Wuhan Coronavirus Gun Sales Surge Straining Background Check System

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, and the FBI via Newsweek, are reporting delays in the completion of background checks as the sale of firearms surge due to the media induced panic surrounding the Wuhan Coronavirus.   At the same time, San Jose has shut down a gun store as a "non-essential" business.  First the increased sales angle from Newsweek:

Gun sales have skyrocketed in recent weeks as panic over the spread of COVID-19 worsens.

Mark Oliva, the director of public affairs for the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the firearms industry's trade group, said the FBI's National Crime Information Center (NCIC) informed his organization that the number of background checks processed on March 16 soared by 300 percent over the same day in 2019.

Federal background checks—which are performed by the FBI and are required when transactions occur through licensed dealers—are seen as a general proxy for gun sales.

Oliva added that, since February 23, the NSSF was told that the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) has been running roughly double the number of checks it was over the same period in 2019.

February was the third highest month ever for NICS background checks since they began in 1998 according to Newsweek. The system saw a 36% increase in background checks.  While not a perfect indicator of firearms sales, background checks do provide a snapshot of what is occurring.

After processing over 14,000 background checks last week, the Colorado Bureau of Investigations announced steps it was taking to assist with the increased demand for background checks.

And in Pennsylvania, one gun shop had this to say:

Marty Patterson, assistant manager of National Armory in Moon, called it a “panic.”

“They’re guarding their toilet paper, pretty much,” he said. “It’s media hype, really — a panic spread by the media. Mostly they’re buying stuff to protect their home, a lot of shotguns, but — of course — handguns, too.”

This is not to say the Wuhan Coronavirus is not serious, it is.  But there has been no proportionality related to media coverage of the illness.  This nation has seen two other serious foreign pandemics in the last 10 years (both originated in China) yet opponents of the President are using this to gain an advantage in this year's election.

Regarding the San Jose gun show closure, the Mayor has closed it due to the city's "shelter in place" order.  Cam Edwards has the story at the above link.