Domestic Terror: Gun Sales Skyrocket
By: William T Ross
Tags: Race, 2020, Politics, Trends, Guns

Fears of violence are driving an astronomical increase in firearm purchases

Jessie T., member of the Socialist Rifle Association, fires his newly purchased Remington 700 bolt action rifle at an outdoor range (Photo by William T Ross)

2020 has been scary. With fear as the primary driver of weapons sales, it comes as no surprise that gun sales have gone up this year. While sales always rise after national emergencies and during elections due to fears of future gun control legislation, 2020 has shattered all previous records in an alarming fashion. More individuals are considering gun ownership than ever before and Americans have bought significantly more firearms, ammunition, and tactical gear every month of this year than any on record. Weapons manufacturers have seen stock price increases similar to those of Amazon and Zoom, with popular firearm models and calibers of ammunition completely out of stock in gun stores across the country. While the sales rate and national ammunition shortage have been discussed ad nauseam, the concerns driving these phenomena are often left aside and will be explored here.

“Retailers noted that they are seeing a 95 percent increase in firearm sales and a 139 percent increase in ammunition sales over the same period in 2019.”-NSSF

Small spikes in gun sales during election years are regular and predictable. Prices go up every four years due to fears of possible new gun control legislation under a Democratic president, but typically stabilize afterwards. That trend was certainly inflated this year, but it still follows the same historical pattern: Republican candidate Donald Trump has posed himself as a “2nd Amendment Warrior” while the Democratic candidate, Joe Biden, has spoken on his desire for “constitutional, common-sense gun safety policies” to reduce gun violence. Though more divisive and more influential upon gun sales than most races, this election’s influence is largely comparable to the sales increases during the 2008 election of Barack Obama. Clearly, there are other factors at play driving up this year’s gun boom.

The most notable of those factors pushing the astronomical growth rate in demand are two novel fears beyond the presidential race: concerns over consequences of the nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and of social unrest catalyzed by the murder of George Floyd in May. No longer an abstract fear, Economic hardship combined with looting, armed demonstrations and street violence witnessed throughout the year have given these fears a basis in reality. These fuel the rapid and palpable escalation of domestic tensions which have enticed ever-increasing numbers of Americans to buy weapons, stockpile ammunition, and seek out like minded individuals, many for the very first time.

“Violence related to government efforts to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic and amidst otherwise ongoing lawful protests has exacerbated the typical election-season threat environment.” — US Department of Homeland Security Threat Assessment

Armed individuals at the statehouse in Lansing, MI carrying out a show of force to oppose the state’s pandemic related restrictions (Jeff Kowalsky/AFP/Getty Images)

“Nearly 5 million Americans purchased a firearm for the very first time” this year. Retail surveys showed that “40 percent of sales were conducted to purchasers who have never previously owned a firearm.” -NSSF Report

The enormous uptick in first-time gun purchases is a markedly unique aspect of this year’s sales boom. According to the firearms industry trade association (NSSF) Senior Vice President Lawrence Keane, “These first-time buyers represent a group of people who, until now, were agnostic regarding firearm ownership. That’s rapidly changing, and these Americans are taking hold of their God-given right to keep and bear arms and protect themselves and their loved ones.” The fear that drove these new voters to gun stores was largely similar in effect to lifelong gun owners who purchased far more accessories and ammunition than had in past years.

Pennsylvania dairy farmer Peter Demchur is one of many who fear an economic collapse or societal breakdown spurred on by the pandemic and wide reaching lock down measures. “There’s no way we’re gonna get through this with everyone out of work…once people are desperate there won’t be rules anymore,” Demchur told me at his Chester County homestead in June. A lifelong hunter with a large collection of rifles, shotguns and handguns, Demchur says he’s more than confident in his abilities and his stockpile, which isn’t insignificant. During our conversation, he opened the bottom drawer of a cabinet to reveal stored cases of ammunition, saying: “I’ve got at least a thousand rounds for each piece.

“I always knew something like this would happen, so I’ve been storing up extra ammo for years.” — Peter Demchur, Farmer.

This outlook and level of preparation may seem extreme, but it is not remotely uncommon. Weapons sales increase in times of possible violence, most notably during the late 1960’s, the Rodney King riots, and the election of Barack Obama in 2008, but typically those purchases were made by individuals who already owned a gun or had at least not been opposed to gun ownership before. Recently, that mindset has become much more ubiquitous and less predictable as armed self-defense has grown to be accepted widely on the left and in more diverse demographics.

The typical election-year customer is a previously-gun owning, white, male, suburban or rural inhabitant with independent or conservative political leanings, but industry experts interviewed by Reuters now say that “the market is widening this year to include a new rush of first-time buyers, including many women, minorities and politically liberal buyers who once would not have considered gun ownership.”

