Gun and ammunition sales in the U.S. spiked during the pandemic and continue going up now, leaving limited supply in some Valley gun shops.
Bryon Vaughn, the general manager at Mo Money Pawn Shopsays there's no single reason why the numbers have jumped.
Though he's certain sales won't slow down anytime soon.
"You know every time we get instability, we get busier," he told ABC15.
He says the pandemic led to a spike in sales and now, "It's tax time of course. People have a little extra money in their pockets," said Vaughn.
He also says the war in Ukraine has more people looking to buy guns.
"Anytime you have any time of uncertainty in the world, you know... it's a comfort buy for people," he added.
He says it's uncertainty that has caused backups in the supply chain.
"The 7.62 ammo is increasingly hard to find, so yes, it's going quicker. 7.62x39," said Vaughn.
That is the ammo AK-47s fire.
"A lot of that ammunition is manufactured in eastern Europe so it's going to have a harder time getting into the United States because of it."
He says increased demand and supply chain issues have also made some ammo hard to find.
David Freeland, who has owned guns for more than 30 years, has experience this firsthand.
"Things are sold out usually. You can get it when you can get it," Freeland told ABC15.
Freeland tells ABC15, after going shooting at C2 Tactical in Scottsdale, knowing when to buy saves him money in the long run.
"You just buy it when you can get it. So, you might buy a little more now because it might not be available later," he added.
As for guns:
"Concealed carry pistols are always out highest amount as far as percentage of weapons that are sold, but we do sell a lot of sporting rifles. AR-15s and AK-47s."
Vaughn says gun sales also tend to go up when the President's a Democrat, out of fear gun laws will be tighter.
"It does definitely affect the sale, upward," Vaughn told ABC15.
