The Los Angeles Times reports that gun stores are one aspect of the economy seeing a surge in business as Californians react to coronavirus news.
According to the LA Times, the line of customers at the Martin B. Retting Gun Shop in Culver City stretched out the front door and around the block on Saturday. Many of those in line waited five hours for their opportunity to buy a gun.
A doctor who wanted to buy a gun at the store said, “I want to buy a handgun, I think they call it a Glock, but I’m not sure. I have a house and a family, and they’ll need protection if things get worse. The fear is that civil services will break down.”
Another customer, 39-year-old John Grove, said, “Politicians and anti-gun people have been telling us for the longest time that we don’t need guns. But right now, a lot of people are truly scared, and they can make that decision themselves.”
California has universal background checks, gun registration requirements, and a 10-day waiting period for completion of all gun purchases. So those who were successful in their search for a self-defense handgun Saturday will have to wait over a week to take possession of the firearm.
The owner of Laguna Guns & Accessories in Elk Grove, California, told the LA Times he has not seen guns sell at this pace since just after the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
Marijuana dispensary and liquor store sales are also surging.
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 at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.