Gun sales this year are on a pace to be the third highest in U.S. history, according to the industry.
Driven by COVID culture and newly overstocked shelves, industry officials this week said 2022 sales are likely to only be beaten by the records set in 2020 and 2021.
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Even with two months to go, 2022 FBI background checks, which are tied closely to sales, are higher than 18 of the 24 years on record. By the end of the year, the checks are expected to be the third highest and total over 30 million.
While sales are off a bit from the last two years, gun sellers told Secrets that there is a steady flow of customers into stores, especially as the holiday season kicks in.
What’s more, they cited a new culture of buyers, especially of women and minorities, created by the COVID crisis, in which they were more worried about their safety and also had the time to practice shooting.
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“There doesn’t seem to be an end in sight, which is a good thing,” said Justin Anderson, the marketing director of Hyatt Guns in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“The COVID bubble created a large group of new customers, and many of them caught the ‘gun bug,’ so sales remain good and well above pre-pandemic levels. Also, the time change signals the start of the holiday buying season for our industry, and we’re already seeing an increase in seasonal purchases. Thankfully, the manufacturers have kept pace with demand, which has allowed us to avoid inflationary price hikes. We expect yet another record year,” added Anderson.
