Little Ralphie from the classic holiday movie “A Christmas Story” might have been onto something with his dreams of unwrapping a shiny new Red Ryder BB gun.
Turns out, many Americans share the bespectacled, tow-headed boy’s desire for firepower. And they have made out their wish lists for Santa accordingly.
FBI personal background checks, which are required before an individual can buy guns, hit an all-time high of 129,166 on Black Friday. That figure shattered the previous record of 97,848, set on Black Friday of 2008, by 32 percent.
In Georgia, FBI personal background checks recorded during the month of November are at a three-year high of 33,484. December figures were not yet available for comparison with last year. But if November’s uptick continued, it’s likely that plenty of people will be testing their trigger fingers come Sunday.
Jeremy Powell, general manager at the Bulls-Eye Indoor Range & Gun Shop in Lawrenceville, said his store has seen sales climb every year since it opened in 1991. And this Christmas season sales are up about 10 percent over last year.
Previous spikes in sales came in 1999 during the Y2K scare and in 2008, after the election of President Barack Obama, when many would-be gun owners feared that the Democratic leader would usher in tough anti-gun laws, Powell said.
The majority of Bulls-Eye’s business this year has been in handguns and firearms used more for personal protection. Powell said compact guns that fit in a pocket or a purse are especially hot sellers.
At the Sandy Springs Gun Club and Range, every space in the parking lot was taken before the business even opened its doors Wednesday morning.
Robyn Marzullo, who owns the shop with her sister, Cara Workman, said their sales in the first part of December eclipsed last year’s sales by about 25 percent. Particularly popular are gift cards redeemable for guns, time on the range or training classes.
“When it comes to the holidays, I do not believe it is because of a fear of crime at all,” Marzullo said. “I think people are just broadening their horizons.”
Marzullo said she and her sister recognized firearms sales was a growing industry and decided to open their store together in August 2010.
“People are surprised to see how fun it is,” Marzullo said. “Shooting is a sport. But there are very few sports you can do that you can learn how to get better at something while you are learning how to protect yourself.”
One of the shoppers browsing the Sandy Springs store Wednesday was Mike Leun, 46, of Chamblee, who had his eye on a 9 mm Springfield semi-automatic handgun for himself for Christmas. Leun said his wife had sent him to pick out something.
“She pretty much leaves it up to me to let her know what I want, so there’s no mistakes and everybody is smiling at Christmas,” Leun said.
Leun said he grew up with guns around the house because his family hunted, but he wants a handgun for target shooting. He said several friends got into target shooting as a hobby in recent months, and he said the Sandy Springs Gun Club promotes the social aspect of sport shooting with its lounge and annual membership option.
Firearms are making a comeback among the 35-and-under crowd, said Andrew Molchan, director of the Professional Gun Retailers Association. He speculates part of the reason is a shift in attitudes brought on by a generation’s desire to rebel against the last generation.
“Their grandparents or parents are the flower children,” Molchan said, “so now they’re going to become different.”
Another reason for the attitude shift may be the ubiquity of video-game playing among the younger generation, which often involves simulated combat, Molchan said.
And even though violent crime has been on the decline in the United States for the past 4 1/2 years, Molchan said the heightened state of anxiety brought on by the Great Recession might also be motivating gun sales.
“Part of it is free-floating anxiety. People are just anxious because of whatever tensions happen to be around so they go out and buy a gun,” Molchan said. “It’s not especially logical in some cases.”
Many shoppers prefer to do their picking at gun shows, where hundreds of retailers offer a variety of firearms. Elaine Steverson of Gunrunner Shows based in Hephzibah said about 5,000 people attended a recent gun show in Conyers, up from about 2,000 at the last show it held in Conyers in June.
“Everybody is having record-breaking sales at these shows,” Steverson said. “A lot of people are getting their permits and carrying because it’s a scary world out there.”
About the Author
