Firearms Owners Against Crime
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
The claim: Revenue from gun sales went up while crime declined amid the COVID-19 outbreak in the US
While Americans have responded to COVID-19 in myriad ways, some broad trends have emerged as data from the first weeks of the pandemic become available.
“Firearm revenue is up 309%. Crime is down. It’s almost like guns aren’t the problem,” a Facebook post from The Shooters Hangout reads.
The number appears to be taken from figures published by the online firearms retailer ammo.com, which said that it experienced a 309% increase in revenue from Feb. 23 to March 15 compared to the previous 22 days. As of April 1, the site reports it experienced a 792% increase in revenue from Feb. 23 to March 31.
“Our growth in sales directly correlates with the public’s increasing leeriness of COVID-19,” the company's website reads.
Sales of firearms and ammunition have quickly risen nationally while reports indicate that crime has fallen in tandem.
Guns, germs and the pandemic
Gun sales were up significantly during the period when COVID-19 began impacting the nation, causing a surge in background checks conducted by the federal government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation said it did 3.7 million background checks for firearm purchases in March, the most ever recorded in a single month by the bureau and over 1 million more than March 2019.
From March 16 to 22 alone, the FBI conducted nearly 1.2 million background checks. Over 210,000 background checks were conducted on March 20, the new record for the most ever in one day.
Small Arms Analytics and Forecasting, a research firm focused on the global firearms market, estimates that those background checks indicate about 2.5 million guns were purchased in March, up 85.3% from the same time in 2019.
Amid increased demand, firearm retailers are also navigating how to safely sell their products in a way that assuages fears about the spread of coronavirus.
On April 9, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives released new guidelines allowing licensed firearm dealers to provide drive-up or walk-up firearm service to address concerns about the spread of coronavirus.
Guns stores, shooting ranges and weapons manufacturers are designated as essential infrastructure in the Trump administration’s advisory guidelines.
Declining crime raises other public safety concerns
Crime rates in cities and counties across the country have rapidly fallen amid the pandemic, according to a recent analysis by USA TODAY. Since March 15, arrests have fallen about 47% compared to the average from Feb. 2 to 29, while the number of traffic stops barely registers in some localities.
The falling number of incidents across the country reflect intentional reductions in policing, as law enforcement aims to reduce the risk of coronavirus contagion in jails. Cities like Chicago, Detroit, and New York are also coping with reduced police forces, as officers also fall ill to COVID-19.
The effects of stay-at-home orders, which have consigned most Americans to their homes, have also emptied the sites where most crime normally occurs, drastically reducing the chance of incidents happening.
The decline in traditional crime has been accompanied by a rise in domestic violence in many cities. Experts have expressed concern about the damage domestic abuse is inflicting on many as social distancing measures trap people in otherwise unsafe conditions.
Our ruling: True
Crime has significantly declined while the sale of firearms has risen over the past month in the United States. Both trends appear to result fromthe coronavirus pandemic, which has simultaneously raised the nation’s anxiety while emptying its streets. We rate this claim TRUE because it is supported by our research.
Our fact-check sources