‘The only other person that was a better salesman right now is when we had President Obama…’
(Claire Russel, Liberty Headlines) Gun sales in Virginia have skyrocketed since state Democrats, newly in control of the General Assembly, introduced gun-control legislation that would restrict gun owners’ rights.
One firearms store owner said his sales have gone up 200% since the controversy started, and more of his customers are paying cash, reports the Washington Examiner.
“The only other person that was a better salesman right now is when we had President Obama,” said Jerry Rapp, owner of SpecDive Tactical, in Alexandria.
“Every time [Obama] turned around he was going to ban something or make something illegal,” Rapp said.
“But even that isn’t even close to the amount of sales we’re selling right now of magazines, of guns, of every kind of gun from pistol, rifle, shotguns, to AR platforms, and ammunition,” he continued. “We can’t keep it in stock.”
Rapp said his customers are increasingly concerned about their privacy, and now prefer to purchase supplies with cash rather than credit cards so their purchases can’t be tracked.
State Democrats proposed a total ban on “assault-style” weapons, restrictions on magazine capacity, universal background checks and more.
In response, most of the counties in the state took steps to designate themselves as 2nd Amendment “sanctuaries,” vowing not to enforce any anti-Second Amendment legislation the state government passes.
As a result, Virginia Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam walked back his party’s threat to outlaw and confiscate guns, and many of the state’s Democrats have followed suit.
“I’m not going to lock up a large part of Virginia,” said state Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, D-Fairfax.
But Rapp said the threat has not yet passed. One of the overlooked parts of the Democrats’ proposal is its limits on-course training, he said.
“From a gun place, the biggest [proposed legislation] that affects me right now—because we’re a training company that sells guns—is if you are a trainer or if you train your son or daughter, that you could become a felon,” Rapp said.