Firearm background checks at record high for January

Nothing sells firearms like the threat of them being taken away. And the threat is evident on both a state and federal level.

The 2020 presidential race is already weighing on the minds of gun owners who flocked to gun stores to load up in January.

The FBI reported today that January saw a record of 2,702,702 background checks, which closely track gun sales and requests for concealed carry permits.

That broke the last January record of 2,545,802, set in 2016, when Democrat Hillary Clinton, who advocated a gun ban, was starting her march to White House, only to be foiled by NRA-endorsed Donald Trump.

As the 2020 race has neared, FBI checks on the National Instant Criminal Background Check System have been surging, especially after Democrats in Virginia took control of the state legislature and began implementing gun control laws.

Experts said that 2020 is set to break all records for sales and background checks, topping last year’s FBI total of 28,369,750.

The surge comes as gun ban advocate Michael Bloomberg is moving up in national presidential polls. A recent Zogby Analytics survey showed only Bloomberg beating Trump in a head-to-head matchup.

“If he becomes the front-runner it will make for a banner year in the gun business,” said Justin Anderson, director of marketing for Hyatt Guns of Charlotte, North Carolina.

It also follows an increase in Second Amendment rallies around the nation in opposition to liberal efforts to impose gun control.