Gun sales spike after Hamas attack and Maine shootings

Americans are not going down without a fight.

Gun sales jumped in October, and some experts believe it is because more people want to be prepared to fight back if they get caught in a sticky situation, according to the FBI.

BIDEN HECKLED BY RABBI CALLING FOR GAZA CEASEFIRE DURING CAMPAIGN STOP

The 8.3% increase in sales followed the Hamas attack on Israel and the mass shooting by a one-time mental patient in Maine. It also came during a rise in violent crime in cities and as the FBI is warning of an unidentified attack on the homeland.

“The horrific attacks on Israel followed by the escalating hate speech toward Jewish Americans, coupled with the tragic murders in Maine, are reminders that every American has the right to legally purchase a firearm to provide for their own defense. October showed that Americans did this 1.3 million times, extending the million-plus background checks each month to 51 consecutive months,” said Mark Oliva, spokesman for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, which represents the firearms industry.

Justin Anderson, the marketing director for Hyatt Guns of Charlotte, North Carolina, one of the nation’s largest, added, “There has never been a more clear-cut case of the need for personal protection than the Oct. 7 attack, and Americans have reacted quickly. There was a significant sales bubble that formed just after videos of the attack made the rounds, and that bubble continues to grow.”

Anderson said that tactical and defensive firearms are the top sellers, a spot usually held by hunting rifles at the beginning of the fall deer and upland bird seasons.

“We are seeing a spike in sales of concealed carry handguns, as well as tactical shotguns, and AR-15s; very similar to what happened during COVID, but on a smaller scale. We expect this bubble to continue to grow, along with our regular bump in sales going into the holidays,” he told Secrets.

He also said that President Joe Biden’s calls for a gun ban, which he is expected to repeat during his Friday visit to Lewiston, Maine, to meet with last week’s mass shooting victims, will likely spark more sales.

SEE THE LATEST POLITICAL NEWS AND BUZZ FROM WASHINGTON SECRETS

A Rasmussen Reports survey out this week said that likely voters aren’t sold on more gun control and wish the police and prosecutors would first enforce the laws on the books.

When asked, “Which would do more to reduce gun violence in America, passing new gun control laws or stricter enforcement of existing gun control laws?” Rasmussen said 57% chose enforcement and 33% new laws.