VA Democrats' Anti-Gun Agenda Caused State Gun Sales to Hit Second-Highest Monthly Total on Record

Matt Vespa

We keep saying this: elections have consequences. In Virginia, it’s the Republicans that are at the receiving end of this lesson. Five years ago, the state GOP controlled a supermajority in the House of Delegates. Now, it has a Democratic majority. The Virginia State Senate is now Democratic-controlled. The governorship is under a Democratic administration. For the first time in two decades, there is a unified Democratic government in Richmond—and they’re coming after the firearms of law-abiding citizens. There is no goodwill here. Expanded background checks are being pushed to get a database going for eventual confiscation. Heck, you even have some Democrats talking about using the National Guard to take people’s guns away.
Of course, there have been denials, but this is their end goal. None of what the Democrats have proposed this session in Virginia—expanded background checks, one-gun-a-month, increasing the age to purchase firearms, limits on magazine sizes, and a ban on so-called assault weapons will increase public safety. What it did do was send Virginia’s December gun sales through the roof. Overall, the state only saw a modest 8.5 percent increase in gun sales, but after the November elections, well, people panicked—and rightfully so. It was the second-highest monthly total on record (via Richmond Times-Dispatch/Culpepper Star-Exponent):

Virginia gun sales soared in December to the second-highest monthly total on record, fueled by the Democratic takeover of the General Assembly and growing fears of increased firearm restrictions backed by the governor and lawmaker allies, state gun dealers say.
Estimated firearm sales based on mandatory criminal background checks on Virginia gun buyers totaled 73,849 last month, a 47% increase over December 2018.
In tracking data that goes back to 1990, the December 2019 tally is second only to December 2012, when 75,120 transactions were recorded. Criminologists say that was triggered by the repeal of the state's one-handgun-per-month law and fears of increased gun restrictions following the Dec.14, 2012, shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School that killed 20 students and six adults.

 For some businesses, like SpecDrive Tactical in Alexandria, Virginia, they’re reporting a 200-300 percent increase in sales.

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