WASHINGTON - October 27, 2008 -
Americans have cut back on buying cars, furniture and clothes in a tough
economy, but there's one consumer item that's still enjoying healthy sales:
guns. Purchases of firearms and ammunition have risen 8 to 10 percent this
year, according to state and federal data.
Several variables drive sales, but many dealers, buyers and experts attribute the increase in part to concerns about the economy and fears that if Senator Barack Obama of Illinois wins the presidency, he will join with fellow Democrats in Congress to enact new gun controls. Obama has said that he believes in an individual right to bear arms but that he also supports "common-sense safety measures."
"Even though [Obama] has a lot going for him, he's not very pro-gun," said Paul Pluff, a spokesman for Massachusetts-based Smith & Wesson, which has reported higher sales. Gun enthusiasts are "going to go out and get [firearms] while they still can."
Gun purchases have also been climbing because of the worsening economy, which fuels fears of crime and civil disorder, industry sources and specialists said.
"Generally, we know that hard economic times always result in firearm sales," said James M. Purtilo of Silver Spring, Maryland, who publishes the Tripwire Newsletter.
Bob Leyshion, who visited a gun shop in Manassas, Virginia recently, said the economic crisis and Obama's lead in the polls were on his mind.
"People are preparing for catastrophe right now," said Leyshion, 55, of Nokesville, Virginia. "It's insurance. With the stock market crash and people out of work, and the illegal aliens in this area, the probability of civil disorder is very high."