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As NRAhuntersrights.org has reported recently, gun sales are booming in advance of President-elect Barack Obama’s Jan. 20 inauguration. Now, survey results released this week explain why.
According to a poll conducted by Southwick Associates Inc., hunters and shooters, by a large majority, feel that the coming changes in Washington D.C. will make it more difficult for them to purchase firearms.
When asked to define their expectations regarding the new administration and Congress, a resounding 80 percent of respondents said they expect it will become more difficult for them to purchase firearms. Fewer than 1 percent said they expect purchasing firearms will become less difficult, while 16 percent said they expect their firearms purchasing ability will remain the same.
Slightly fewer than 4 percent of respondents said that they don’t know or have no opinion.
For the month of December 2008 alone, the number of background checks for firearm purchases increased 24 percent over December 2007 levels, according to data from the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). This follows a 42 percent increase in NICS checks for November 2008, which saw the highest number of checks in NICS history.
“These results show that most hunters and target shooters expect changes resulting from the 2008 elections will make it more difficult for them to buy guns,” commented survey author Rob Southwick of Southwick Associates. “Increases in firearm sales since the November election are also a strong indicator of such sentiment.”
The online survey was conducted in December 2008. Learn more at www.southwickassociates.com.
Source: Launched in 2006, HunterSurvey.com and TargetshootingSurvey.com help the firearms and outdoor equipment industries, government officials, and conservation organizations track consumer activities and expenditure trends. The list above represents only a small sample of the vast amount of information that is available from the complete survey results. The results are scientifically analyzed to reflect all U.S. hunters and target shooters. Find out how a subscription to the complete survey data can help your business, government agency, or organization. For more information, contact Rob Southwick at Rob@southwickassociates.com.
