By Dave Workman | Senior Editor
Public angst over the continuing coronavirus outbreak has resulted in a rush by people across the landscape to descend on gun stores and shops, purchasing firearms and ammunition.
Some observers are suggesting this translates to a renewed or newly-realized affirmation of the Second Amendment, which protects the right to keep and bear arms.
As noted by the Washington Examiner, “Fears of a crisis due to the coronavirus pandemic have resulted in a historic spike in gun purchase background checks, leading to long delays in approval, according to the FBI and gun industry experts.”
The down side has been a slowdown in some checks with the National Instant Check System (NICS), as there has been a reported 300 percent increase in the number of initiated NICS checks over the same period last year.
The San Jose Mercury News reported that San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo declared gun stores to be “non-essential” in his city. Mayor Liccardo told the Mercury News, “We are having panic buying right now for food. The one thing we cannot have is panic buying of guns.”
He ordered gun shops closed and Police Chief Eddie Garcia made it happen. The degree of panic was underscored by a local painting contractor identified as Joshua Wolfe, who told the newspaper the public is panicking “because people don’t know the truth of this whole situation. If they’re short on supplies, they’ll come after people who are prepared.”
Philadelphia magazine asked rhetorically, “So where exactly do Philadelphia gun shops fit in? Well, if you ask the city…the answer you will get is that Philadelphia gun shops are most definitely not essential amid the coronavirus. According to the city, gun stores must close,” the publication said.
Dan Mitchell, one of the plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit against Washington State’s gun control Initiative 1639 and the proprietor at Sporting Systems in Vancouver, reported that he’s sold hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition in recent days, even while limiting traffic in his shop.
In Las Vegas, where casinos have closed, the Las Vegas Review Journal quoted Mark Hames, co-owner of the 2nd Amendment Gun Shop, who observed somewhat tongue-in-cheek, “People are going to protect their house; now they want to protect their toilet paper.”
Hames sold out the entire shotgun inventory and then his customers transitioned to purchasing 9mm pistols.
Many people are buying guns for the first time in their lives, and in the process they are discovering all the red tape required by gun control laws they may have earlier supported. All of this has contributed to an overload of the National Instant Check System (NICS), operated by the FBI.
Ammoland News is reporting the NICS system is experiencing an “unprecedented volume increase” in the number of background checks being conducted. The result has been a slowdown in the ability of the FBI to complete all of the checks. The story, by editor Duncan Johnson, said the NICS staff experienced a 300 percent increase in requested checks “compared to this same time period in 2019.”
All of this activity is reportedly contributing to a slowdown of the NICS system. The National Shooting Sports Foundation reportedly sent the following note to members:
NICS Experiences Unprecedented Volume Increase
FFLs Must Consider Closures, Reduced Staff Effects on Three Business Day Delays
“As our nation continues to navigate its response to the COVID-19, we recognize the firearm industry, like many other industries, is being impacted. NSSF® is aware of delays within the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check (NICS) System. We want you to know the FBI is on the job and working diligently to address the dramatic response and increase in background checks experienced over the past few days. Just yesterday, Monday, March 16, 2020, the NICS staff experienced over a 300% increase compared to this same time period in 2019. As we’ve seen in the past with other national events, our citizens often seek to exercise their Second Amendment rights during times of uncertainty. Therefore transparent communication remains a top priority.
“According to NICS, there are delays in the system due to an astronomical volume of transactions over the last several days. While much of the NICS System is automated and yields an immediate “proceed” or “deny” determination, transactions that result in a delayed status require the work of NICS examiners to investigate whether the transaction should be approved or not. With daily volumes roughly double that of last year, the NICS team is unable to begin investigations on all delays within three business days, creating a backlog in the delayed checks.
“Some states offices and agencies are considering options to protect the health and safety of their employees, which may include a reduction in staff or a temporary closure. If you operate in one of these areas and if you receive a delayed response from the NICS, please note the Brady transfer date provided to you by the FBI could be extended beyond the normal three business days. The three business day timeframe does not begin until relevant state offices are open for business. Additionally, because of the dramatic increase in volume, it is important to recognize FBI staff may not be able to begin their research on delayed transactions as they normally would. Therefore, you may want to consider waiting on a definitive response from the NICS before opting to proceed with a sale on any delayed transaction. We are operating during exceptional and uncertain times, so you may wish to consider implementing temporary changes in order to safeguard yourself and your business. However, please note that when state offices are closed it does not constitute a “business day” for purposes of calculating the “three business days” period before an FFL may transfer a firearm to a non-licensee as mandated by the Brady Act.”
