Election year jitters, the continuing spread of the coronavirus, and fears of civil unrest have led to a significant increase of gun and ammo purchases, combined with first-time applications for a license to carry firearms in the county.

“This is a country-wide issue. This isn't a local thing. It's crazy. You know what it is? It's the toilet paper shortage times 100. It's way worse than the toilet paper,” said Jahn Hunka, the owner of Down Range Supply in Butler Township, explaining that the shortage is the result of demand outstripping supply.

And with that new demand, gun suppliers like Hunka across the county — like much of the country — are reporting a shortage in many common ammunition types and firearms such as hand guns.

Butler County Sheriff Mike Slupe, whose office processes firearms applications, said the first spike in applications this year came in June.

In June 2019, 452 applications were processed. During the same month this year, the number jumped to 1,005, he said. And since then, that contrast has remained steady, with 1,104 applications for October this year compared to 520 in 2019.

That increase has depleted the stock of many gun and ammunition suppliers across the county.

“To put it in perspective for you, about a week and half ago I got a shipment of 30,000 9 mm rounds. Usually, that lasts a month. It was gone in four days. If you want to gauge it, that's what we're up against,” Hunka said.

He said that demand began to ramp up around February and has increased since. He said he doesn't expect the demand to allay until next summer. For now, his stock is about 30% of the normal amount of items he would usually have.

“What shot it up is the riots and then the elections, it's a perfect storm that made it nuts. All these things going on at the same time,” Hunka said, referring to unrest across the country sparked by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis along with Joe Biden being named president-elect in the race against President Donald Trump.

Those anxieties were on full display earlier this year when unfounded rumors spread that out-of-town protestors were being transported into the county to cause damage and violence. According to Butler Eagle reports, on June 3, the rumored protest led to some area residents to line Saxonburg's West Main Street, many dressed in army fatigues, armed with assault rifles and pistols, saying they were there to protect businesses. Violence never materialized. Instead, a handful of area residents gathered to protest Floyd's death.

On the national level, the trend of first-time firearms applications appears to be similar. An estimated 6.9 million Americans became first-time gun owners so far this year, according to data collected by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a conservative-leaning trade association. The National Shooting Sports Foundation based its 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 October 2020 is a record 17.1 million, 40% of whom are first-time gun buyers.

With those numbers, this year is the strongest year on record for firearm sales, surpassing the previous record set in 2016 of 15.7 million background checks for a firearm sale, according to the organization.

“That's a large factor when it comes to ammunition and firearm availability. That's seven million customers buying firearms, ammunition, accessories, safes, lessons and range time that weren't in the market last year. There was no one who predicted that this would happen,” a spokesman for the organization wrote. “Manufacturers are working as hard as they can to meet demand, but that demand is clearly outstripping supply at this time.”

At Dunham Sports in the Clearview Mall in Center Township, ammunition and guns are bought within hours of being restocked, according to assistant manager Anthony McGraw.

“Gun purchases are way higher than normal and a lot of that is first-time gun owners,” McGraw said.

He noted that many of the purchases being made by first-time gun owners are for self-defense with 9 mm guns and shotguns being the highest in demand.

And it's not just guns, McGraw observed.

“All outdoor stuff has increased in sales. At one point in the summer, we were sold out of tents and sleeping bags,” McGraw said. “We couldn't keep stock of kayaks — we sold out 300 kayaks in a week. People got cooped up in their houses and then realized they hated it and looked for things to do outside of their home.”

For many people, hunting is the preferred outdoor activity. But that too requires ammunition.

“There's no rifle ammo for deer season. There's nothing,” said Curt Boal of Curt's Black Powder Shop in Fenelton. “The suppliers don't have anything to give us.”

As for his main products of black powder guns, Boal said the demand hasn't gone up the way it has for regular guns.

“Right now, for this deer season it's about the only option left,” Boal said.