Surge in sales of guns is easing

Josey1

Surge in sales of guns is easingBy Robert Perez | Sentinel Staff Writer Posted December 26, 2001 The events of Sept. 11 were a catalyst for social and personal changes in America. The terrorist attacks dealt a powerful blow to a weakened economy, prompting layoffs and other cutbacks. America also lost innocence and a sense of security -- leading many to take protection into their own hands. The result: a boom in sales of firearms and other personal-protection gear. But three months after the country's gut-wrenching wake-up call, normalcy is creeping back into our lives and the pace at which Floridians are arming themselves is slowing. "We had a real rush after Sept. 11 up until mid-November," said Richard Bell, owner of AAA Gun and Pawn in DeLand. "We were very busy, but it's peaked, I think." In September, 27,460 firearms were sold statewide, representing a 50 percent increase over September 2000, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. In October, sales ballooned to 35,869, 70 percent more than a year earlier. But in November, sales tapered to 29,774, 25 percent more than last year. Likewise, the number of concealed-weapon permits issued by the state Division of Licensing shot up soon after the attacks, but then the pace slowed. In October, the state issued 44,728 concealed-weapon permits, 339 percent more than in the same month last year. In November, the figure dropped to 18,175, though that still was 175 percent more than in November 2000. Gun sales are historically high at this time of year, Bell and other gun-shop owners said, because of hunting season and Christmas. Customers are buying sport guns, such as .22-caliber rifles and long-barreled shotguns. Another sign that Americans are beginning to breathe easier is a drop in sales of ammunition. Forrest Buckwald, owner of Buck's Gun Shop in Daytona Beach, said customers now ask for three boxes of ammunition "versus 10 or 15" right after Sept. 11. "They're also price shopping [for guns] as opposed to saying, 'I'll take that,' " he said. "The conversations customers are having with our salespeople indicate less personal fear." People are starting to realize they are safer now, said Frank Farley, an educational psychology professor at Temple University and former president of the American Psychological Association. "America's self-confidence was dealt the biggest blow in its history on Sept. 11, and we've bounced back amazingly fast, " Farley said. "I happen to think a dominant trait for Americans is fearlessness, boldness and risk-taking," he said. "It just took a while for the more dominant forces to take hold and get back in the driver's seat." The initial jump in gun sales was because most people didn't know what to expect but they wanted to be prepared, Buckwald said. One customer told him he wanted to pick up an adequate supply of ammunition so he wouldn't have to scramble for it when "civil disaster breaks loose," he said. "It's like buying a tank of gas ahead of an approaching hurricane," Buckwald said. "It doesn't mean the hurricane is going to hit, but if it does, you're not trying to buy gas while everyone is trying to get out." Robert Perez can be reached at 407-322-1298 or rperez@orlandosentinel.com. Copyright c 2001, Orlando Sentinel http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/seminole/orl-loc-sm-guns122601.story [This message has been edited by Josey1 (edited 12-28-2001).]