Gun Sales on the Rise
By: RNS
Updated: January 8, 2009
Gun purchases are on the rise. According to figures from the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System, background checks for firearm purchases last month were 24 percent higher than they were in December 2007, while in November of last year there were 42 percent more requests for background checks than there was in October. Requests in November 2008 were also the highest in NICS history.
National Shooting Sports Foundation President and CEO Stephen L. Sanetti attributes this to fears that Congress will enact a gun ban under the incoming Obama administration.
A recent HunterSurvey.com poll reflects this concern. An overwhelming majority of respondents, 80-percent, said that with a democratically controlled Congress they expect it to become more difficult to buy firearms after President-elect Barack Obama takes office.
None of the respondents said they thought gun buying would become easier, while just 16 percent said they anticipated little change in the process.
