Taking Aim First-time gun buyers on rise
An estimated 5 million Americans became first-time gun owners so far this year, and the demand for firearms and ammunition remains strong, including in Butler County localities.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation, a firearm industry trade association, based that estimate on a retailers survey that revealed that 40 percent of gun sales this year were made to people who never previously owned a firearm.
“Definitely a record setting pace this year. A lot of first-time gun buyers and a lot of new women buyers as well,” said Brent McLafferty, manager of Fenelton Firearms in Fenelton.
The firearms seeing the most demand are handguns, but sales of shotguns and semi-automatic rifles have also been brisk, McLafferty said.
Many new buyers are taking classes taught by instructors certified by the National Rifle Association at the shop's gun range to learn how to use their firearms.
“We've seen a big increase for demand for classes at our range here. It seems a lot of first-time buyers want to get proficient,” he said, adding that more classes are being offered to meet that demand. “Even private instruction, we're kind of booked up for a couple months at this point.”
Richard Logan, owner of Logan's Gun Gallery in North Washington, said handgun and semi-automatic rifle sales have been brisk.
“Handguns disappear almost as quick as I get them in. I get people buying two, three, four at a time,” Logan said. “(Rifles) as soon as I get some, they're gone.”
Buyers include men and women, and self protection is the reason they are buying.
“It's just everybody looking for protection right now,” Logan said.
Manufacturers and suppliers are having difficulty meeting demand.
“I have a back order of over $200,000 in firearms and ammunition. What ever comes in, that's what I take,” Logan said.
He said he limits customers to buying one box at a time of certain calibers of ammunition. “I try to give everybody a little bit and keep everybody happy,” he said.
The huge gun sales increase at Down Range Supply in Butler Township has been led by new buyers, and most of them have been women and seniors, said owner John Hunka.
“A lot for first-timers. That would be the bulk, and the bulk of that is females and older people,” Hunka said.
Sales to people ages 65 to 75 is surprising, he said, because people who don't buy guns by the age of 30 usually don't ever buy guns.The main reasons customers give for buying guns is self protection and to carry them concealed, Hunka said.The range at Down Range Supply is a busy place.People with memberships used to comprise most of people who use the range, but classes for first-time buyers are now taking up most of the schedule, Hunka said.“I can't schedule enough,” he said.Range members are not using the range as much as they used to because they don't want to use all their ammunition, he added.The perfect storm“It's a crazy time. I've never seen it like this,” Hunka said.The increase in sales is the product of a “perfect storm,” he said.The COVID-19 pandemic started the storm. Then riots stemming from racial injustice protests and the presidential election strengthened the storm, Hunka said.Joanne Oehlschlager, 70, of Butler bought her first gun at Down Range Supply on Friday.“I'm concerned about what is happening in this country. I don't know where it's going,” Oehlschlager said. “I'm a strong supporter of the Second Amendment.”She said she is concerned about Antifa and other anarchist organizations, but she bought the gun to use for self-defense while her husband, Bill, 69, who travels for work, is away from home.“We feel safer living in Butler than anywhere we've lived,” said Bill, who doesn't own a gun. He said they used to live in Washington, D.C., and other cities.Gun owners Donna Robinson and her husband John, of Cranberry Township, were in the shop looking for a new semi-automatic rifle. “I'm a Realtor so I carry it every day,” Donna said about her handgun.She said she believes Democrats in Congress will try to have the Second Amendment repealed. “I'm terrified that the nation won't be free for my grandkids,” she said. “I carry for protection.”Popular purchase
Logan, McLafferty and Hunka said 9 mm has been and continues to be the most popular caliber of handgun and ammunition.“Nine millimeter is by far the most popular caliber; .380 (caliber) and 38 special are still pretty popular. Nine millimeter largely because we have the most of that ammunition, and it's easy to conceal,” McLafferty said.He estimated that 60 percent of the buyers purchased guns to carry them for protection and 40 percent purchased guns for home protection.Hunka said 9 mm is the most common caliber in the United States and worldwide. The ammunition is cheaper than many other calibers, even though current prices are high due to limited supply and high demand, and there are many options among guns and ammunition in that caliber, he said.The National Shooting Sports Foundation based it's gun buying figures on background checks conducted with the sales of firearms through the FBI's National Instant Background Check System. The foundation-adjusted checks for January through July 2020 is a record 12.1 million, which is up 71.7 percent from the 7.1 million foundation-adjusted January through July 2019. This equates to nearly 5 million first-time gun owners in the first seven months of 2020.Gun permitsThe numbers are echoed in the number of applications for permits to carry a concealed firearm in Butler County.Sheriff Mike Slupe, whose office processes those applications, said the first spike in applications came in June. In June 2019, about 460 applications were processed. In June this year, the number soared to 1,040, he said.The number of applications rose from 405 in July 2019 to 966 this July, 575 in August 2019 to 814 this August, and 469 in September 2019 to 887 this September.“The jump occurred in June this year over last year,” Slupe said. “The difference between '19 and '20 is pretty significant in the last four or five months.”He said self-protection is a possible reason for the increase. “These people want a safe environment in their own homes,” Slupe said. “We have historically seen an increase when there has been a significant world event. Any large scale event, we see an increase.”First-time applicants are driving the increase.“There's a significant increase of new applications,” he said.
