Montana’s gun sales are surging and gun dealers say retirees are a driving force behind the surge.
KPAX reports that Axeman Firearms in Missoula has witnessed a flurry of business amid the boom in sales. They indicate a trend toward “defensive handguns” combined with hunters who are still actively trying to pass a love of hunting to younger gun owners.
Axeman salesman Ian Menawieland spoke to the defensive gun sales, saying, “People are really realizing that the world isn’t as safe as they believed it is, and starting to take their own protection into their own hands. They’re starting to become more aware of some of the issues they could see and they’re now trying to go ahead and protect themselves.”
Menawieland also indicated that presidential election years often witness a jump in gun sales tied to the fear of more gun controls. But he said the surge in sales began sooner than normal this time around and he believes it is partially the result of the relentless push for gun control in Congress and backdoor gun control efforts via federal agencies.
It should also be noted that there has been a gun control push in Missoula’s local government during the past year as well. In September 2015, Breitbart News reported that Mayor John Engen (D) and Ward 1 council member Bryan von Lossberg stood with Moms Demand Action in efforts to ban private gun sales in Missoula.
News that retirees are driving Montana’s surge in gun sales comports with the NRA’s report that senior demand for firearms training nationally is up “400 percent since 2010.”
AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.