MACON, Ill. (WAND) – Gun sales are up in the United States. FBI data shows through mid-November 32 million firearm background checks were conducted.
"We're kind of off the charts this year for gun sales,” Dan Cooley, the owner of the Bullet Trap in Macon, said.
Cooley said is he is seeing more people are buying guns and as the holidays arrive, many people will be gifted their first gun, something Cooley does not recommend.
"It is a little bit of a gray area,” Cooley said. "Surprising someone with a gun purchase is probably not the best idea in the west."
The biggest worry for Cooley is the possibility of a straw purchase, when someone who can legally own a gun buys one and then gifts it to someone who cannot. Cooley recommends if you want to gift a gun, you bring the person in to try out the gun and allows for a legal background check to be done. In Illinois, to gift a gun, both people must be a resident and have a FOID card.
In 2020 alone, more than 17.5 million guns have been sold - a million more than the record in 2016. Riots, the election, the pandemic, and the push to reduce police funding are behind the rise, according to Cooley.
"It definitely has people interested in and possessing firearms,” he said.
Women are the fastest-growing group of gun owners, followed by first time gun owners. The National Shooting Sports Foundation say 40% of new purchases in 2020 are first time buyers.
Cooley said if you want to buy a gun for someone, and surprising them is a must, he encourages you to buy a gift card for them instead.
