Beaufort County gun retailers experience high sales in anticipation of executive order

Anticipated executive orders for tighter firearms restrictions have prompted strong opposition from Republican lawmakers, and a surge in gun sales and production.

President Barack Obama is expected to announce executive action Tuesday aimed at curbing gun violence on the heels of a year that saw a significant number of mass shootings. National media outlets reported late Monday that executive action will include mandatory expanded background checks for some private sales and increased funding for mental health treatment, FBI staff and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Several GOP lawmakers and presidential candidates have spoken out against the president's upcoming announcement, including U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford, whose district includes much of Beaufort County.

"This week's expected announcement of a new executive action to restrict gun ownership is disappointing to say the least," Sanford said in a statement Monday. "Such an expansion of governmental power would represent an abuse of one of the core individual rights protected by our Bill of Rights.

"Should the president attempt action, it will be very important that Congress work to overturn any infringement of Second Amendment rights."

But while the news has political leaders up in arms, local and national gun retailers are seeing significant sales.

In fact, as all major markets experienced losses on Monday, shares of companies that produce guns soared.

"Every time there is talk of a change in law or Second Amendment rights, (people) start to buy (guns)," said Steven Manley, owner of Plantation Iron gun shop in Bluffton. He said sales at his store have been strong, which he primarily attributed to current events.

Additionally, the holiday season brought in high volumes of gun retail traffic.

"During the weeks around Christmas, there were occasions when we waited on hold for an hour and a half or more" to complete background checks, said Steven Torborg, an employee at Plantation Iron.

On a good day, Manley said, a background check takes 10 or 15 minutes on the phone.

Recent data from the FBI indicates nearly 50,000 firearm background checks were conducted last month in South Carolina, up from November's 32,000 checks. About 35,000 were conducted in December 2014.

RECORD-BREAKING SALES

Charles Riley, president of Shepherd Tactical gun store in Beaufort, said his store saw gun sales pick up beginning in late September.

Sales continued to grow following the Umqua Community College fatal shooting that left nine dead on Oct. 1 in Oregon, and increased significantly following the Dec. 2 attack in San Bernardino, Calif., that resulted in 14 deaths.

"A lot of people want to protect themselves," Riley said.

Shepherd Tactical set a new sales record four different times in December, which Riley said was a combination of moving end-of-year inventory, the traditionally busy holiday season and the political environment.

Both Riley and Manley said their businesses have received a higher number of new customers, in addition to returning customers, in recent months, and that many of those new customers are women.

"We get people of all ages who are interested in home protection," Manley said, adding that his top sellers lately have been handguns.

Licensed gun retailers conduct background checks with the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System.

When submitting a customer's information for a background check, Riley said NICS will return with an approval, a delay or a denial. He said he's only seen about four denials since July, but several applicants have received delays.

Typically, delays are given if the background check indicates the person has a name or descriptive information associated with a record that would cause a federal firearm prohibition, which requires further investigation, according to the FBI's website.

"After three days, if we don't get a response from the FBI, we could release the guns," Riley said.

As a business practice, though, he said he tells customers who are delayed to appeal to the FBI.

"It's a culpability thing," he said, adding that it's not an efficient system, especially with the growing number of people seeking to purchase guns.

When Riley launched Shepherd Tactical in 2013, he said he typically received gun deliveries once a week, but that has now climbed to three deliveries a week to keep up with demand. He thinks that trend will continue but can't say what Obama's announcement will mean for his business.

"We haven't the slightest clue" yet, Riley said. "It would be irresponsible to act as an owner" without knowing the details of Obama's actions, he said.

Follow reporter Ashley Fahey on Twitter at twitter.com/IPBG_Ashley.

Related content:

• Obama defends forthcoming gun restrictions as constitutional, January 4, 2016
• Video: Marco Rubio comments on gun control, January 2, 2016

This story was originally published January 4, 2016 at 6:42 PM with the headline "Beaufort County gun retailers experience high sales in anticipation of executive order."