Gun and Ammo Sales Surge Amidst Calls for Assault Weapons Bans

Gun and ammo sales have surged, so say several surveys. This is happening at the same time as politicians start to offer gun control legislation and many Americans press for assault rifles to be taken out of circulation. Apparently, some Americans still believe that to fight guns, they need more guns of their own.

No matter what the reason, the total number of firearms held by U.S. citizens has soared since the Newtown massacre. According to Bloomberg:

Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, said yesterday that it would continue to sell guns, including rifles like the one used at Newtown, where 26 people, most of them children, were killed on Dec. 14. By contrast, Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. suspended sales of similar guns at its more than 500 stores.

Searches of five kinds of semi-automatic rifles on Wal-Mart’s website showed them to be out of stock at stores in five states, including Pennsylvania, Kansas and Alabama. Wal-Mart doesn’t sell guns online, instead asking customers to input a zip code to see if their local store carries a specific weapon.

Douglas A. McIntyre