US - Gun Sales Up 80% in May 2020

[Sinistral]

Gun Sales Up 80 Percent in May 2020
by Guy J. Sagi - Sunday, June 7, 2020

https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2020/6/7/gun-sales-up-80-percent-in-may-2020/

Small Arms Analytics & Forecasting (SAAF) estimates May 2020 U.S. firearms unit sales at 1,726,053, a year-over-year increase of 80.2 percent when compared to May of 2019.

The volume of National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) checks conducted by the FBI—which includes carry permit processing and other administrative use of the system not related to the sale of a gun—was 3,091,455 for last month, only the third time in history that the mark has surpassed three million.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) estimates the first four months of 2020 saw a total of 6.5 million gun purchases run through the NICS system, an increase of 48 percent during the same time period last year, which stood at only 4.4 million at that point in 2019. Those figures do not reflect the record-shattering sales last month, though.

A survey of retailers conducted by NSSF in May found that 40 percent of the people buying firearms were first-time gun owners. The figure is a 67 percent increase over results from previous polls conducted by the organization. Average price they were spending on guns and gear was $595, most of the purchases were semi-automatic pistols and 25 percent of the new owners had already received some form of firearm training. Of those who did not, 63 percent inquired about upcoming classes or where they could receive qualified instruction.

SAAF estimates May’s likely handgun sales totaled 1,052,723. The organization’s estimate of long gun purchases was 535,014.

Widespread conjecture that nationwide protests are fueling the surge are not supported by the figures, according to SAAF Chief Economist Jurgen Brauer. He explained, “The NICS numbers through May 31st do not appear to bear out any such impression. In both May 2019 and May 2020, one sees the regular weekly cycle, without any observable unusual spike. The spike one does see is for March 20th, 2020, undoubtedly due to the global and nationwide COVID-19 crisis.”

 

[Dickie]

I wonder the figures for the last fortnight will be like

 

[Muir]

I'm proud to say I contributed to those numbers.~Muir

 

[8x57]

Gun sales in the U.K. except for air guns because of the lock down restrictions by contrast are probably down by 99%.

 

[JAYB]

I'm proud to say I contributed to those numbers.~Muir

You do your bit on a regular basis

 

[Muir]

Cousin JAYB,
Every able bodied citizen should do their part. That's my take on it! Well! Just the other day i spied a minty, six inch S&W Model 17 22LR Target model at the gun shop with a more than tempting price tag. I bought it instantly. My dear girl friend ventured into a ranch supply store on Monday and came out with a Ruger 5.56 bolt gun so she is also on the bandwagon with the rest of us.
What a girl....
~Cousin Muir

 

[Monty1840]

Funny thing during the C 19 crisis , Americans buy guns the British buy bog roll

 

[Popa ray]

Funny thing during the C 19 crisis , Americans buy guns the British buy bog roll

 

[JAYB]

Cousin JAYB,
Every able bodied citizen should do their part. That's my take on it! Well! Just the other day i spied a minty, six inch S&W Model 17 22LR Target model at the gun shop with a more than tempting price tag. I bought it instantly. My dear girl friend ventured into a ranch supply store on Monday and came out with a Ruger 5.56 bolt gun so she is also on the bandwagon with the rest of us.
What a girl....
~Cousin Muir

I make allowances for my favourite airborne medic, you on the other hand are a lost cause

 

[Apthorpe]

Funny thing during the C 19 crisis , Americans buy guns the British buy bog roll

I like to think this reflects Americans getting out and going by their rightful business, while the British are too used to doing what they're told and staying put.
The degree of craven and mindless adherence to completely brainless and ineffective control measures in the UK during this crisis has been deeply depressing.

At the end of this, we need to spend some time reflecting on our stupidity:
1. Our confidence in the ability and competence of the public sector was naively overoptimistic - even on the part of those who are sceptical. The level of stupidity and incompetence shown by civil servants has been both shocking and lethal.
2. Disturbingly authoritarian, restrictive and oppressive tendencies from senior police officers, many of whom were delighted to behave in manners that were not supported by the law, frequently displayed an astonishing ignorance of English common law, and sometimes Stalinist.
3. Our own behaviour being complicit with the above. We all know people who have gleefully gone along with and gold-plated the most Stalinist measures of this lockdown, especially the most ineffective and stupid measures. This site alone has been full of people getting agitated about people doing activities that increased risk of transmission by absolutely zero, or even reduced the risk of transmission. I suspect you could count on the fingers of one hand the number of members who have formally complained about police threatening to revoke people's certificates if they refuse to comply with draconian police rulings which never had any basis in law.

 

[Bavarianbrit]

Way to go when TSHTF.