“58 percent of firearm purchases were among African-American men and women, the largest increase of any demographic group. Women comprised 40 percent of first-time gun purchasers.” — NSSF Report

A member of the Hudson Valley Nubian Gun Club and her brand new Mossberg 12 guage shotgun (Reuters)

In stark contrast with data gathered in recent years from Pew Research which showed that white men owned guns at almost twice the rate of any other demographic (About half (48%) say they own a gun, compared with about a quarter of white women and nonwhite men (24% each) and 16% of nonwhite women); in 2020 women made up almost half of the first-time gun purchases and the majority of customers were African-American. In a time of dueling demonstrations where chants of “Black Lives Matter” are met with violent opposition from reactionary counter-protestors, the increased firearm purchase rate among African-American consumers for personal self defense comes as no surprise.

“The number of white nationalist hate groups grew by 55% between 2017 and 2019.” — Southern Poverty Law Center

Racially-fueled tensions and acts of violence have clearly played an integral role in the spike of domestic armament and the doubling of African-American gun owners. Protests centered around addressing the issue of police brutality and racial injustice have been equated with acts of domestic terrorism and cited as the cause of riots, property damage and further division. Painted by this defamation, individuals affiliated with Black Lives Matter chapters as well as other left-wing causes have been violently attacked by white supremacists and vigilantes across the country, often with little justice served after the fact. Combined with a perceived lack of protection from the police, these factors make an urgent desire to own a weapon for self-defense seem quite rational to anyone who may feel targeted.

Prominent conservative politicians such as President Trump and Congressman Tom Cotton have fanned the flames of this fire by infamously calling upon concerned citizens to take the law into their own hands. This type of rhetoric has convinced a large number of right-leaning Americans that political violence is appropriate and has undoubtedly influenced the well-documented growth of armed reactionary groups such as the Proud Boys, III%, Patriot Prayer, and others. In response, many on the opposite end of the political spectrum and those caught in between are contributing to weapons sales and preparing for a gunfight as well.

“People who don’t normally think about firearms are being forced to contemplate something outside their universe.” — Dan Eldridge, owner of Maxon Shooter’s Supplies (Reuters)

“Shoot Back,” May 30th— Protestors in Philadelphia say enough is enough (Photo by William T Ross)

Speaking under anonymity, Sarah, an active organizer within a Florida Black Lives Matter chapter told me about how she has decided to purchase a firearm for the first time after being threatened by men she believes to be members of the Proud Boys earlier this year. “At two different protests, I had guns pulled on me by white men, shouting ‘Trump 2020’ and ‘white lives matter.’” Though not intimidated enough by this to stop organizing, Sarah saw these incidents as a serious wake-up call for her and for fellow activists. Once aware of the real danger posed, conversations about firearms and self defense became much more common among protestors at marches and meetings she attended.

“All of my friends are talking about it now as well. It wasn’t that way before.” — Sarah

After going through these experiences personally and witnessing heinous violence during similar protests across the country in cities like Kenosha, WI and Portland OR, Sarah says that she’s seen enough and has already picked out the pistol she’s preparing to buy: a subcompact 9mm Glock-26. “As long as the people who are trying to harm us are armed, there’s no reason for us to not be armed. I would rather be too capable of defending myself in a situation where I don’t need to, than incapable of defending myself in a situation that I do need to.”

Woman considers purchasing a semiautomatic rifle (Getty Images)

Sarah says that while armed self-defense is becoming more accepted among fellow protestors, there has still been some division within left-leaning circles over self defense as it relates to the efficacy of “non-violent” protests and interpretations of past civil disobedience. To those who erroneously claim that successful movements of the past such as those led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, or Mohandas Gandhi were purely pacifistic, Sarah advises them to look into the history of armed self defense within civil rights struggles and prepare for the worst in 2020.

“Buckle up, motherf****er. Do some reading on MLK and Malcolm X.” — Sarah

This not only gives insight into the urgency of self defense felt widely in 2020 and the corresponding spike in gun sales, it is also sound advice. The extremely violent context surrounding past movements deserves recognition. This aspect of the mid-century civil rights era is relevant to the violence organizers may face today, but it is often left out of historical discussion. Beyond the humiliation, degradation, and exploitation that African-Americans suffered daily in the South and elsewhere under racist and cruel conditions was the ever-present threat of wanton and deathly violence without hope for justice. This came in the form of bombings, beatings, lynchings, shootings, sexual assaults, and mutilation at the hands of their own countrymen.

Dr. King’s Home After the 1956 Firebombing (United Press International)

In one example among countless others, Dr. King’s Montgomery home was firebombed in 1956 while his wife and newborn child were inside. Already a gun owner and described by advisor Glenn Smiley as owning “an arsenal” of firepower at the time, Dr. King famously applied for a concealed carry permit soon after the fire. The Montgomery Police rejected his application, claiming him to be an “unsuitable” candidate. Championing an unpopular but righteous cause which brought unrelenting threats to him and his family, King had ample justification to want to defend himself. His tragic death at the hands of a gunman only bolsters that view.

