Sales of guns not slowing down in Las Vegas

Thanks to executive actions on gun control by President Barack Obama, the spike in gun sales throughout the Las Vegas Valley following a violent terrorist attack in San Bernardino, Calif., in December may continue.

Last month, the Review-Journal reported that nervous Nevadans were flocking to gun stores in the wake of the mass shooting in San Bernardino. December is typically a busy month for gun stores because of holiday shopping, but the number of background checks for Nevada gun purchases was well above average for the month.

For 15 years before 2015, the number of gun-related background checks in December averaged 10,167. Last month 18,649 checks were initiated in the state, according to FBI data. For a year-over-year comparison, 12,590 checks were initiated in December 2014.

Nationally, the number of gun-related background checks in December jumped 37.6 percent, according to Reuters.

Brian Doleshal, 30, general manager at the Range 702 on Dean Martin Drive near Tropicana Avenue, said media attention to "jarring events" makes people want to protect themselves — and the Second Amendment, which guarantees the right to bear arms.

"Last month was a tremendous month for us," he said. "We saw a spike. I wouldn't say it was an alarming spike by any means, but there was an increase in sales.

Although the number was unusually high last month, the highest number of gun-related background checks for the month of December came in 2012, when checks in Nevada soared to 22,420 following the mass shooting in Newtown, Conn., at Sandy Hook Elementary School, where 20 first-graders and six teachers were killed by a gunman who then took his own life. Obama had also been recently re-elected.

David Famiglietti, owner of the New Frontier Armory gun shop on East Centennial Parkway near North Fifth Street, said December was definitely busier than usual, by about 40 percent, but not as much as after Sandy Hook.

"It wasn't that crazy," he said.

Both gun sellers said the December spike has continued into January, pointing to Obama's announcement Tuesday of several proposals aimed at reducing gun violence, including beefing up staffing at the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and funding for mental health services.

Doleshal said Thursday that Range 702 had already sold 25 percent more firearms in the first week of January than it had during the same period last year. He attributed the rise to Obama's announcement.

"I think as Americans, we, from time to time, take for granted our constitutional rights until we're reminded that we have them or they might be in jeopardy," Doleshal said. "We, in that moment, do everything we can to protect those rights."

This new spike, sometimes called the "Obama effect," has been seen across the country. Stock prices of gun manufacturers, for example, went up after the Tuesday announcement. Smith & Wesson shares rose 12.2 percent to $26.12, with Sturm Ruger & Co. stock prices rising 7.4 percent to $65.95 on Tuesday, according to Reuters.

Obama addressed the phenomenon himself at a CNN town hall meeting Thursday night.

"I think it's useful to keep in mind I've been now president for over seven years and gun sales don't seem to have suffered during that time," Obama said. "They've gone up. I've been very good for gun manufacturers."

Famiglietti said Thursday that he's still seeing waves of customers, many of whom are first-time buyers, seeking guns, training and concealed carry classes. Admittedly, none of Obama's proposals will have much of an effect on his business — brick-and-mortar stores already have to do background checks — but Obama's actions have some people spooked.

"Some people who were on the fence, that put them over the line," Famiglietti said. "I think a lot of it is people forecasting toward the election."

Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton has pledged to continue with Obama's gun policies if she is elected. Nevada voters will also decide in November whether to expand gun background checks in state law to private sales and transfers.

Doleschal said he just hopes people will think critically about the issue.

"I think that every citizen, every consumer, should not just read something at face value. They should do a deep dive on everything," he said. "Why don't you like the gun laws? Why don't you think this is safe? The most unsafe thing you can be in the gun industry is be uneducated."

Contact Wesley Juhl at wjuhl@reviewjournal.com and 702-383-0391. Find him on Twitter: @WesJuhl.