Despite the coronavirus pandemic and the ongoing protests for racial justice, records show that Americans have been buying guns now more than ever in recent months.
Skyrocketing sale
According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the gun industry's trade association, around 8.5 million guns were sold from March 2020 through July 2020. This is 94% higher in the same period in 2019.
Firearms industry consultants estimate that in July 2020 alone, 2.0 million units were sold, which is an increase of 136% over July 2019, as reported by The Conversation.
These estimates are all based on the number of background checks that were conducted by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. The FBI reported that eight weeks of this period are included in the top 10 highest weeks since the agency began collecting gun purchase data in 1998.
Gun sales usually have seasonal cycles, with more guns being sold in winter months, and sales also increase in presidential election years and after high-profile mass shootings happen. But 2020 spurred a fast increase in demand for firearms.
Gun sales started to spike in March 2020, when the lockdown orders began in the United States. The figures increased again in June 2020 after a nationwide protest began after the killing of George Floyd.
American gun culture
A study presented in 2019 by the Association for Consumer Research shows that Americans feel that buying a gun gives a sense of security, and it maintains independence.
Gun ownership can be motivated by the belief that owning guns can help to ensure freedom to do and live as one chooses, especially for those who are concerned with defense and protection.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation estimates that 40% of recent gun buyers are first-timers, and they were driven by the need to protect themselves in a period of civil unrest.
Market conditions are also seen as one of the reasons why gun sales are increasing every year. Governors include gun retailers as essential businesses, allowing them to remain open during the nationwide lockdown from March to April.
This reinforced the idea that guns are necessary. Gun retailers have struggled to keep ammunition, firearms, and accessories in stock. Americans felt the urgency to purchase guns due to the unrest.
Guns can also give a tangible basis for social connection. Social bonding through consumption is known in consumer research.
Retailers facilitate this by serving as a social hub and providing expertise on specific products. Going to retailers and purchasing a gun can also enable consumers to feel socially connected to others who are gun owners.
According to researchers, hunting, going to shooting ranges, buying guns and ammunition, and other activities that are linked to shootings form a bond within a group. There are even associations in some states that are made for gun owners and hunters.
Americans who have not bought a gun or do not have the need to buy one may question the sudden increase in gun sales this year.
During a time of crisis, citizens want to feel safe, independent, and connected. For some Americans, buying guns may help them to do so.
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