About 17 million firearms have been purchased in the United States this year alone, shattering previous records of firearm sales amid the COVID-19 pandemic and growing social unrest.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) analyzed NICS data and pegged the number at 17.2 million, which exceeds the number of firearms purchased in the entirety of last year (13.2 million).
“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,” said Mark Oliva, NSSF’s Director of Public Affairs. “This hasn’t been a phenomenon of just red states, but also blue states.”
Oliva also pointed out that nearly 7 million of this year’s purchases were made by first-time gun buyers.
“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. Additionally, this has been a sustained period of firearm sales since March. This is clearly not a one-off event,” he said.
SEE ALSO: Biden-Harris Plan Would Ban Online Gun Sales, Force Adoption of Smart Guns
Small Arms Analytics, which also tracks firearms sales in the U.S., estimated that Americans have purchased just under 17 million firearms so far this year.
“By August, we had exceeded last year’s total. By September, we exceeded the highest total ever,” said Jurgen Brauer, the chief economist of Small Arms Analytics.
Brauer told The Guardian that this year’s sales total already exceeds the total of any full year the organization has on record. The previous record, set amidst the last presidential race in 2016, was 16.6 million. This year has already broken that record, and the election results aren’t even in yet.
Oliva believes that these 17 million new and veteran gun owners have a clear choice in presidential candidates.
“It cannot be discounted that today’s gun buyers are faced with polar opposites of presidential candidates when it comes to protecting Second Amendment rights. President Donald Trump vowed to safeguard this right and former Vice President Joe Biden and his running mate Senator Kamala Harris have both embraced outright confiscation of lawfully owned firearms as the headliner of the most far-reaching gun control agenda to be presented to the American voter.
“America is watching and is already voting with their wallets when it comes to lawful firearm ownership,” he said.
SEE ALSO: Remington Will Declare Bankruptcy in 2020 Despite Skyrocketing Gun Sales
This year’s run on guns has been a boon for firearm and ammunition manufacturers (except Remington… sorry, Big Green), but many have struggled to keep up with the demand. Most calibers have become difficult to find, and there’s reason to believe that both gun and ammunition shortages will remain for the foreseeable future.
Joe Biden’s platform is likely to exacerbate the hysteria. Biden has vowed to ban America’s most popular rifle (the AR-15), ban ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds, ban online sales of ammunition and gun parts, mandate “smart gun” technology, and impose a host of additional restrictions.
Paired with the recent unrest, it’s no wonder Americans are hoping to snag a self-defense tool before it’s too late.
17 MILLION firearms purchased in 2020 alone. That speaks volumes about OUR future. If Banana Republic Joe Biden and his sidekick, Kamaliar Harris make it into OUR white house, he called it a “dark winter” on the horizon. Those ARE his words. 17 MILLION firearms sold in 2020 alone.
My advice to my fellow Americans is to make sure that your firearms are in good clean ready working condition and although I would in normal days and times encourage practice, but think that I would forego that for now with very little or no ammo or reloading supplies available. OK, some of us are well supplied due to stocking up over the years, but we don’t know what’s on the horizon. What some of of sense on the horizon suggest don’t waste ammo or supplies.
For the heck of it I stopped at Cabelas in Hammond, IN. last Sunday while passing through. I’ve been hearing about ammo shortages and have been to some of my favorite sites like Midwest USA and Lucky Gunner to name a couple, and very little ammo available if at all. Yeah, I know that Bass Pro and some take deliveries on Thursday mornings so if you get there early enough, might get lucky. But last Sunday I stopped in at Cabelas while passing by and took a look. And shutgun that had was steel, no 10 GA, 12 GA, 16 GA, 410 GA. They had 28 GA, steel. Rifle was slim to none. I remember a lot of 6mm, 7mm, had .243 but little other. They had zero 30.06 which took me by surprise. After that school shooting years back in CT or VT over out east when everyone bought up all of the ammo because Obama AND Biden promised to allow law suits against firearms and ammo manufacturers, ALL of the ammo was bought up, shelves were bare except 30.06 for some reason. Everywhere that I went had plenty of 30.03 and nothing else. Owning five 30.06 rifles, I bought 30.06 ammo by the truck load years ago and still have most of it. Today? Not one box of 30.06 on any shelf of any store. Glad I bought it almost a decade ago when it was still available.
But here’s one that got me. Even though the had almost no sidearm ammo, the had Winchester .460. Probably 16 boxes. Their used gun library was empty. Never saw that before. They had some used rifle and shotguns in racks outside of the library, nothing that I wanted. I strolled over to the new sidearms and there was very little. Surprisingly they had a 10.5″ Smith .460 that was going for $1,699.00. HOLY CRAP!!! $1,699.00!!! Wow. I paid from $1,000 – $1,100 a piece for each of my three Smith .500’s (4″, 6.5″, and 10-3/8″. I don’t have a 11.5″) a good decade ago. A few years ago I bought a 10.5″ .460 and almost didn’t then because it was $1,200.00. That seemed pretty steep at the time, but after some thought I forked out $1.200 and bought one. Glad I did. Perhaps the best sidearm that I own. Fires .460, .454 Casull, and .45LC. Is my favorite and best all around. Looking back I’m glad that I paid $1,200 when I did because Cabelas in Hammond had one just like it for $1,699. Wooooooo Hoooooop on that. Wooooo!!!
17 MILLION firearms sold in 2020. One of the things that Banana Republic Joe Biden campaigned on that didn’t get much reporting is that IF elected he will put an end to internet ammo and firearm sales. NO MORE INTERNET AMMO SALES he promises. This is November 2020 and IF the courts allow the 2020 election to go through, Banana Republic Joe Biden will be inaugurated on January 20, 2021 in just over two months. There’s no ammo or reloading supplies now….SO DON’T WASTE IT on practicing now. I predict that we will ALL get plenty of practice coming up sooner than later.
Nov 6 and it appears that it’s hit the fan. Keep your head down and your powder dry. Molon Labe.
I can’t understand what over half of the country sees in a crooked, senile, old fool that won’t last the full term and his commie vp that’s about as far left as you can go. God help us. Looks like the Supreme Court is our only protection now.
It was stolen big time you are seeing America stolen! Organize with like minded people the real fight is coming!
Congratulations are in order for China who got their corrupt puppet to gain a fake majority.
Nov 6 and it appears that it’s hit the fan. Keep your head down and your powder dry. Molon Labe.
I can’t understand what over half of the country sees in a crooked, senile, old fool that won’t last the full term and his commie vp that’s about as far left as you can go. God help us.
This is the day after the general election 2020.
With the advantage of hindsight, it looks more like a “Oh, thee, not me” situation.
It would be interesting to know how many Biden voters bought guns for the first time….
Can you say conflict of thinking, or voter’s remorse?????????