In recent
corporate presentations, leading gun makers celebrated the fact that
consumers bought more firearms because of the December terrorist
attack in San Bernardino. And, prior to the massacre at a gay
nightclub in Orlando on Saturday night, executives were telling
investors to expect another big bump — because of the upcoming
elections.
The surge in
sales after mass shootings, as we’ve reported, is nothing new: Mass
shootings lead to talk of gun control; the National Rifle Association
— the gun advocacy group funded significantly by gun and ammunition
manufacturers – uses its influence in Congress to block any
legislative action; but gun owners, irrationally terrified that the
government will restrict or ban firearms, rush out to buy more guns
and ammo.
Sturm, Ruger
& Co. Chief Executive Michael Fifer, speaking at his company’s
annual meeting in May, noted that his company — the largest handgun
manufacturer in the U.S. — saw a spike in demand that “was
strongly correlated to the tragic terrorist activities in Paris and
San Bernardino.” Sales eventually slowed down, but Fifer called
that a “big opportunity for the distributors to step up and take
on inventory” to be ready for election-related sales.
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