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About Coast river business journal. (Astoria, OR) 2006-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 9, 2019)
6 • OctOber 2019 COVER STORY COAST RIVER bUSINeSS JOUrNAL FIREARMS SALES ON FIRE Democratic candidate beto O’rourke’s recent remarks regarding gun control could stoke national gun sales further. “everyone’s taking a wait and see approach,” North coast Shooter’s Supply owner Jeff Kelland said. In a Democratic presidential debate, O’rourke said he would like to see assault- style weapons eliminated from civilian society. “Hell, yes, we’re going to take your Ar-15, your AK-47,” he said. Gun purchases on pace to set new record By LUKE WHITTAKER coast river business Journal P ACIFIC NORTHWEST— Summer is often a time of slim firearms sales, before the fall hunting boom. This year was a big exception. Firearms are popular presents during the holiday season, evidenced by the FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), which tracks transactions for eligible gun buyers nationwide. NICS figures reveal December as the most active month for 8 of the past 10 years. The most firearm background checks nationwide occurred in 2016, when 27,538,673 checks were per- formed. However, nearly 600,000 more have been performed through September 2019 compared to the same period in 2016, a 3% increase. The background check figures aren’t a direct representation of gun sales, as applicants could poten- tially purchase more than one fire- arm during a single check, but serve as a barometer of firearm activity nationwide. What drives sales Mass shootings, terrorist attacks, and calls for more-strict gun legis- lation can directly impact the sale of ammo and firearms. The most background checks in history (3,314,594) occurred Decem- ber 2015. The surge followed a Dec. 2 shooting in California, when 14 peo- ple were killed and 20 wounded when two shooters opened fire at a holiday party at a San Bernadino Social Ser- vices Center. The second most background checks in history (2,783,765) occurred in December 2012. The upsurge fol- lowed a Dec. 14 shooting in Con- necticut, when 26 people, including 20 children, were shot and killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
