According to the NSSF, the first six months of 2020 saw 10.3 million firearms transactions! And some of the new groups of gun owners may be surprising.
They also noted that 25 precent of first-time buyers had already taken a gun safety class and 63 precent inquired about gun safety classes in the near future.
I know 3 people who got there first firearm cause of all the things going on. They got them they told me. Because of all the crazy they decided they better and start carrying. I said then you need to go to the range with me so I can teach you how to hold it load it and fire it correctly so you don’t hurt yourself or someone else. Do to the fact that the first time you seen or held a gun was when you said oh I need one of those lol.
My fiancee. She use to not like seeing open carry, and was afraid of “big, black rifles”; however, through slowly introducing her to guns, gun safety, ranges and training videos, she became quite the enthusiast.
She bought a sig sauer p320 .45 (before we knew of the recall) but has loved it, and has since become quite a good shot in a short amount of time. The reason she bought her firearm was seeing responsible gun owners, the current climate, we live in a city near riots, and she has since come to see them as a tool, rather than an outright weapon. Funnily enough, she likes shooting the .300 blackout because it kicks less than her handgun 
I teach CCW Classes and about 70% of the folks I teach have NEVER even contemplated owning a gun until recently. We are currently booked through November. I also do private instruction, just trained several lovely ladies in the 80s to CC, and they were not the first ones.
Everyone says the same when I ask them why. “Don’t you watch the news?”
I have helped 2 ladies approx. 70 years-old buy their first pistols, one was anti-gun and the other gun-neutral. I and my wife are teaching them the things they need to know to be safe and suggesting various classes at our gun range. The current climate in America is what made both of them feel they needed to protect themselves. I am also coaching my oncology nurse with possibly buying a home defense weapon…she has become an EX-liberal and is embracing all things conservative. HEY!!! Beth, do I get a “bell” badge for ringing my own bell? 
2 of my coworkers did. They are worried about society after all the hoarding/looting/rioting we see with China Virus.
Hey guys! 70 isn’t that old. Ask me. I always laugh when the news says something about a 65 year old Senior Citizen. It happens so fast. Sorry for the side bar. 
Same! But they want to be trained! Which is AWESOME!!
Yes!
He joined the NRA as well.
Unfortunately the brand new S&W he purchased is defective. 
I KNOW!!! There used to be a time when folks just wanted to know how to load and unload the snub-nosed revolver the guy at the guns store sold them. Today these folks are MOTIVATED!!! At the beginning of all my training I always repeat the old phrase:
“Buying a gun does not make you a shooter any more than buying a guitar makes you a musician.”
It WAKES people up real quick! 
I’ve now helped 8 people obtain their “first” firearm since March with more waiting for stock to replenish so he can buy one also.
Have 5 more waiting for gun stores to replenish their stock so they can buy and I’ve already taken them to a range, educated them on safety and familiarity, and discussed options.
each of them is also either a mother or single woman.
Edit -wife reminded me of my neighbors who I’m also helping so I changed the number of pending.
Wife, she isn’t anti gun but she had never shot one before but is now shooting and recently purchased her own 380 EZ and her carry permit arrived Friday.
Yes. My daughter. Combination of issues that I am not going to post on a private board.
I live in California, so I know people who want to buy a first firearm , but can’t b/c alot of places are sold out…lines out the door and around the corner. CRAZY.
Did you tell them “elections have consequences”?
Yep. They know. Can’t move bc of work or other reasons. What’s really scary is a lot of people are moving , then they vote the same way.
That’s ok, as long as they don’t all move to the same place they have less chance of being the majority if they spread out (I think).
That’s just it, they don’t spread out across the country they go to a few destination states, and bring the issues they were running from along with them. Then vote those “common sense” issues into law along with them.
Two personal friends came to me asking about guns, getting their Illinois FOID, and if I would take them to a gun range. (Which of course I very happily did!) But also because I’m an instructor… my business has REALLY picked up! All for the same reasons. They don’t trust how long it would take for the police to save them, and learning how quickly their lives could be in danger.