Ideastream

By Jason DeBruyn

July 1, 2020

The onset of the coronavirus appeared to drive sales in March, particularly as some local governments shut down gun stores. Protests supporting the Black Lives Matter movement may have helped drive even more sales in June, according to SAAF Chief Economist Jurgen Brauer.

“Relative to same-month sales in June 2019, firearms sales soared yet again in June 2020. Once more, demand was particularly strong for handguns,” Brauer wrote in a press release. “The first week of June saw especially high background check volumes, presumably related to the aftermath of the killing of Mr. George Floyd.”

Henry McKoy, North Carolina Central University School of Business’ director of Entrepreneurship, said in some ways the gun sales trend mirrors 2020 as a whole.

“It’s just back to back to back to back,” he said, referring to the seemingly endless news cycle of the year.

“The idea that the pandemic may lead to scarcity, and all out chaos, may contribute to [sales],” he said. “The thinking that, ‘I’m going to be ready for the apocalypse if it comes.’”

Guns & America is a public media reporting project on the role of guns in American life.

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