HORN LAKE, Miss. – – A device used to fire a semi-automatic rifle faster is flying off store shelves. It’s called a bump stock, and it’s something President Trump is trying to ban.
We went to check on sales in our area, and found that there seems to be another item that’s selling even faster.
At Bullfrog Corner Pawn and Gun, AR-15’s are selling like hot cakes. The shop is averaging ten sales a day, and sold more than $30,000 worth this past Saturday alone.
Corey Quinn looked at one today. He wants to buy it soon because he’s afraid he won’t have the chance much longer.
“Just self-defense. You never know. You never know,” Quinn says.
The assault-style rifle was used in the recent Florida school shooting. Since then, sales have been up as people fear an eventual ban, or at the very least, tougher regulations when it comes to buying one.
Danny Metcalf is Bullfrog’s owner.
“If you tell somebody they can’t have it, they’ll run out and buy it. If they think it’s going to get outlawed they will run out and buy it,” Metcalf says.
The demand for AR-15’s is so high Metcalf is running out.
“I’m the second largest dealer in the state of Mississippi, and I’m having trouble finding AR’s,” he says.
He’s also selling a lot of high-capacity magazines, like a hundred-round drum someone bought on layaway. People fear magazines like that will be banned too.
“I’m sold out,” Metcalf says.
He supports tougher restrictions on semi-automatic rifles, like raising the age requirement to buy one, but he doesn’t support a ban, and Quinn doesn’t either.
“When the government want to control, this is their way of doing,” Quinn says, “I can take a machete and kill you right now. So, what’s the difference?”
Metcalf says the recent sales boost is partially because it’s tax refund season, but 99 percent of the boost is because of recent events.