Last week’s Black Friday guns sales increased noticeably over last year’s record breaking levels. The FBI did 154,873 instant background checks on Nov. 23, which is up 20% over the 129,166 background checks they did last year.
But since multiple guns can be sold with each background check, even these impressive numbers do not tell the whole story. There may have been twice as many guns sold as there were background checks performed.
It seems Obama’s pledge to work on gun control “under the radar” has made a lasting impression on the American people. As did his comments during the second presidential debate, wherein he talked of re-instituting the assault weapons ban and pursuing more gun control on a class of cheap firearms (widely understood to be the handguns poorer families buy to defend their families and their real property).
As in 2011, women were increasingly among those buying guns on Black Friday. And first time buyers, whether male or female, were also well represented.
The bottom line: Americans want their guns. And it appears they’re getting them before Obama has the chance to do anything about it.