2016 Gun Sales Top Records
Dr. John Woods 01.25.17
As the joke goes among gun dealers, Obama has been the best gun salesman since probably Teddy Roosevelt. Analyses of all kinds are now coming out about the statistics of gun sales in 2016. It was indeed a bang up year, pun fully intended.
FBI press releases now review that in 2016 some 27,538,673 background checks were made for gun purchases in the United States. Of course, that does not mean that many guns were actually sold or legally transferred, because some number of checks were turned down. The BATF does not reply why the approval to purchase was denied, just that it was. The consumer can contact the BATF direct to find out, but more often than not, they know already. The background system we have in place works, it is just too slow or overwhelmed.
During the latter part of 2016 it also seemed to be standard practice for the BATF to delay a large number of background checks for buyers with very common names like Smith, Jones, or Waliskowski. You get the point. Dealers and buyers were very frustrated with the process. Gun show gossip assumed the administration had ordered the approval slowdowns.
The 27 or so million checks in 2016 was 4 million more than in 2015. For the final nineteen months of the Obama administration, new background check records were set for every one of those consecutive months in a row. Why do you suppose this was the case?
Honestly label it however you like, paranoia, safety concerns, personal protection, protection of business and personal property, terrorism, rampant street crime, police shootings however righteous and the resultant rioting by paid agitators and many other reasons contributed to why more people wanted more guns.
Again, handguns were the number one sellers. This is always to be expected, since a packable handgun whether legally concealed or not is the simplest mode of personal protection for those wanting to defend themselves with a firearm. Dealers at gun shows selling chemical defense sprays and warning sirens also exhibited an increase in sales as well. Homeowners bought defensive shotguns and rural farmers, ranchers, etc. bought ARs.
Of course politics and the sheer threat of what another democratic president this one wearing a pants suit might do in regards to gun controls and further restrictions to ownership including far reaching proposals at total gun confiscation. None of that came to pass, but then we are still waiting to see what a Trump presidency and congress will bring. Dealers expect brisk gun sales to continue.
