Firearm sales soared during the pandemic; new gun owners surged, especially among minorities and women

The coronavirus pandemic, along with the regular protests and riots in American cities, fueled a buying binge of guns across the nation. The uncertainty of 2020 spurred unprecedented gun sales in the United States, including a wave of new gun owners, especially among minorities and women.

Last year ended up being the highest gun sale year since the current record-keeping system went into effect, according to USA Today. Gun sales skyrocketed 40% in 2020 compared to 2019, with a record 39,695,315 background checks conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The gun buying surge has continued into 2021 in a major way. In January, which is when Joe Biden was inaugurated as president, U.S. gun sales soared 60% to 4,137,480, the largest single month since figures started to be recorded in 1998.