Biden’s COVID Relief Checks Help Spur Another Record Month of AR-15 Sales

byJonathan Davis

There are a lot of ironies when it comes to increased Democrat calls for more gun control — which always happens when they are in power — and corresponding record increases in gun sales, but this one might just be the granddaddy of them all.

As reported by “Washington Secrets” columnist Paul Bedard, gun sales hit another record in February as Joe Biden and congressional Democrats once again ramped up calls for new gun control measures, politically exploiting, as they always do, a series of tragic mass shootings.

Bedard writes:

For the second time in three months, the FBI broke its record for gun sales, concealed carry, and other firearms background checks in March.

The National Instant Criminal Background Check System conducted 4,691,738 checks, an all-time high. It broke the record set in January of 4,317,804.

Gun sales generally track with the NICS numbers, though the FBI doesn’t make public how many were for gun purchases. Gun industry groups typically release those numbers after the FBI.

However, the numbers show that sales also likely hit a record high, a trend confirmed by sellers.

But this gets better — or worse, depending on your Second Amendment perspective.

Firearms groups note that Biden’s threat to use executive authority (if he, in fact, actually has the power to do so) to expand background checks and even ban the sale of semi-auto rifles like popular AR-15 models are what is driving the new sales (and take note, many gun calibers were already in short supply).

Here’s the irony: Gun sellers say that many buyers are using their $1,400 COVID stimulus checks to buy new firearms, and in particular, AR-15s.

Like we said, the ultimate irony.

“Our sales are already well ahead of last March,” said Justin Anderson, the marketing director of Charlotte, North Carolina’s Hyatt Guns, who frequently updates Bedard regarding gun sales and gun trends.

“There are obvious factors at play here: Biden’s gun rhetoric being No. 1, as well as two mass shootings that were heavily covered in the media. However, we also saw a lot of transactions of around $1,400 starting on March 17, so it appears many people are using their stimulus money to buy guns,” Anderson added.

He then said: “I think it’s ironic that a Democrat Party-led Congress and a Democrat president passed legislation to give people financial relief, and a significant amount is being spent on gun purchases, many of which are for AR-15s!”

Yep. So do we.

As for gun sales, they have been setting records for the past year as Democrat-run cities devolved into chaos and mayhem, with looting and riots that quickly escalated well beyond the George Floyd incident that was exploited by Black Lives Matter and Antifa, both groups of which also pushed a “Defund the Police” initiative that actually took hold in some cities.

As for Biden’s executive actions on guns, it’s not at all clear that they’ll pass constitutional muster and are likely going to be challenged in court no sooner than they drop. He no doubt knows this so maybe he’s just going to issue them and see where the legal chips fall.

Meantime, many Americans appear to be making good use of their COVID relief money.