Firearm sales continue to remain high in 2020

NICOLLET, Minn. (KEYC) — One-stop gun shop Roe Defense says 2020 has been a unique year for the firearm industry.

Co-owner Zach Haag says sales for guns, ammunition, safety courses and attachments are significantly higher compared to previous years.

Even though you typically see an uptick in sales after a shooting or in an election year, Haag says it has been non-stop since COVID-19 hit, the civil unrest in the Twin Cities and an election coming up.

So much so, the supply chain for ammo and guns is quite a bit behind.

“I had people calling from Minneapolis because they couldn’t find anything up there, so we had a guy call down to get ammo, we had ammo, and he said he called 15 places. He’s from Minnetonka,” Haag said.

Roe Defense says new gun owners have also come into the shop in record numbers. A good number have then taken gun safety courses as well.

“The steps that we go through, you do the online/hybrid course that we have. It can take you 20 to 45 minutes, and then we schedule up a live fire. You come out and we do one-on-one. When you leave you know how to shoot, use the safety and everything else about how to use a conceal to carry,” co-owner Robert Frederickson explained.

Data from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System indicates nearly 26 million checks have already been issued nationally in 2020. That number was 28 million for all of 2019.

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