Gun Sales Plunged in Every State So Far in 2022

[billh58]

Gun violence has become a regular part of the news headlines this year. Murders in American cities spiked in 2021, particularly in large cities. So far this year, the trend has continued. The Wall Street Journal recently reported on a surge in gun violence in Seattle, which is generally considered a relatively safe city.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, there already have been 9,558 gun deaths in America so far in 2022. Even with stricter gun ownership and purchasing laws, the difficult fact is that about 400 million guns are currently owned by private citizens, the police, and the military. The chance that civilians who own guns will turn them into the government, no matter what the incentive, is small. (Violent crime in general has been rising.

Gun sales, meanwhile, have been increasing in recent years. There are several theories explaining the sharp rise in gun sales, particularly in 2020. Among them is the violence in American cities during protests. Another theory is that the pandemic, perhaps irrationally, has increased concerns about protecting one's property. The 2022 background checks figures show that some of these trends may have started to taper off.

-Snip-

Inexplicably, gun sales collapsed in the first two months of this year, compared to the same period in 2021. So far, the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System reported 5,146,500 background checks, compared to 7,760,581 in January and February of 2021. That means the 2022 number was only 66% of the number for 2021.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/gun-sales-plunged-in-every-state-so-far-in-2022/ss-AAVyve9?li=BBnb7Kz

Not enough to make a big difference, but it's a start...

[bucolic_frolic]

1. The market is saturated. Peak ammo. /nt

[Chainfire]

2. Without a doubt

For the last two years, gun shops couldn't keep product on the shelf at very inflated prices. The big on-line sellers showed most of their product as "out of stock." People stocked up based on the fear of Biden and Covid. (Civil war is coming you know!) The same buying panic happened when Obama was elected.

The next thing we will see is a big secondary market developing with people selling excess guns in order to pay off credit cards that they paid for them with. The secondary market, which in most states is unregulated, is the main source of weapons for people who are prohibited from buying guns from a licensed dealer; Most of the time it is a cash and carry deal with no questions asked, and in most places, perfectly legal for the seller.

The price of ammo has about doubled from pre-election days, and it still remains in short supply. A lot of folks feel that they are under-armed without ten thousand rounds stashed. Gun panics are wonderful for gun and ammo makers, but sooner or later, like all panics they grind to a halt.

[rownesheck]

4. Maybe all the gun nuts

are finally full! Doubt it.

[Hoyt]

5. Probably because people like Gungeoneers said, "chit 50 gunz really is too many."