(Joshua Roberts/Reuters)
The United States is still in the midst of the greatest gun-buying binge in its history. From The Reload:
April 2021 saw the most gun sales of any April on record.
The month saw nearly 1.7 million background checks on gun sales, according to an industry analysis of FBI numbers released on Monday. That puts it about one percent up from the previous record set last year. It also continues the remarkable surge in gun sales that has gone on for more than a year.
Last year’s surge saw around 5 million first-time buyers, including historic numbers of women and minorities. After the Capitol riot in January, CNN and others attempted to tie the spike in gun buying to right-wing unrest, but the trend had been ongoing since the pandemic began. If Americans felt helpless when sequestered in their homes in April, the rash of summer riots and the “defund the police” movement certainly didn’t allay those concerns. It’s worth noting as well that gun manufacturers are having a tough time keeping up with demand. These numbers could be larger.
And, as long as Democrats keep talking about gun confiscation and regulations, expect the trend to continue.