U.S. Sees Highest Black Friday Gun Sales in Recorded History
Though Black Friday turnout dramatically dropped this year, gun sales were higher than ever.According to the FBI, there were more than 175,000 background checks on Friday, making it the busiest Black Friday in recorded history. But even at a rate of almost three background checks a second, November 28 was beat out by December 21, 2012, which saw more than 177,000 background checks.
The number of background checks filed on Friday represents almost three times the daily average. Since law requires background reviews be completed within three business days, 600 FBI employees worked around the clock this weekend. If the government fails to complete a background check on time, a buyer is allowed to make their intended gun purchase anyway.
Number of women getting CHLs doubles
Every other Wednesday night Red’s Indoor Gun Range in South Austin is hoppin’. Every bay is usually taken by women. It hasn’t always been this way.
“Every week there would be just me and then one week there would be two of us,” said Nikki Jones who founded Sure Shots, a women’s gun club that got its start back in 2005 when Jones moved from New York to Austin and got her concealed handgun license.“The difference between the amount of women who were shooting and now is just off the charts,” she said. Sure Shots now has 300-plus members, some who walk in never having picked up a gun.
“We have a few guns in the house that are in a safe, but in case I needed to use them I thought this would be a comfortable setting since it is all women,” said Elena who is married to a law enforcement officer.
Elena liked it so much she recently decided to get her Concealed Handgun License. She is not alone. As of July 31, 2014 there were 198,000 Texas women with an active license to carry.
“The reason to get a firearm should be one of empowerment and not fear,” said Julianna Crowder, who started teaching CHL courses with her husband eight years ago.
She also founded a Central Texas women’s shooting league called A Girl and A Gun. They meet regularly at a new indoor range in Cedar Park called Shady Oaks. It’s where Bettye Lane Chambliss comes to shoot.
“One day I was out working in the yard and when I came back in there was a man standing in my house,” said Chambliss. “I was pretty much blocked in. There was no way to get to the door.”
“The reason to get a firearm should be one of empowerment and not fear,”
Her dogs scared off the stranger, and after that she decided to get a gun and learn how to shoot.