Regulation fears stir call to arms

OLYMPIA – The Big Recession doesn’t exist at Cascade Arms Co.

Each day, a steady stream of customers strolls into the small shop on Martin Way to buy rifles, shotguns, handguns and ammunition.

“Since November, it’s been crazy,” said Jeff Hursh of Cascade Arms. “Sales are as high as 40 percent over normal for gun purchases.”

The firearms business – manufacturing and selling – has boomed since November nationwide. Gun stores can’t keep popular models in stock, and ammunition is selling as fast as it arrives.

Why is this happening in an economy that is shedding jobs at the fastest rate in decades?

The answer, many say, is politics and fear.

Gun owners and collectors are afraid that Democrats, who now control the U.S. Senate, House of Representatives and White House, will unleash legislation that will make certain kinds of firearms and ammunition illegal, Hursh said.

Some people think now is the time to stock up on the weapons they’ve always wanted, before they become illegal.

No new gun-control legislation is percolating in Congress, but “the continued increase in demand for firearms and ammunition throughout the entire United States is clear and largely being driven by the political concerns of gun owners,” said Ted Novin of the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

The numbers are huge.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System reported 986,145 checks of firearms buyers in June 2009. That is an 18.1 percent increase from June 2008.

Novin said the June numbers continued a trend that began in November 2008, when 1,529,635 background checks were performed – a 42 percent increase from November 2007.

FBI background checks are required for all people buying new or used firearms from federally licensed sellers, Novin said.

Background checks increased by 24 percent year-over-year in December, 28 percent in January, 23 percent in February, 29 percent in March, 30 percent in April and 15 percent in May.

People who buy guns from private owners don’t have to fill out the background paperwork, so the actual number of guns bought and sold probably is much higher.

UPS AND DOWNS

The firearms industry often sees ups and downs in demand, and politics or other social events – such as the Y2K worries in late 1999 – often drive spikes in sales, said Tom Spithaler, sales director at Olympic Arms Inc., a South Sound-based maker of rifles and pistols.

Worries about future gun-control laws aren’t the only reason for increased demand for rifles, pistols and shotguns, Spithaler said. Many firearms manufacturers are filling orders for the U.S. military and police agencies, he said.

Market speculation also might be driving up demand for firearms, Spithaler said.

PAST, PRESENT FEARS

President Barack Obama’s administration hasn’t proposed any gun legislation, but gun aficionados are quick to point out the federal assault weapons legislation passed during the early years of the Clinton administration.

The law, which took effect in 1994 and expired in 2004, restricted sales and ownership of some semi-automatic firearms that had collapsible stocks, flash suppressors, bayonet lugs and pistol grips.

The capacity of ammunition magazines also was regulated under the law.

Some gun users fear that the federal government will regulate or ban some firearms to stem the flow of guns into Mexico, Hursh said.

Mexican police and that country’s military are embroiled in frequent gunfights with drug cartel members, and many of the weapons are smuggled into Mexico from the United States.

AMMUNITION SHORTAGES

All the firearms purchased since November – more than 7 million so far in 2009 – increased demand for ammunition, and some buyers started stocking up, which also helped empty shelves, Hursh said.

Gun owners go to the store to buy ammo and find empty shelves. When a new shipment arrives, customers dig deep into their pockets and stock up, Hursh said.

The U.S. military and police departments also are ordering large quantities of ammunition, so demand is outpacing supply, Spithaler said.

In an April news release, Winchester Ammunition – one of the largest ammunition makers in the world – said demand had increased significantly since the fall.

Workers are making ammunition 24 hours a day, seven days a week, according to Winchester Ammunition. Other ammunition makers also are working at full capacity.

Novin said ammunition makers are working hard, and there is evidence that the supply of ammo is starting to meet demand.

But for now, the demand for firearms of all types remains strong, and the supply is limited.

“People want all kinds of guns,” Hursh said. “I can’t keep five-shot revolvers in the store, and used-gun sales are down.

“People aren’t selling their old guns; they’re holding on to what they have.”

Chester Allen: 360-754-4226

callen@theolympian.com