A slowdown in the gun and ammunition sales have registered in the US since Republican Donald Trump was elected president.
Gun Sales Decline
According to CNN.com, Federal background checks have declined each month since the elections. These don’t precisely track gun sales but can be taken as the best available proxy.
In March 2017, the FBI ran 2.43 million background checks, and in March 2016, this number was 2.52 million. 81.153 of the mentioned background checks were run in Ohio in March, which is almost 5% less from the 85.267 in March 2016.
According to the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world, voters were looking at the gun policy as one of the 5 top issues during the 2016 presidential campaign.
There is a kind of polarization in Americans’ views on guns. This has resulted in an atmosphere where the firearms industry and the political landscape of the day are in a closer relationship than one could expect.
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What Is Expected
The 1st 3 months of 2017 coincide with Donald Trump’s 1st 100 days in office During this period, gun sale background checks fell almost 13% as compared with 2016. The figures show nearly 1 million fewer guns are expected to be sold in the US as compared to those sold in 2016.
On the other hand, consumers feel less confident about the firearms industry after the Nov. 8 election.
Vista Outdoor Inc., which is the owner of many of the top popular ammunition companies and also gun makers Savage Arms and Stevens, has witnessed a drop in its stock prices by almost 50%.
The current situation has made major manufacturers of firearms ammunitions and gun-related accessories dismiss employees.
However, many within the industry think the economic policies of the pro-gun Trump administration are going to stabilize the gun market, which cannot be said about 8 years of uncertainty under Obama.
According to Peyton Galanti, marketing manager for Richmond’s Colonial Shooting Academy, it’s projected the industry will normalize over 2017, enabling those in the firearm industry enjoy steady consistent sales.