USA Today: Feds Allow Drive-Up Gun Sales to Ease Dealers', Buyers' Coronavirus Worries

Over the weekend, USA Today reported that the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), in new guidance to federally licensed firearm retailers, said Friday that dealers can provide drive-up or walk-up service to reduce health risks posed by the coronavirus.

Licensees "may carry out the requested activities through a drive-up or walk-up window or doorway where the customer is on the licensee’s property, on the exterior of the brick-and-mortar structure at the address listed on the license," the ATF said in a Friday bulletin.

Transactions may not be carried from "a nearby space" that is not part of the dealers' property unless they are participating in qualified gun shows.

Larry Keane, general counsel for the firearms industry trade group National Shooting Sports Foundation, said Friday that the organization raised the issue with the ATF more than two weeks ago as dealers sought to navigate various government orders limiting business activity.

The new guidance comes as gun sales continue to spike due to the Wuhan Coronavirus. While indoor ranges are closed in many states (including Virginia) guns stores remain open in states with the exception of Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York and Washington. The new ATF guidance in no way alters the requirements for background checks.

USA Today went on to suggest that the new guidance may help the sales surge to go higher:

The new guidance could only further fan the surge in gun sales that has shadowed the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

Last month, the FBI reported 3.7 million background checks, the most in a single month since the launch of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) in 1998. The March numbers surpassed the previous single-month high of 3.3 million checks in December 2015.

Firearm retails have provided anecdotal evidence that many of those sales are to first time gun owners.  NSSF last week announced a list of resources for first time gun buyers and NRA announced that they have some distance learning alternative firearms training to fill the gap left from indoor ranges being closed in may places.  The NRA courses are live video conferencing and are basic safety courses that are easily delivered in a distance learning environment.  Video conferencing offers a way to interact with students.

Is the Obama Administration Responsible for the Ammunition Shortage?

You've probably seen the articles about the government (Department of Homeland Security, Social Security Administration etc) placing orders for more rounds of ammunition per person than is currently used by the military in a year. Some have said that the Obama Administration was stockpiling ammo so you and I could not buy it.

Frank Miniter has an interesting article on the question over at Forbes. In short, Miniter suggests that Obama's part in the shortage is due to the record increase in firearms sales since he took office. With more people buying firearms, there is an obvious correlation between the number of firearms and the amount of ammo needed to use them.

“The biggest change I see this year is that people in their twenties and thirties have become a bigger part of the market,” says Rob Southwick of Southwick Associates, Inc. “Those in this demographic are now buying rifles—especially modern sporting rifles—and they’re shooting for fun.”

Miniter talked to a lot of people in the industry for the article. It's a good read.

Those Non-Existent New Gun Owners

We've been told by folks like the Brady Campaign that all those record breaking gun sale numbers are driven by existing gun owners, that we have less people owning firearms than ever before.

But Fox Business has this report that gives a different picture:

Retailers surveyed by the NSSF, a trade association for the firearms industry, reported that 25.8% of their customers were first-time firearm buyers in 2012. That reflects a slight improvement over the prior year’s 25% but a large jump from 20.8% in 2010.

Tom Gresham gave similar data on his Gun Talk program yesteday.  During a conversation with a caller, Gresham estimated that the number of people owning at least one firearm is over 100 million, about 30% of the nation's population.

No Slowing in Virginia Gun Sales

The Richmond Times Dispatch reports that gun sales in Virginia continue tobe, to use their term "Brisk."

“There’s just an unbelievable demand for product right now,” said Ed Coleman, general manager of Colonial Shooting Academy in Henrico County. “We can’t seem to keep inventory in stock (and) can’t get it fast enough for demand.”

Coleman said his best selling items, not unlike the rest of the country, are semiautomatic rifles and ammunition.