Obama's victory spurs gun sales

By Jeremy Fugleberg, Journal staff | Thursday, November 27, 2008

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An avid target shooter, Leland Higaki of Rapid City recently went online and bought a new GSG-5 rifle -- while he still could.

The black military-style rifle looks like what one might call an assault weapon, and it has a high-capacity magazine. That makes the .22 rifle a likely target for President-elect Barack Obama, Higaki says. He's heard the gun control rumors, and weighed them against the reassuring words of the Democrat set to step into the Oval Office. He still doubts the politician is telling the truth.

"He said he wouldn't mess with the Second Amendment," he said. "But he might say one thing and then do something else."

It's not an uncommon fear. Higaki, a gunsmith at Jack First Gunshop in Rapid City, is just one of many gun owners across the U.S. who are rushing to buy up some types of guns, driven by fear the weapons will be illegal after Obama and a Democrat-controlled Congress take over in January.

Gun shops around the region and nation have reported sales increases following the Nov. 4 election, and the FBI says firearm purchase background checks in the U.S. climbed 49 percent the week of the election, compared to the same week last year.

With an eye to an Obama victory, Travis Ruff, owner of Trak Guns in Spearfish, stocked up on items in October he thought would sell quickly if Obama won. But even he was surprised by the demand for guns both online and in his store.

"They went absolutely crazy," he said. "My only regret now is I hadn't bought more."

Ruff racked up 250 percent of November 2007's sales in just the first two weeks of the month, or about 50 guns. Hot sellers were handguns and tactical weapons like the AR-15, a semi-automatic rifle patterned after the military's M-16 and M4.

"Matter of fact, I'm almost sold out of that thing," he said, and the five dealers he works with told him they don't have the weapon available anymore.

At First Stop Guns in Rapid City, salesman Bret Brandli said sales were brisk the weeks surrounding the election, about triple normal sales. Top sellers included tactical weapons, high-capacity magazines and ammunition.

Buyers are "a little bit worried about the presidency and the new agenda," he said. "That gets people worried."

Cabela's spokesman John Castillo said he couldn't comment on the sales at the Rapid City store, but noted Cabela's stores across the nation have seen higher than usual gun sales since October.

"Keep in mind we are in the midst of hunting season, which contributes to increased sales every year," he said. "But there does seem to be a desire for more gun sales since the election."

With hunting season, "this time of year is a busy time of year anyway," Ruff agreed. "But the kinds of guns people are buying, it's pretty obvious what's motivating it."

Obama supported a ban on semiautomatic weapons and tighter restrictions on all firearms as an Illinois state senator from Chicago, where Mayor Richard Daley pushed for stricter gun control to curb crimes like the recent shooting deaths of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson's family members.

In an October speech in Ohio, he tried to reassure gun owners.

"I will not take your shotgun away," he said. "I will not take your rifle away. I won't take your handgun away."

But such words haven't done much to dampen fears that an Obama administration would tighten gun laws.

Tom Raines, president of the South Dakota Shooting Sports Association, isn't surprised by the sales increases.

He said semiautomatic rifles based on military weapon designs are "becoming more and more common. There are 40 years of experience with it with military veterans," he said.

Raines said members of his group feel "an apprehension" rather than fear when it comes to new gun laws that might affect such firearms.

For gun owners like Travis Ruff, apprehension about Obama's position on gun control is grounded in the politician's record.

"Personally, I don't believe the gentleman is a friend of gun owners in the least," he said. "In his campaigning he said he's a supporter of the Second Amendment, but everything he's done as a politician, when the issue has come up, has been to the contrary."

Sheryl Uthe of Main Furniture and Pawn in Rapid City typically deals in hunting rifles and shotguns -- not the kind of firearms likely to be swept up in a ban. But she said other gun dealers tell her they are selling more handguns based mostly on fears.

"People are panicking. I want to tell them to calm down," Uthe said. "They're jumping the gun. They're panicking over nothing."

Call it what you want, but the fears are well-founded, say buyers like Higacki. What would it take for him to believe Obama didn't want to stop him from buying or selling some types of guns?

"I'd have to hear it from him," he said. "And even still, unless he came out with specifics that he wouldn't ban this gun or another ...."

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Reach Jeremy Fugleberg at 394-8421 or Jeremy.fugleberg@rapidcityjournal.com.