Guns are selling at a record pace this year in Arizona, creating millions of dollars in revenue for retailers, reports the Arizona Republic. The ability to carry a concealed weapon without a permit, general apprehension, and lingering concerns that the Obama administration could crack down on gun ownership are among the sales drivers. In Arizona, it is likely that more than 200,000 new weapons will be put in buyers’ hands after background checks this year. That figure doesn’t include firearms purchased at gun shows and through private transactions. Such non-tracked sales are thought to account for 40 percent of all sales, adding about 150,000 guns purchased annually. The estimated sales total: about 350,000 guns per year.
Retailers say demand for small handguns that can be concealed in a purse or briefcase has soared, while sales of rifles and shotguns have remained flat or declined. Firearms sales remain brisk to consumers across the nation as well. The FBI reports that 123,043 people submitted themselves to background checks to purchase guns in Arizona through June. That puts the state on track to break the record of 215,379 background checks in 2009, the year President Barack Obama took office.