Gun Sales Continue To Surge Amid Unrest And Uncertainty

2020 has been the year of preparing. Whether it was toilet paper, paper towels, or firearms and ammunition, people have been stocking up.

And when it comes to firearms, no one has seen a year like 2020 and we still have two months to go.

According to FOX News, gun sales continued to surge in October spiking 65% compared to October of 2019. An estimated 1.9 million firearms were sold in October and it probably could have been more if people could have found more inventory. According to a story from Yahoo News, gun stores across the nation are finding their shelves empty when it comes to firearms and of course ammunition.

It's been estimated by Small Arms Analytics and Forecasting that 18.6 million firearms have been sold in 2020. Many have been purchased from people who are worried about civil unrest due to the election and civil unrest due to the coronavirus pandemic and according to Yahoo News, it's not just conservatives who are buying.

In previous election years, sales spikes were believed to be driven almost entirely by longtime gun owners who worried that a Democratic president might impose new restrictions on firearms.

This time, the sales appear to be driven by fears of societal instability, and gun shop owners and trade groups say the customer base is much broader, including large numbers of Black Americans, women and people who identify as politically liberal.

We've seen the same here in our part of the world. Listeners of The Chad Hasty Show have heard from Sky Stracener of SS Outfitters who has detailed how hard it has been to get ammunition and even some firearms.

One thing is for sure. If Tuesday's Election results in civil unrest in parts of the nation, it will only hurt the availability of ammo and guns.