Gun sales are surging. First-time gun buyers are a big reason why | American Military News

Gun sales are surging. First-time gun buyers are a big reason why | American Military News: Gun sales are spiking in Connecticut and around the nation, a buying spree driven by fears of rising crime, a political shift in Washington and the social upheaval brought on by the pandemic. “People are jumping at the opportunity to buy more guns,” said Rob Pizzi Jr., owner of Central Connecticut Arms in Portland, one of the state’s largest gun shops. Preliminary numbers provided by the Connecticut State Police show 169,113 gun sale authorizations in 2020, up from 126,458 in 2019 — an increase more than 33%. So far this year, sales are continuing to increase, as the state has received 94,534 authorizations, which must be filled out before the sale or transfer of any firearm.