Biting the bullet
Fears prompt record sales of guns, ammo
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Bob Cameron of Joe Jones The Great Outdoors in Rutland says his store has plenty of ammunition but that he has noticed a spike in sales. Hr also said it appears distributoors inventories are down. 04/18/09 Albert J. Marro / Rutland Herald |
Toolbox
By Dennis Jensen
STAFF WRITER - Published: April 19, 2009
Last Monday, the morning after "60 Minutes" ran a feature on the nationwide trend that shows a dramatic increase in the sales of guns and ammunition, a young man walked into the Trading Post in Quechee.
"He was the first customer I had," said Wayne Barrows, the owner of the sporting goods shop. "He buys $1,100 worth of guns - a rifle, a shotgun and a handgun - because '60 Minutes' ... made him afraid. He watched that show."
The next day, a customer stopped by at the New England Outdoorsman in Rutland, looking to purchase some ammunition from Mike Pratico, the owner of the shop.
"He told me he has 17,000 rounds of 7.62 ammo and he wanted more," Pratico said. "He said he was afraid that it would become so expensive he wouldn't be able to buy it in the future."
Pratico couldn't help the man.
"I said I didn't have any. I was out," Pratico said.
A survey of sporting goods shops in Vermont reflects a five-month trend across the nation: Since the election of President Barack Obama, there has been a run on guns and ammunition because people are fearful.
Their fears, according to the sporting goods proprietors, include an economy on the downslide, a president and Congress that could pass strong gun legislation and the possibility of a dramatic tax increase on ammunition.
Certain kinds of ammunition are impossible to obtain, including high-capacity, semi-automatic pistols and high-capacity, semi-automatic military-type rifles. Those calibers include 7.62, ,45, .38, 9 mm and .223, among others.
"The 9 mm and .38 (caliber) ammo basically doesn't exist," said Rick Sanborn, the owner of R&L Archery in Barre. Sanborn said that sales of guns and ammunition at his sporting goods shop were up, but not significantly.
Meanwhile, the guns that carry that high-capacity ammunition are getting more difficult to find and more costly.
Background checks way up
The nationwide boom is due to "the Obama stimulus package in the world of guns and ammo," Sanborn said.
"There's a large degree of uncertainty out there as to what the new president and administration is going to do. People are stockpiling. Instead of four boxes of 9 mm ammunition, they buy 10. All over the country supplies are tight," he said.
Across the United States, firearms and ammunition sales are increasing dramatically because of fears that the Obama Administration will try to introduce legislation that would impose tougher gun control laws.
According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System shows that "background checks on the sale of firearms jumped 29.2 percent in March when compared to March 2008 and were up 27.1 percent for the first quarter of 2009 over the same quarter last year."
Pratico said handgun sales at his store are at a record high.
"In 30 years of doing business, this is the highest demand I've ever encountered," he said.
"I'm not talking about hunting rifles or hunting shotguns. These are guns that are being purchased for home and self-protection," he said. "What I'm hearing from the general public is they know that law enforcement agencies are understaffed and overworked and they're afraid that, with the way the country is going right now, they need some sort of protection."
Meanwhile, Pratico said he has witnessed another trend developing, in terms of new gun ownership.
"I am amazed at the number of women who have purchased a gun," he said. "I would go out on a limb and say that probably 15 to 20 percent of my customers have been females."
Pratico said that there is a sizeable population of single women "who live in rural areas" of Vermont. "They're concerned and they want some protection."
'People are scared'
Martin VanBuren Jr., the owner of Mart's Sporting Goods in Poultney, said his customers have expressed fears that President Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress will pass comprehensive gun legislation that would make it much more difficult to purchase firearms and ammunition.
"What it is is a mix of a lot of things," he said. "People are scared, with the economy and the way things are going. They want to protect themselves."
VanBuren and Pratico both said that their customers have voiced fears that the new Congress would pass a prohibitive tax - they said a 300 to 500 percent increase has been discussed - on ammunition.
Barrows said his customers have voiced the same concerns heard at other sporting goods stores - they are worried about Obama and the Democratic Party and their propensity for pushing for more restrictive gun laws.
"The Democrats' view on gun ownership has been well substantiated. They are in power in the House and Senate. People are afraid of what may be coming down the line. There is a new, proposed assault weapons ban written up that is very radical," he said.
Another proposed bill is "really radical" in that all guns would have to be registered, Barrows said.
"They did this in Canada. I doubt it could pass here," he said.
Pratico said his customers have spoken openly about their fears for the future.
"Since President Obama has taken office and the Democrats are in control, there are so many persisting rumors out there - gun legislation and ammunition control - that it has caused a panic across the United States and people are stockpiling," he said. "People went out and bought every round of ammunition they could."
Pratico said he understands the angst being felt by some of the citizenry.
"I think it's founded in the turmoil that is going on in the United States today," he said. "It's scary. "There's definitely a panic out there."
dennis.jensen@rutlandherald.com
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