(USA Features) The sale of guns and ammunition around the country are skyrocketing over fears that the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak could get much worse and impact civil society, reports said on Sunday.
In addition, sales of “survival gear” are also way up, according to suppliers who spoke to various media.
“People who tell me that they don’t like guns, but they’re here to begrudgingly buy one,” Gabriel Vaughn, owner of Sportsman’s Arms In Petaluma, told the KTVU-TV, the Sacramento Bee reported. “And if it makes somebody feel safe and they’re legal to own one, then sure.”
The shop owner said that many people purchasing a firearm are first-time buyers.
Meanwhile, sales on Ammo.com, an online ammunition store, were 68 percent greater from Feb. 23 to March 4 than they were the preceding 11 days, the company said in a press release.
Kevin Lim, who owns tactical gear retailer Bulletproof Zone, told BuzzFeed News his sales have jumped 50 to 100 percent.
“I think with the way things have escalated quite quickly around the world and in the U.S. in just the last couple of weeks, it’s very hard to tell what’s going to happen next, and I believe it is better to be safe than sorry,” Lim said. “That’s what our business is about, after all, keeping people safe.”
Also, the owner of LEPD Firearms in Columbus, Ohio, told WKRC that his customers are not panicked, but are nevertheless preparing for the virus to get worse.
“It’s an unknown, so there are people that are concerned,” Duane Pohlman said.
“In those times of uncertainty, people have a reaction to make sure they want to protect themselves and their families, and I think that’s what we’re seeing especially here in our store.”
This article originally appeared at USAFEATURESMEDIA and was republished with permission.
FOLLOW US @Breaking_1st on Twitter for News On Time.
Got something to say? Scroll down to leave a comment!
