each month since March the strongest month on record.

That’s right. Each month has been a record-setting month. That’s brought us to these most recent figures, which blew past 2019’s totals long ago and just zipped by the 2016 record. Here’s the kicker. There’s still two months of sales to count, and traditionally they are two of the busiest months of the year.

In all honesty, sales were trending higher even before March. January and February’s figures topped the same months in 2019. The monthly figures for the end of 2018 were higher than they were a year before. It can’t be discounted that it’s also the same time Democratic candidates were trying “out-gun control one” another. What’s left is Democratic National Committee gun control platform that is the most radical – and unconstitutional – proposal to ever be posed to voters.

Gun store sales
Shutterstock

Not every gun buyer has been a red state gun owner. Reporting has shown that people from all walks of life and all political ideologies are buying guns. That means politicians pushing this radical antigun agenda aren’t reading the tea leaves, even when they’re arranged in complete sentences for them. Americans don’t want more gun control. They want politicians to get serious about crime control.

What Now?

The industry has ben busy keeping up with demand. Manufacturers are working diligently to meet orders and keep shelves stocked. By anyone’s estimate, that’s been difficult.

Everyone will also be watching Election Day returns. That will be a tell-tale sign of what’s in store for the firearm industry and gun owners. Once the votes are counted, American will know if there’s going to be an added run to buy firearms before antigun politicians shut the spigot off and dry up gun rights or if the industry is able to meet the needs of today’s customers.

It’s been a record-breaking year and there are still two months to go.

 

Larry Keane is SVP for Government and Public Affairs, Assistant Secretary and General Counsel of the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

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23 COMMENTS

  2. As of yet there is no correlation between firearms purchases and voting trends. That question “May” be answered in the next hours, days or possibly weeks depending on how much Chaos comes from this election. Either way choices will still have to be made because regardless of the outcome. As neither side will relinquish their Ideologies of Control vs Freedom. That will require a much bigger fight where votes will not matter and lives will be held in the balance. Keep Your Powder Dry.

    • They’re using an analogy.

      By purchasing firearms in record numbers that is the informal “vote”. Americans want weapons. Regardless of what the politics & or politicians say and do.

    • “As of yet there is no correlation between firearms purchases and voting trends.”

      Perhaps not, but here’s a single data point for you:
      I was born & raised a garden-variety progressive – voted democrat for 15 years, never owned a gun until my late 30s. When I had kids & started seeing violence in my neighborhood, I woke up & switched.
      Permanently.
      I’ll vote for Voldemort before I ever vote for another Murdercrat.
      My ‘collection’ is counted in dozens.

      ‘Yes’, “data point of one”, but I suspect these riots have similarly changed a lot of others for the better.

  3. Where will those self serving pompous high and mighty Jim Crow Gun Control security protected hypocrite democRats be should you and yours be cornered by a criminal(s)? The answer is where self serving pompous high and mighty Jim Crow Gun Control democRats always are…NOWHERE.

  4. Meanwhile, back at the ranch…..

    The real militia is organized, trained, and communicating:
    https://www.foxnews.com/us/election-day-white-house-demonstrations-zoom-calls-shutdown-dc

    https://thefederalist.com/2020/10/20/trump-resistance-plans-mass-mobilization-after-election-to-shut-down-the-country-if-biden-doesnt-win/

    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WtDZYQ7Q-PUhxhv8VuRVfeD7q3DSpthktlYD-nx4pSc/edit?link_id=9&can_id=17b52cd56b5ae77d0dcb874341a662b8&source=email-resources-for-folks-outside-the-dc-area-but-also-useful-for-dc-people&email_referrer=email_950567&email_subject=resources-for-folks-outside-the-dc-area-but-also-useful-for-dc-people

  5. “It’s long past time we take action to end the scourge of un American Marxist’s in America.”

    Fixed for the Buffoon.

    The Constitution specifically guarantee’s a Republican Form of Government. Which by definition excludes any other form of government.

    Article 4, Section 4 of the Constitution states:

    “Section. 4.
    The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence.”

    This means that Democrats, Socialists, and others who promote “transformation/reimagining” are in violation of the Constitution by their very existence, and should not be allowed any representation in any part of the US Government. Period.

    • “This means that Democrats, Socialists, and others who promote “transformation/reimagining” are in violation of the Constitution by their very existence, and should not be allowed any representation in any part of the US Government.”

      Not so fast….

      The First Amendment protects political speech from being suppressed by the central committee. The constitution, the base document, provided for altering every word in the compact (and any amendments) via the amendment process. Thus it is within the bounds of the constitution to press for a change in the form of govenment, and with enough votes, amend the constitution to install a different form.

      The seeds of destruction of the republic are contained in the constitution, and the founders were well aware of it (“A republic, if you can keep it.”)

    • Republican form of govt. means a constitutional REPUBLIC. Not Republican Party. There is a difference.

  6. What democRats have to offer America is the same old molded smelly packaged and repackaged poop that dropped out of karl marx’s behind centuries ago. It been dressed up, sugarcoated, candy coated and today it hides behind a very sneaky smiley face. Useful idiot’s heads are full of marxist poop thus they have no respect for America and run around acting like a spoiled brat dragging around a diaper load.

  7. gun control is going down the tubes here and europe
    here because of democrats
    there because of the crusades>millenium edition

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