April Gun Sales Surge Amid Shutdowns

Americans turned out in record numbers to buy weapons amid the coronavirus outbreak, as April marked the second straight month of historic gun sales.

There were nearly 1.8 million gun sales in the United States in April, according to a report from industry analyst Small Arms Analytics & Forecasting (SAAF). The total lagged behind the all-time monthly record set in March, but represented a 71.3 percent surge over April 2019 figures. The coronavirus pandemic has seen weapons and ammunition fly off the shelves despite economic downturn, mass layoffs, and a shutdown of stores in some states and localities.

Jurgen Brauer, SAAF chief economist, said the continued strong sales were largely a result of the fact that gun stores were able to keep their doors open in the vast majority of states amid the shutdowns.

"The industry has been successful in arguing with federal/state authorities to grant ‘essential business' status, so most of the relevant businesses stayed open," he told the Washington Free Beacon in an email.