2020 Gun Sales Surge Among Non-Traditional Owners

In World War Two, a Japanese general supposedly said that it would be impossible to invade the United States because there would be a rifle behind every blade of grass. Although the statement may not have had much validity when it was originally said, in 2020, this estimation has almost become statistic. 

In March of 2020 alone, the same time that COVID-19 lockdowns started to happen, the FBI reported that almost 4 million background checks for firearm purchases were done through the country’s NCIS criminal database. When the demonstrations against the police killing of George Floyd were at their height in June, the FBI conducted another 4 million checks. In the nine months of this year, there have been a total of almost 29 million background checks done by the FBI, an all-time high since the agency started recording the statistic in 1998. 

This isn’t the first time that America has seen an increase in gun purchases. The month following 2012’s Sandy Hook shooting had the FBI conduct 2.2 million checks, and the months leading up to the 2016 election saw an increase in background checks as well. However, what makes this year unique is that the people buying these guns come from a much wider demographic.

Leland, a teacher from the North Side of Milwaukee, who requested to only be referred to by his first name because he didn’t want his employer knowing that he’s armed, decided to buy a gun after seeing the police’s treatment of Kyle Rittenhouse in Kenosha earlier this year. He said that Rittenhouse’s case shows that the police are heavily biased in favor of white gun owners, and as a person of color and a self-identified Leftist, he wouldn’t receive the same treatment if he needed to deal with them.  

“I wasn’t historically interested in owning a gun, but after seeing what happened in Kenosha, it’s become clear to me that owning a gun has become a crucial survival skill in America,” he said. “I’m ambivalent about having a gun, but it’s become inevitable that I get one.” 

His sentiments are echoed by a recent call from the Black Lives Matter movement in Calif. to get funding for their movement to start training their members in gun safety.

The Black Lives Matter movement and Leland aren’t the only non-traditional gun owners to have become armed this year. According to FBI statistics, many of the guns purchased this year have come from states that traditionally vote Democrat. For instance, Ill. residents have had over 5 million background checks done, and Calif. residents have undergone over 1 million checks. 

Another one of these new non-traditional gun owners, a 36 year old cyber security worker from Northern Wisconsin who requested to remain anonymous because he doesn’t want his employer knowing he has a gun, said he’s just one of many Democrats and Leftists who have bought a gun this year.

“Culturally, the stereotype of a gun owner has been a right-wing guy,” he said. “But more balance is being found by a lot of Leftists like me changing our views towards gun control and arming up this year.”

Although many of the implications of this unexpected surge in non-traditional gun owners are yet to be seen, one thing that’s already become apparent is that gun manufacturers are unable to keep up with the unprecedented spike in demand.

Josh Coval, a clerk at the Milford Hills Gun Club in Johnson Creek, Wis., said that his store has been unable to find ammunition to sell since March. 

“We’ve been out of 9mm, the ammo that most pistols shoot, and 5.56mm, the bullets that AR15s shoot, for at least the past few months,” Coval said. “We have pistols to sell, but no ammo to go along with them.” 

For some, this has meant that they can’t shoot as often as they would like.

“I have a decent amount of guns,” said Sasha McCann, a gun owner from a Southern Wisconsin. “But it’s been over a month since I’ve been able to go shooting.”

For others, however, it’s had a much more serious impact.

“I had to buy a small Russian pistol,” said an UW-Milwaukee student who wished to remain anonymous because he believes there’s no benefit in people knowing that he’s armed. “And this will probably have an effect on my ability to defend myself, and it’s possible that I’ll have to do that.”