Amid all the establishment media chatter about a “Trump Slump” in gun sales, National Shooting Sports Foundation’s (NSSF) Mike Bazinet says the evidence indicates 2017 could be the second or third highest year for background checks in the past two decades.
The “Trump Slump” mantra began after a 19-month run of record background checks ended the month after Trump’s election to office. December 2016 came in below record levels and the establishment media immediately began suggesting pro-gun voters had hurt the gun industry by voting for Trump.
The Guardian intimated this as recently as September 8, 2017, when reporting that a “‘Trump Slump’ in sales has meant a nearly $100m fall in firearms revenue compared with the same quarter last year.” They added, “American Outdoor Brands, the rebranded name of historic gun company Smith & Wesson, reported a 48.5% decrease in firearms revenue compared with the same quarter last year, when many Americans believed Hillary Clinton, a supporter of gun control, would be elected president.”
The problem with such a report is that 2016 was an off-the-charts, recording-breaking year in background checks for gun sales; one that may not be matched again for years (or decades) to come. So comparing this year’s industry figures to those in 2016 is an easy way to substantiate that this year’s sales are down compared to last year’s, but it is not an altogether fair juxtaposition.
by AWR Hawkins
