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‘We’ve never seen sales like this before’: Gun, ammo sales skyrocket during coronavirus pandemic

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Central Floridians living in Osceola and Orange counties woke up Friday morning under a stay-at-home order that mandates they only go to work if deemed essential and only go out for essential tasks.

According to those orders, residents can pick up their prescription from the pharmacy, grab their necessary groceries and then swing by their local gun store to buy a firearm.

The stay-at-home orders in both Orange and Osceola counties include gun shops as essential businesses.

>>> LIVE UPDATES: Orange County nears 120 confirmed cases of coronavirus <<<

In some parts of the U.S., authorities have said gun shops aren’t essential businesses and should close during stay-at-home orders meant to slow the coronavirus. In other places, officials are stopping background checks for concealed carry permits. Elsewhere, city leaders have invoked emergency powers allowing bans on gun sales.

As the nation grapples with a pandemic that has upended daily life, some gun rights advocates are concerned about an erosion of Second Amendment rights just as Americans are buying firearms in record numbers to try to ensure their safety.

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In recent weeks, firearm sales have skyrocketed. Background checks — the key barometer of gun sales — already were at record numbers in January and February, likely fueled by a presidential election year. Since the coronavirus outbreak, gun shops have reported long lines and runs on firearms and ammunition.

In Seminole County, a gun store owner said last week that he had sold more stock in four days that he had in the past four months. He also said he’s seen a 40% increase in the number of first time buyers spurred by the coronavirus outbreak.

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For two weeks, Orlando Shooting Sports said they haven’t been able to keep up with the demand for firearms and ammo.

“They weren’t looking for any type of deals on anything. Whatever was available, they just grabbed it. We’ve never seen sales like this before," said owner Luis Lugo.

He said his sales have been eight times higher than normal.

“I have a lot of concerns, because not only do you have to look out, keep an eye on the bad guys, but now you have to keep an eye on the good guys that have all these firearms,” he said.

Background checks were up 300 percent on March 16 compared with the same date a year ago, according to federal data shared with the National Shooting Sports Foundation, which represents gunmakers. Since Feb. 23, each day has seen roughly double the volume over 2019, according to Mark Oliva, spokesman for the group.

“When people aren’t able to provide for their own security or their own safety, they’re going to take measures to make sure that they can. That’s why we have that Second Amendment,” Oliva said. “This is a public safety issue.”

The federal background check system has been overwhelmed by the massive increase in firearm sales. What might normally take a few minutes is taking much longer, and a backlog on background checks has ballooned to about 80,000, Oliva said.

If a background check takes longer than three business days, gun dealers are permitted to allow the sale to go through unless a state has stricter waiting periods. But the National Shooting Sports Foundation has advised gun dealers not to feel beholden to complete the sale if they have concerns about the potential buyer.

“We are cautioning retailers that they may want to exercise patience and prudence," Oliva said.

READ: ‘Spread the message, not the virus’: Orange County officials urge residents, businesses to follow stay-at-home order

Even some gun control advocates say it might not be wise to shut down federally licensed firearms dealers whose sales require background checks. That could force buyers to use a website or seek a private sale that doesn’t require a check, making it more difficult to trace a firearm if it’s used in a crime.

There are risks to both closing a gun shop or keeping it open, said David Chipman, a retired agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

“If you keep it open, there’s the risk of first-time buyers who are largely buying out of fear and panic and untrained,” said Chipman, now senior policy adviser for Giffords, a gun control advocacy group.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.




Sarah Wilson

Sarah Wilson, WFTV.com

Sarah Wilson joined WFTV Channel 9 in 2018 as a digital producer after working as an award-winning newspaper reporter for nearly a decade in various communities across Central Florida.