Legislation Threat Leads to Record 'Panic Buying' of Guns in SC

On Dec. 14, 2012, Adam Lanza barged into Sandy Hook Elementary School and shot 20 children and six adult staff members. He also killed his mother and himself that day.

That same month saw more background checks for SC gun sales (43,132) than any other month in the 14-year history of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

In fact, it was a 31 percent jump over the second-highest month (February 2012). 

"It's not about the shootings though," said Brad Reece, co-owner of James Firearms in Greer. "It's about the threat of gun control."

The NICS statistics — which show a steep increase in background checks ever since Obama was first elected in November 2008 — appear to back Reece. Deadly shootings such as the movie theater shootings in Aurora and Clackamas Town Center both led in increased discussions about gun control. That debate reached a fever pitch following Sandy Hook.

In all, background checks for gun sales enjoyed a banner year in South Carolina in 2012. The 308,408 background checks in 2012 were up 34 percent over 2011. The actual gun sales are not tracked — just the background checks needed to purchase guns. (See data from the past 14 years here.)

"People are scared they won't be able to buy things later. We have also seen a huge increase in CWP (concealed weapons permit) class attendance," Reece said.

"Personal protection is a big theme right now."

Obama's announcement last week of a list of proposals aimed at curbing gun violence and his public push for a renewal of the assault weapons ban of 1994 has many 2nd Amendment advocates awaiting inevitable change. 

And the anticipation of that change can engulf the firearm industry in new demand.

Reece, who started his retail gun shop with Chris James in 2008, knows all too well how politics can positively and negatively affect business. 

"We got our start about eight months before the election, and of course every time a Democrat gets elected, everyone gets scared because they talk about gun control," Reece said. "We were slammed all the way up until the election, and about six months after."

South Carolina saw 308,408 NICS checks in 2012, a whopping 34-percent increase over the year before, while background checks for gun sales last year in the Palmetto State has doubled the NICS totals from 2007, according to the FBI. 

Serious discussions over constitutional rights and personal protection often are perceived as threats to 2nd Amendment rights, but that view is not always called for, some say. 

"The same thing happened right after the World Trade Center," said Jim Frazier, manager of Traders Gun Shop in Taylors. "It happened prior to the election four years ago - and it was not devastating to the industry."

"When 9/11 happened, nothing was left on the shelves," he added. 

"Panic buying," as Reece calls it, gives would-be cautious buyers a reason to pull the trigger on transactions they'd otherwise be wary of. 

"A lot of what we see are people who say 'oh man I've been looking at this rifle for six months, and we've planned on buying it for months,'" Reece said. "But when they start talking gun bans, and you might not be able to  get them later, so they go ahead and get them now." 

An assault weapons ban, gun advocates say, is utterly ineffective at putting a dent in gun crime, and also requires the public and mainstream media to lay down arbitrary definitions of what constitute a prohibited weapon. Collapsable stocks, detachable magazines and other features are viewed by Democrats like Diane Feinstein as elements of an "assault weapon," though even the term comes under scrutiny by industry professionals. 

"Basically, the term 'assault rifle' refers to a rifle that looks different than your grandpa's hunting rifle, and might look like something the military might use," said Reece, whose other company, Palmetto State Defense, manufactures AR-15's, considered by some progressives as an assault weapon. 

"Technically, the AR-15 is a semi-automatic version of the Colt M-16, issued in Vietnam. It's civilian-legal, just like any other hunting rifle. It's just evil because it's black."

From tax hikes, to magazine capacity caps, to bans - gun retailers and manufacturers are expecting something to successfully hit President Obama's desk that will make them alter their business model. When you deal in a product that can kill, change is nothing new. 

In the 1990's, firearm fans dealt with such expectations. 

"From what had been put out there, everything was going to be taken away," Frazier said. "Everything emptied off the shelves. It didn't end up being devastating to the industry. I don't think this time will be either." 

Reece agreed. 

"The industry will find a way to exist and evolve one way or another," he said. 

Andrew Allen, co-owner of Allen Arms in Greenville, said that while the industry would take a major hit if Obama was able to have all of his proposals become a reality, it wouldn't change the reality on the ground. 

"Even if he could magically wave a wand and take every firearm in the world, there would still be murder," Allen said. "Hammers, clubs, cars, knives when used a certain way are all very lethal weapons."

Judging by the statistics, the Obama administration's posture on firearms has emboldened 2nd Amendment advocates, leading to an even more armed Palmetto State citizenry. 

"When you ban them, all you're going to do is turn everyday law-abiding citizens into felons," Reece said. "But you're not going to get our guns. You can call me a criminal, but you're not going to get them."