Tipsheet

Gun Sales Up

After President Obama was elected in 2008, gun sales skyrocketed for four years. Now that Obama is due for a second term, those sales continue to climb.

Owners of some Houston gun shops say they have noticed an increase of gun sales since President Barack Obama's re-election, and attribute the rush to the president's reference in a debate to renewing an assault rifle ban.

Jim and Joy Pruett, who have run Jim Pruett's Guns and Ammo for 11 years, said sales have gone "through the roof" since Election Day. "We haven't been able to keep up with it," Pruett said. "It's beyond our wildest imagination."

Matthew Swan, a firearms associate at Gander Mountain on Hempstead Road, said he's also noticed an uptick in gun sales and ammunition since Obama's re-election.

"People come in here with opinions," Swan said. "There are people coming in that have never even been interested in firearms."

Similar stories emerged in cities across the country, with stores attributing higher sales to fears of stricter gun laws passing in Obama's second term.

The FBI reported an 18 percent spike in firearm background checks increasing in the months leading up the election, several media outlets reported. Officials say background checks are the leading indicator of sales growth.

As a result of more gun sales, you can also expect the crime rate to keep going down.