Gun owners take aim at COVID-19

Over the last six weeks, grocery store shelves provided evidence of the panic buying taking place, and specifically the hoarding of toilet paper. Soon, other shelves emptied as the threat of the coronavirus, or COVID-19, spread into all the states.

This panic-like behavior wasn’t just limited to grocery and household items, however. Gun owners also reacted to the pandemic. And it was contagious, as it may have been what led to an increase in first-time gun buyers.

In his April 13, 2020 article, Why Canadians and Americans are buying guns during the coronavirus pandemic, Noah S. Swartz writes, “The surge in first time buyers suggests that many Americans buying guns during the pandemic are doing so due to concerns about self-defense, given fears of looting, violence and the government’s capacity to deal with the crisis.”

This first-time gun buying has been happening at Lock-N-Load Sporting Goods in Owego, as they have seen an increase in gun sales.

“The remarkable thing is that I am seeing an incredible number of first time gun buyers,” said Alan Dutton, who has not just been selling guns, but also showing people the proper handling and maintenance. 

“We offer a high level of personal assistance,” Dutton added. “It’s our hopes that when this (virus pandemic) is over,” he continued, “that those first-time buyers will eventually get involved in gun clubs and shooting sports.”

In Bradford County, at Jerry’s Gun Shop near Rome, Pa., Jerry Coolbaugh has also seen an increase in sales of guns and ammunition.

“I think people are concerned – concerned about their safety,” said Coolbaugh. “I’m out of popular rifle ammo and all ammo for most handguns.”

Coolbaugh went on to explain that he is having difficulty ordering more from his suppliers.

“Some of my suppliers are closed,” said Coolbaugh, adding, “Some are slower.” 

“My shelves are becoming difficult to restock,” said Dutton, “and .22 shells are getting harder to get.”

Ron Hartman, at State Line Guns & Ammo, located along Berwick Turnpike and less than one mile south of the New York border, has had experience with guns since the late 1950’s. He says his gun shop handles mostly “investment quality collective firearms.” Hartman has a different opinion about the increase he is seeing in gun related sales.

“A lot of people come in who are first-time buyers looking to own a gun for protection, self-defense,” said Hartman. “But I don’t think the coronavirus has anything to do with it.”

“Everybody’s buying a lot of ammo,” added Hartman.

Robert Carriker was buying ammunition at Hartman’s gun shop.

“This is a really bad situation,” said Carriker, referring to the virus pandemic. “Nobody was ready for it.”

Both New York and Pennsylvania have gun-permitting laws, though they are different. And right now, with “social distancing” and closures, there is an extra long wait to get a permit.

“We currently are not accepting new applications for gun permits,” said Lt. Adam Bessey at the Tioga County, New York sheriff’s office. “[Because] it would require people to physically come into the facility to be fingerprinted and photographed.”

Bessey added that they do have limited hours to add or remove a gun from a permit or take care of an address or name change on an existing permit. 

Hours are Monday through Friday from noon to 2 p.m. Bessey added that people physically need to be there and they have guidelines posted at the door.

“We anticipate that as things return to normal, we will be able to take applications again,” said Bessey. “When we reach that point, notifications will be made.”

“I am shooting for the end of April to start taking applications,” said C. J. Walters, sheriff in Bradford County, Pa., adding, “The governor has extended permit renewals to May 30.”

Walters is accepting applications for permits through the mail and people are being contacted for a one-on-one meet for a photograph. They are doing signatures electronically.

“I appreciate the understanding from those who want to renew or apply for their permit,” said Walters. “We are committed to get through this health pandemic that has been constantly changing.”

Obviously, both New York and Pennsylvania see gun stores as essential at a time when so many businesses have had to close.

“We have been deemed essential by New York State,” said Dutton, “and we are open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.”

In his March 27, 2020 article for NPR, Officials Debate Whether Gun Stores Are ‘Essential’ During Coronavirus Outbreak, Bobby Allyn writes, “Gun and ammo sales have skyrocketed since the outbreak surfaced. And some of the panic driving the purchases is also present because of what gun rights advocates see as preserving their constitutional right to bear arms. They argue short-term emergency restrictions on gun sales could erode their enshrined rights. 

“Just because we’re in a pandemic, American rights do not go away,” Mark Oliva, a spokesman for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, told NPR. “There are disparate interpretations on how people want to view these orders, but the Second Amendment is unequivocal.”

Local gun owners agree. 

“The Bill of Rights takes on a bigger than usual place when the citizens sense fear,” said Bradford County resident Jim Cook. “Fear in themselves or even more so in their government. As ‘government’ has grown it has taken our self-awareness and our self-reliance with it. Those times when any local state or national government seems too fearful or ineffective to act, it is those very times the Bill of Rights stands the tallest and among all of those ‘rights’, the Right to Bear Arms, to defend those rights, takes on new meaning. It has always been so in America.”

It’s in New York. It’s in Pennsylvania. But it goes beyond those states.

“This is big,” said Alan Dutton at Lock-N-Load Sporting Goods. “The whole country is seeing this.”