With Virginia Democrats taking over all branches of state government, a firearms store owner in the state says sales of guns, magazines, and ammunition are up 200%, and more of his customers are paying in cash.
“This is the largest Christmas and November, December that we’ve had, basically, since Trump has come on board. The only other person that was a better salesman right now is when we had President Obama,” said Jerry Rapp, owner of SpecDive Tactical, in Alexandria, comparing the administrations of President Trump and his White House predecessor, Barack Obama.
Jerry Rapp, owner of SpecDive Tactical, in Alexandria said that his store is selling lots of firearms since the Democrat controlled state has announced a push to remove firearms.
“Every time [Obama] turned around he was going to ban something or make something illegal. But even that isn’t even close to the amount of sales we’re selling right now of magazines, of guns, of every kind of gun from pistol, rifle, shotguns, to AR platforms” and ammunition, Rapp told the Washington Examiner. “We can’t keep it in stock.”
Since Democrats took the majorities of both chambers in Virginia’s state legislature after big wins in the November elections, gun control proposals that include bans on “assault-style” weapons, restrictions on magazine capacity, universal background checks, and restrictions to one gun a month purchases have all been brought forth.
Same at the federal level, with House Democrats entering their second year in the majority.
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, is getting stiff resistance from gun owners on his Gun-Confiscation Plan backed by Democrat Va. elected representatives. As a result gun sales are up across the state and nation.
Virginia freshman Democratic Rep. Jennifer Wexton, who was previously a state senator, has proposed legislation in Congress to use credit card data to track gun purchases. The bill faces long odds on Capitol Hill. News about her idea has made it to Virginia firearms customers.
Rapp said his clients are increasingly concerned about privacy issues. Since the November elections, they’ve been purchasing with cash rather than credit cards.
Rapp, whose business includes gun safety training, says that some of the proposed legislation also affects his course instruction.
“From a gun place, the biggest [proposed legislation] that affects me right now, because we’re a training company that sells guns, is if you are a trainer or if you train your son or daughter, that you could become a felon, but as a training place, we do safety,” Rapp said. “We do training both from a basic pistol, rifle, shotgun to advanced combat shootings and tactical shootings for the military, law enforcement, three-letter agencies.”
The National Rifle Association’s lobbying arm released a statement responding to the upcoming gun control legislation fight in Richmond.
“Anti-gun billionaires who invested millions in the 2019 Virginia elections expect a return on that investment. While we mobilize our members and supporters to defeat Governor Northam’s political gun grab,” said D.J. Spiker, NRA Institute for Legislative Action Virginia state director. “The NRA remains committed to working with those members of the General Assembly who are focused on finding real solutions to violent crime in Virginia.”
Kerry Picket is a Senior Campaign reporter for the Washington Examiner. Picket has worked at other outlets including The Daily Caller and The Washington Times, where she began reporting on Capitol Hill.
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