The FBI reports that there were 500,000 NICS checks performed for gun purchases in the week before Christmas. That’s a record, beating even the whole post-election rush. There were 129,166 checks this Black Friday, beating the previous record of 98,000 in 2008.
The media, few of whom are in touch with the gun culture, are postulating all sorts of reasons for the boom, but they’re missing the real factors. I submit that this year’s record numbers are more due to increased interest in the hobby and confidence in the economy than they are to paranoia, crime, or politics.
In 2009, panic buying was the order of the day. They were coming for our guns! Get ’em before the ban! Society was on the verge of collapse. People were buying guns just to buy guns. I worried that few, if any, would actually get training or take up shooting as a pastime.
I’m relieved to say I was wrong.
The character of this year’s rush was completely different: happier, calmer, more informed, and more inquisitive. A much larger percentage of buyers are repeat purchasers, and they’re getting guns with the enjoyment of shooting in mind. Enrollment in training courses has risen exponentially. Folks aren’t yelling about politics anymore. Rather, they’re getting advice on being better shooters.
What a breath of fresh air! Now, can we just get past the whole zombie thing, please?
(Incidentally, that figure is only the number of individual checks, not the actual number of firearms transferred. Multiple firearms in the same transaction only get one check. Additionally, purchasers in many states can bypass the check if they have a carry permit, so we can likely assume the real number is 30-50% higher.)