LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — With the coronavirus pandemic, protests across the country and a heated political climate, 2020 has been a year of unprecedented challenges.
All this has contributed to record sales of firearms both locally and nationally, according to Doug Ramsey, Chief Compliance Officer of Buds Gun Shop & Range in Lexington.
"Folks are concerned for safety and security and one of the things that they will turn to, if they have not already, is oftentimes the purchase of a firearm," Ramsey said.
While the shop had to close to in-person customers for a few weeks at the start of the pandemic, Ramsey said it's seen steady sales throughout the rest of the year. And while in previous years elections have spurred increases in firearm purchases, this week there hasn't been a major increase.
"Now what might happen and transpire in the next few days is anybody's guess right now," he said.
Nationally, data shows the FBI has performed more firearm background checks each month of 2020 than the corresponding year in 2019.
"That means there's a lot of training that needs to be done. we want to stress, you know, safe, responsible, legal ownership of firearms," he said.
The shop has online training classes available on its website.
