Gun Sales In 2020: Two Reasons Why They Reached An All-Time High This Year

Industry numbers show that firearm sales have increased at an alarming rate this year, due largely in part to two historical events.

While the increase in gun sales can be related to unrest ahead of the presidential election, this year's sales spike was mainly driven by the COVID-19 pandemic and social justice protests.

On March 13, when President Trump declared a national emergency due to the number of coronavirus cases, firearm sales surged over the next 12 days, jumping to over 120,000 sold per day. Over 700,000 additional firearms were sold in the month of March alone, the Brookings Institution reported.

Protests and the Black Lives Matter movement heavily contributed to the rise in firearm revenue in June with sales reaching a high of 150,000 per day. June firearm sales broke the record, with 3.9 million guns sold.

Nearly 17 million guns have been bought in 2020, which is higher than any other year, Small Arms Analytics reported. In September alone, an estimated 1.8 million guns were sold, a 66% increase from the same month in 2019.

Gun sales among Black Americans are up 58% through September, according to the Firearm Industry Trade Association (NSSF).

About 40% of gun sales in the first four months of the year were made by first-time buyers, which is unusually high, as noted by NSSF.

“By August, we had exceeded last year’s total. By September, we exceeded the highest total ever,” said Jurgen Brauer, the chief economist of Small Arms Analytics, which produces U.S. gun sales estimates.

The latest firearm sale statistics come amid rising political tensions in the U.S. Ahead of Tuesday's election, Walmart has pulled guns and ammunition off its shelves.

Both weapons and bullets are still available for purchase at participating stores, but customers will have to specifically request the items as opposed to grabbing them from shelves.

"We have seen some isolated civil unrest and as we have done on several occasions over the last few years, we have moved our firearms and ammunition off the sales floor as a precaution for the safety of our associates and customers," Walmart said of the decision.