Weekly Spotlight 6/13/24 – 6/20/24
Americans Arming Themselves At Record Rates Since 2020 Election
According to a new report from the National Sports Shooting Foundation, the number of Americans who became first-time gun owners since 2020 has grown to more than 22.3 million people – the population of Florida.
This sharp uptick in new gun owners over the last four years can be attributed to several factors: rampant crime nationwide, rising police response times, and fears associated with the outcome of political elections, to name a few. What is clear is that Americans are exercising their Second Amendment rights at record-setting rates.
This data also mirrors a larger trend that the USCCA is seeing first-hand. A record number of Americans are seeking firearm education and training, many of which are first-time gun owners. Interestingly, most first-time gun buyers are citing “self-defense” as the primary reason for their decision to purchase a firearm.
This trend has been steadily growing since the onset of the pandemic. In 2020, gun sales increased 58 percent within the African American community and 40 percent among women. Americans of all walks of life are deciding to exercise their Second Amendment rights and seeking the proper safety and training education to ensure they do so safely.
As more Americans arm themselves, the USCCA remains ready to educate and train law-abiding Americans to exercise their right to self-defense safely and responsibly.
Join us in advocating for sensible legislative solutions that
protect our freedoms and help save lives!
OTHER NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
- The Reload: As Election Nears, Gun Sales Fall
Americans bought fewer guns last month than any other May in the last five years, continuing a downward trend that began in January. A new industry analysis of May 2024 FBI background check numbers found that 1,089,117 were related to gun sales. That’s down 7.2 percent from the previous May, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). It’s also the month’s lowest adjusted background check total since May 2019.
A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld California’s ban on gun shows at county fairs and other public properties, deciding the laws do not violate the rights of firearm sellers or buyers. The 3-0 decision by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals overturns a federal judge’s ruling in October that blocked the laws. The two measures were both written by Democratic state Sen. Dave Min. The first, which went into effect in January 2022, barred gun shows at the Orange County Fair, and the other, which took effect last year, extended the ban to county fairgrounds on state-owned land.
Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill into law on Friday that requires firearms dealers to get a state permit to sell. Gun dealers who sell, manufacture, or import firearms and ammunition must have a federal firearms license (FFL) from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The new law requires an additional state permit on top of the FFL. To be eligible for a state permit, the law says a dealer must have an FFL, not had a firearms license revoked, suspended, or denied within the past three years, and not have violated any state or federal firearms laws in the three years before applying for the license.
- The Center Square: SCOTUS Asked To Hear Challenge To New York’s Concealed Carry Law
The U.S. Supreme Court is being asked to hear a legal challenge to New York’s sweeping 2022 gun control law, which sets limits on who can get concealed carry permits. A lawsuit filed by a New York gun owner challenges the state’s new restrictions barring gun owners from carrying weapons in parks, bars and other “sensitive” locations and requiring them to demonstrate “good moral character” to get a gun permit.