Florida gun sales saw minor spike following Vegas shooting compared to reactions after past massacres

Though the Florida firearm industry is accustomed to seeing spikes in gun purchases following mass shootings, the reaction to the Oct. 1 Las Vegas massacre, the deadliest mass shooting in recent American history, was far more muted.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement processed 40 percent more background checks the week after the Las Vegas shooting compared with the same week in 2016.

In comparison, that increase reached 120 percent after the 2016 Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, and 100 percent following the 2012 Sandy Hook and 2015 San Bernardino shootings.

An estimated 78 percent of gun sales are completed using background checks, according to a recent survey of gun owners published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

“Fear was a big motivating factor for gun purchases (under former President Barack Obama), but it’s just not driving sales anymore,” said Jaime Knoop, the owner and manager of Naples Gun Range and Emporium.

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Background checks in Florida after the Las Vegas shooting. The orange line on the graph reflects the number of background checks processed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement from Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017 - the day of the shooting - to Saturday, Oct. 7, 2017. The blue line reflects the number of background checks processed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement from Sunday, Oct. 2, 2016, to Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016. The dates are aligned by day of the week as opposed to the date for a more accurate comparison as gun sales fluctuate based on day of the week. For example, more guns tend to be sold on Saturdays compared to any other day of the week.

Knoop said that with President Donald Trump in office, people are no longer afraid the government will impose restrictions on gun ownership. While Obama called for increased restrictions on firearms, Trump has spoken in favor of gun rights and has a strong relationship with the National Rifle Association.

Michael Bazinet, spokesman for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade association for the firearms industry, said 2016 was a record year for gun sales, and that was in part because people “acted on a suspicion” that certain products might not always be available.

“There’s definitely a component of fear that an unfriendly administration would try to enact stricter firearms regulations,” he said.

Data from the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the organization Bazinet represents, show that as of Sept. 30, firearm sales were down 10 percent compared with the same time last year.

The foundation uses data from the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System to estimate sales numbers. 

Knoop said he didn’t experience any spikes in gun sales after the recent mass shooting but heard many inquiries from customers about bump stocks — the device used by the shooter to spray bullets into the crowd.

Bump stocks are an accessory that can be added to a semi-automatic rifle to emulate an automatic weapon. The bump stock absorbs the recoil of a trigger, allowing a shooter to pull the trigger once to fire multiple rounds, similar to a machine gun, versus needing to pull the trigger with each shot.

Days after the Las Vegas shooting, which left 59 people dead and more than 500 injured, the National Rifle Association called for a federal review of bump stocks and Trump said he would consider a ban on the accessory.

Knoop said he doesn’t sell the device and wouldn’t care if they were banned.

They don't require any skill to use as they can be fired indiscriminately without taking aim at a specific target, he explained. 

"As far as I'm concerned, there's no real sporting purpose or value or argument I can see to keep them around."

Background checks in Florida after the Orlando Pulse Nightclub shooting. The orange line on the graph reflects the number of background checks processed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement from Sunday, June. 12, 2016 - the day of the shooting - to Saturday, June 18, 2016. The blue line reflects the number of background checks processed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement from Sunday, June 14, 2015, to Saturday, June 20, 2015. The dates are aligned by day of the week as opposed to the date for a more accurate comparison as gun sales fluctuate based on day of the week. For example, more guns tend to be sold on Saturdays compared to any other day of the week.