Run on guns empties the shelves at local shops

The run on guns has emptied the shelves at some Detroit area firearms shops.

The anti-Obama, pro-gun crowd engaged in another flurry of weapons purchases after the Sandy Hook massacre in Connecticut (isn’t this about the 10^th flourish in sales since Obama was first elected?). This time, they cleaned the places out.

According to a report in Crain’s Detroit Business, Royal Oak-based Target Sports is typical of the gun shops in the area that are enjoying just too much business.

Ray Jihad (an unfortunate name for a gun shop owner) said he was selling about 10 guns a day a year ago. Now, it's 80 to 100 daily -- when he can get them. 

The problem for many gun shops is that they can't keep enough firearms in stock to keep up with the demand. Fueled by fears of a new federal assault weapons ban, Jihad said the most popular items are semi-automatic rifles – just don’t call them "assault rifles" -- along with high-capacity magazines and ammunition.

The calls to his shop, he told Crain’s, are almost always from customers seeking the popular 5.56 mm AR-15, a semi-automatic civilian market version of the U.S. military's standard-issue M-16 rifle. They also want the 20- and 30-round magazines for the weapon. The AR-15 is the same type of rifle used in the Connecticut shootings and in the Aurora, Colo., theater massacre.

To keep up with the pace of sales, Jihad said he has ordered more than $1 million in guns in the past couple of weeks from wholesalers and manufacturers, with plans to order at least $1 million or more at upcoming trade shows.
 

Once again, the mere talk of gun control is great for the gun business. That’s got to serve as a bitter irony for congressional Democrats hoping to limit gun ownership.