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.