STOCKPILING: Ammo is the new toilet paper, gun store owner says

by | Apr 2, 2020 | Coronavirus | 0 comments

Share This Article

Ammunition is becoming such a hot item, it has been difficult keeping the shelves stocked due to the demand, a Wisconsin gun store owner said.

It has been widely reported that gun stores across the U.S. have seen a major jump in sales during the coronavirus outbreak. Surges in firearms sales are not unusual during times of crisis and many Second Amendment activists worry about government overreach.

Reports say that FBI background checks were up 300 percent on March 16 compared to a year ago.

Jesse Cartwright, the owner of Cartwright’s Guns and Ammo in Dodgeville, Wis., told WISC-TV that retailers are beginning to see an ammo shortage, similar to what we’ve seen with toilet paper.

“I’ve had to change the way I’ve ordered,” he told the station. “One of the most drastic changes is I’m now looking for what my distributor has available for ammunition and then I’m buying a gun from a different distributor that shoots that type of ammunition instead of just buying the most popular models that customers are looking for.”

He said his store has seen a 400 percent jump in sales in the past few weeks. He said the only other challenge that he has is keeping customers six feet apart.

“We just ask customers to wait outside,” he said.

Donald Trump Jr., a Second Amendment advocate, took to Twitter last month to talk about the increase in gun sales.

“The irony of it all is that it’s my Democrat friends reaching out to me now asking me which guns they should buy just in case,” he tweeted. “In particular which ARs. I guess they’re OK with the 2A now?? You don’t need it, till you need it.”

The Trump administration on Monday ruled that gun stores are essential businesses and should remain open during the outbreak, prompting gun-control groups to vow a challenge. The Brady group filed a Freedom of Information request in hopes to obtain emails on the decision process.

“It’s a public health issue, not a Second Amendment issue,” Jonathan Lowy, the chief counsel told Time. “The fact is that guns, the nature of guns, require that they be sold with a lot of close interaction. They can’t be sold from vending machines, can’t be sold with curbside pickup.”s


Share This Article