Ammunition sales are surging as many Virginian seek to stock up ahead of a slew of Democrat-mandated gun controls for the state.
WSET reports online ammunition seller AmmunitionToGo.com notes a 137 percent increase in ammo sales to Virginians now versus this same time last year.
AmmunitionToGo’s Brandon Black said, “We’re now seeing a massive number of Virginia shooters stocking up on ammunition in anticipation of new laws that they believe will make it harder to purchase rounds legally.”
Black noted firearm and ammunition sales are impacted by political change in a way unseen with other retail items. He said, “I doubt that any other businesses are affected as much by politics as firearm and ammunition manufacturers and retailers.”
WSET reports Virginians have purchased enough ammo to take the state from simply being in AmmunitionToGo’s “top 20 markets” to being in the top five.
On January 21, 2020–the day after thousands rallied for Second Amendment rights in Virginia–WJLA quoted a Democrat State Senator making clear his conviction a mandate for gun control remains. Sen. Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax) said, “We are in charge now” and “We feel like we have a mandate to do something and we are going to continue to move forward.”
On the very next day the Virginia Senate took up various gun controls.
Breitbart News reported those controls included a permanent ban on exercising Second Amendment rights on Virginia Capitol grounds. Stricter requirements for concealed carry permit issuance, gun storage laws, and penalties for gun owners who fail to report stolen firearms within 24 hours of the theft, are also being pushed.
House Bill 961 would put in place a licensing requirement for all AR-15 owners and Democrats have made clear that the licensing process would be used to create a database of said owners.
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.