Gun Demand Rises in Chicago at Time of National Fall

Gun sales have declined in many states. However, Chicago appears to be bucking the trend despite its strict gun laws.

A report in the Chicago Tribune noted the demand for legal firearms is continuing to rise in Chicago even as the appetite for more guns falls elsewhere in the country and in the rest of Illinois.

Gun vendors believe the election of Donald Trump, a pro-gun president, has led to the slackening of demand. Concerns that his predecessor Barack Obama would bring in gun restrictions led to an uptick in gun sales.

Obama called for greater gun controls after mass shootings in recent years including the massacre of children in Connecticut in 2012.

The fear of firearms controls has moderated with Trump’s election. Gun sales have slackened, according to some vendors.

While gun manufacturers seldom release sales figures, statistics from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, a safeguard for buying a gun from a federally licensed dealer, gives some idea of demand.

Federal background checks reached record levels during the Obama administration. They more than doubled from around 13 million in 2008 to 27 million last year, FBI figures state.

In Chicago, the fear of violent crime which spiked last year may be having an impact.

Officials performed about 1.9 million background checks in Illinois last year, a significant jump from 1.2 million in 2015.

Richard Pearson, executive director of the Illinois State Rifle Association said:

“People are worried about protecting themselves in the Chicago area. People started seeing the value of a concealed carry license.”

Illinois has strict gun laws. At Abdallah Law, we have been successfully challenging concealed carry denials since the Firearm Concealed Carry Act was put in place. You have a short time to act to appeal your denial.

Please call us for a free consultation at (312) 229-0008.