“I sold 12 pistols in just two hours!” Interviewed by Fox News , Gabriel Vaughn, who runs an armory in Petaluma (California, United States) is thrilled: he saw his sales of arms and ammunition increase fivefold since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in the States -United . This surprising phenomenon particularly concerns the states and cities most affected by Covid-19, such as Los Angeles and New York, reports the Los Angeles Times (article in English) Monday, March 16.
On Twitter, several journalists showed images of armories full of customers, or queues in front of specialized stores. “Customers tell me that they are afraid of what will happen if people run out of food and supplies, and that they have to protect their families,” wrote one.
Most buyers interviewed by the LA Times cite some form of caution in the event of a social breakdown brought about by the pandemic. “It’s not like an active panic, but rather a concern: I want to make sure that everyone is well prepared, me, my family and my friends” , explains daily a customer who bought her first pistol these last days in an armory in Arcadia.
This increase in activity is also felt on the internet. Ammo.com, which sells ammunition online, has also seen its transaction number jump 68% in recent weeks, the American daily reported.