We know that crowds turned out in record numbers to snatch up bargains on Black Friday. But many of those shoppers were seeking something beyond just a good sale—they were looking for the peace of mind that comes with knowing you can protect yourself.
“People wanna defend themselves and their family,” said Jeanelle Westrom, owner of Davenport Guns in Iowa. “They don’t want anything to happen to their children.” As one of her shop’s customers noted, “Having a weapon in the house does give you some confidence that you can put up a fight and you can make it.”
Enough shoppers shared that sentiment to make Black Friday the single-largest day for firearm background checks in history. “Black Friday sales on guns, gun accessories and ammunition were the strongest we’ve seen in our 77-year history,” said Ryan Repp, communications manager for Brownells. “Sales started off first thing Thanksgiving morning, actually, and continued at a record pace through Cyber Monday.”