“The southern Freedom Movement was not simply a movement of dramatic, mass protests led by charismatic leaders, but a movement of grassroots organizing in rural communities — barely visible work in southern backcountry, dangerous work punctuated by awful violence that included murder.” -Charles Cobb, Author of This Nonviolent Stuff’ll Get You Killed: How Guns Made the Civil Rights Movement Possible

Reminded of that history and the danger which armed reactionaries pose towards people of color today, many organizers have abandoned ideals of strict non-violence and embraced not only gun ownership, but also training and active membership in what could be described as armed collectives, the likes of which not seen in prominent numbers since the 1960s. Thousands of individuals have recently joined or formed their own self-defense groups through networks like the Socialist Rifle Association, The John Brown Gun Club, Redneck Revolt, and NFAC (The Not F*****g Around Coalition). The rapidly growing Socialist Rifle Association or SRA, a national organization with active chapters in every state, has seen the largest swell in membership and interest over the past year.

Jesse T., member of the SRA, aims his Remington 700 rifle downrange (Photo by William T Ross)

“The hate runs deep here, and most of the folks who have long kept it just under the surface are now proudly hateful in public.” — John

The president and founder of an SRA chapter in southern Appalachia, who wished to be identified simply as John, spoke with me about how he has seen the chapter grow and change throughout 2020. John is an Army veteran, tall and polite with an authentic accent; he blends in at home as a southern ‘good ol’ boy’. He says that his appearance has allowed him certain privileges in society kept away from others, especially people of color. As this became more pronounced in the Trump era, John decided to do something about it: “I saw that shit and lost mine. I started looking for a way to be involved — Redneck Revolt came up, but they never replied, so the magic of internet algorithms sent me to the SRA. The rest is current history.”

“I’m the guy who founded this SRA Chapter, over 2 years ago now. I teach disenfranchised people to shoot along with unarmed self defense.” — John

For the last two years John has been voluntarily sharing his experience and training with the local community. “I fear for folks of color and other marginalized folks in this area. The hate runs deep here, and most of the folks who have long kept it just under the surface are now proudly hateful in public.” Knowing that gun ranges and shops in his area had become increasingly unwelcoming, John found a way to provide a safe, trusting space for those intimidated by them: a rifle range on his own land. He says it is dedicated to encouraging a safe environment in which leftists, women, minorities, and members of the LGBTQ+ community can get proper firearms training in a non-threatening space.

“We teach safety and competency, not militia tactics. We’re here (and by extension I’m here) to increase the self confidence and community defense of those who have been traditionally disenfranchised by those with guns. If I can help one person feel safe, it makes my week” — John

John has found great success in this vein of his activism. He humbly shared with me that the “current chapter organizer is a trans woman who just bought her first AR platform rifle. She brought some LBGT friends to shoot at my range who came along because of the trust we had worked to build together.” Citing the rise in violence against activists and marginalized communities, including property damage and hateful rhetoric directed towards himself, John echoed the newfound interest in shooting that gun store owners and industry analysts saw with first-time customers: “Especially since March, we’ve seen a ton of never-shot-before folks or the shot-20-years-ago crowd.” Most new gun owners will not join any kind of related group, but the fact that armed collectives are seeing unusual levels of growth and interest is almost definitely contributing to the armament rush.

SRA members lay their weapons upon a Pride flag in a display for social media (Arkansas SRA Facebook Page)

It’s clear to see that fears of societal collapse via COVID-19, heightened racial tensions played out during a modern civil rights struggle, and the strangest general election of living memory have all encouraged the 2020 gun boom. Stories from Americans like Peter, Sarah, and John provide a window into the reasoning behind the growing number of guns and gun owners, but quantifiable measures of the latest expansion of weapons into the general public take time to gather and be published. For now, one core concept remains obvious:

Fear is the primary driver of weapons sales.

The normal election year spikes in sales are due to the somewhat benign fears of tightened gun control measures, but this year’s electoral concerns have been combined with the fear of real, extreme violence that activists and people of color may feel. These factors, coupled with the possibility of a particular aggressive gun control proposal from President-Elect Joe Biden, will most likely continue to inflate gun sales and ownership throughout the near future. The consequences of this arms race that will end with significantly more guns in more homes are yet to be seen, but the outlook is not hopeful.

“Violent extremists will continue their efforts to exploit public fears associated with COVID-19 and social grievances driving lawful protests to incite violence, intimidate targets, and promote their violent extremist ideologies.” — US Department of Homeland Security Threat Assessment

The author, training with a rifle while conducting research for this piece (Photo by William T Ross)

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