Gun and ammo dealers will be counting extra profits this week; the election of Barack Obama is driving sales at gun shops from coast to coast.
Frightened that Obama will infringe or restrict Second Amendment rights, buyers are stocking up on firearms, especially assault-type rifles that were banned during the Clinton Administration but became available again in 2004.
“A lot of people are buying them as an investment…better than gold,” gun shop manager Chris Casella told the New York Times.
The NYT reports sales are up as much as 30% at gun shops in Pennsylvania, Nevada, Colorado, Texas, and Montana. Yesterday, BizSense reported sales have been increasing for weeks at area shops.
The Virginia State Police reported a 23% jump in background checks in October compared to a year ago, processing an additional 7,862 requests. There was also a 17% increase in applications for concealed carry permits from October of last year.
