As anxiety has grown around the COVID-19 pandemic in recent days, news reports from across the country have detailed how more and more Americans are embracing their right to self-defense and choosing to be their families’ ultimate protectors. Ammo.com reports, for example, that revenue from sales on its website increased 309 percent from Feb. 23 through March 15, compared to a month before.
Further Examples
Daniel Hill had never bought a gun before. But last week he was in Larry Hyatt’s gun store in North Carolina picking out two of them: a 9mm Taurus handgun and an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle. His motivation: the coronavirus.
At gun shops, cash registers rang more like Christmas Eve than St. Patrick’s Day as firearms and ammunition sales soared through the roof Tuesday. Shop owners and managers cited customers’ concerns about home defense related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
People in the U.S. are preparing for total anarchy amidst the growing COVID-19 concerns. Fear and panic are driving the gun-buying frenzy. Whatever the reason, gun sales are up everywhere — but particularly in states like California, New York and Washington that have been hit hardest by coronavirus, according to The Los Angeles Times.
Some shops are selling twice as many firearms as on Black Friday while Colorado residents grapple with the novel coronavirus pandemic, disruptions to daily life and an uncertain future.
The USCCA has been hearing from many members as well as those interested in joining the USCCA family who are justifiably concerned with the current situation. We are proud to represent more than 420,000 Americans nationwide and work hard to provide education and training for responsible gun owners.
USCCA President Says Get Training
In case you missed it, USCCA President and Founder Tim Schmidt was a guest on Fox News with Tucker Carlson recently, noting, “Now more than ever, people understand they need to be their families’ first line[s] of defense.”
Schmidt noted that gun ownership and self-defense come with great responsibility, encouraging all Americans — particularly first-time firearms owners — to educate and train themselves in this critical area: “I applaud all of these brand-new people [who] are buying guns. […] So many — 90 percent — of these … people buying guns have never owned guns before. They’ve probably never even touched a gun,” he said.
Schmidt continued, “Now, don’t get me wrong, Tucker. I personally think that firearms ownership is a natural-born right of free people. But with that right comes a tremendous responsibility, and that responsibility is to be trained. […] If you’re watching this and you just bought a gun for self-defense, get training. […] It will help you be a better defender, which we all know you’re going to have to be.”
Providing education and training to responsible gun owners is critical to our mission at the USCCA. We are proud and encouraged that thousands of Americans are taking the first step toward being the ultimate protectors for themselves and their families. We at the USCCA believe that government at ALL levels should be supporting and protecting all Americans’ right to self-defense, and we will continue on our quest to help you become the best protector you can be.
