A discount ammo seller reported a 276% sales increase in the past several weeks.
Ammo.com says the sales spike first started in late Feb., with a 53% sales increase, and it exploded in March with a 276% increase by March 15.
A gun news outlet, Bearing Arms, crunched the sales numbers and reported that, obviously, it was due to the Coronavirus hype.
“Much of the online traffic appears to be coming from states that either have reported a high number of COVID-19 cases, or states that border others where clusters have been reported,” reported Bearing Arms. “Delaware has seen a sales growth of 4,529%. The state’s own numbers are low, but it’s surrounded by a high concentration of cases in New Jersey and the Philadelphia area.”
“Oklahoma saw a growth of 1,081% in sales and borders states like Texas and Colorado, both of which have been hit hard with COVID-19.”
As expected, Texans overall were the biggest customers, with a 338% sales increase of already-large purchases.
“The most popular ammo at the moment seems to be 9mm, followed closely by .223/5.56, and .45 ACP,” Bearing Arms continued. “Other popular calibers at the moment include 7.62×39, 40 caliber, and 12-gauge shotgun shells.”
Brick-and-mortar stores have also experienced a sales surge with the same rounds, popular with preppers, typically sold out.
Local gun shops have also been stripped clean of in-stock firearms and ammunition.
One gun shop in Austin, Texas, Central Texas Gun Works, suffered from its online store crashing due to high demand, and on Monday only had a handful of firearms left in stock at its physical location.
Fortunately, however, other less-popular-but-still-popular rounds are readily available across the country.
Gun buyers, especially first-timers, would be well advised to buy handguns and long arms chambered in cartridges they can still readily buy.
While interviewing border crossers, reporters noticed almost everyone was coming across with toilet paper.
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