The so-called “Trump Slump” for gun sales and gun stocks is proving to be short-lived as gun stocks surge, and May 2017 set the record for most background checks in any May on record.
On June 4, Breitbart News reported that May 2017 broke previous May records with 1,942,677 background checks. For comparison, May 2015 saw 1,580,980 checks and May 2016 saw 1,870,000.
The Motley Fool reports that the record background checks in May 2017 equated to “59 background checks a minute.” And in addition to the checks, gun stocks are surging. The Fool reports that “shares of Smith & Wesson manufacturer American Outdoor Brands have jumped 23% in the past three months, while Sturm, Ruger has surged 31% in the same time frame.” Moreover, “ammunition and long-arms maker Vista Outdoor has risen 11%.”
Background checks for gun sales did slide in December 2016, but the Fool points out that even then, December 2016 topped December 2015 for background checks. In other words, regarding those who predicted slumping gun sales under Trump, “there was no real slump at all, just that gun buying wasn’t running at the same white-hot pace it had gone at last year.”
The Fool addresses the lack of fear of gun control laws under Trump, saying:
Fear of new gun-control laws doesn’t create demand for guns; it merely affects the timing of the purchase. Thinking your right to buy an AR-15 might be limited in the next few months, you’ll buy one now instead of waiting. Removing that concern doesn’t eliminate the demand for the new firearm; it just takes it off the “must buy now” list.
AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and host of Bullets with AWR Hawkins, a Breitbart News podcast. He is also the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.