As Americans anticipate Joe Biden's administration to put additional gun control measures, firearm sales reached an all-time high in 2020.
The gun sales could be in for another banner year of 2021 based on the investors' reaction to the series of riots at the Capitol in D.C.
According to USA Today, after rioters who supported President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building on Wednesday and delayed Biden's certification as the next president, the stocks for several gun manufacturers have risen sharply as the firearm sales skyrocketed.
While gun sales data since the violence is not yet available, gunmakers' stock price increases suggest investors believe that 2021 will be another strong year for firearm sales.
The movement also came in the middle of concerns regarding further violence as the Inauguration Day approaches January 20.
After the attacks on Wednesday afternoon, as the firearm sales rise, the shares of Sturm, Ruger & Co., Smith & Wesson, and Vista Outdoor have increased immediately as well.
From the market opening on Wednesday morning through its closing on Monday, they were up around 10, 4, and 2 percent, respectively.
Smith and Wesson had an increase of 12 percent by Monday morning but relinquished some of those gains in the afternoon.
By contrast, the S&P 500 rose 2 percent during that period.
On the other hand, it is unclear whether investors believe gun manufacturers will benefit from Trump supporters purchasing weapons or simply from the general concern among other Americans regarding the civil unrest.
As of the moment, the leaders of the industry have not weighed in.
When asked for comments about the issue, representatives from Smith & Wesson and Vista did not respond to the request.
Mark Oliva, director of public affairs for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the firearm industry trade association, also declined to comment on the possibility that the riots at the Capitol jolted firearm sales, CNN reported.
However, Oliva condemned the attack as un-American.
Oliva shared in an e-mail that the destruction of the United States was as shocking and appalling to the National Shooting Sports Foundation's members as it was to the rest of the nation.
He also added that the violence visited upon the seat of democracy and the law enforcement officers protecting it was reprehensible.
Based on the estimates by Small Arms Analytics & Forecasting, a research consultancy, firearm sales reach up to an estimated 23 million in 2020, higher than the previous record of 16.6 million in 2016, The Newport Daily News reported.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation also has information regarding instant background checks for gun purchasers, which is a metric generally viewed as a proxy for real-time firearm sales, which is also reported on a monthly basis.
Holly Morris, the FBI spokesperson, shared that January data would not be available until early February.
Representing the interests of gun owners, the National Rifle Association also declined to give any comment on the issue.
