With so much upheaval and uncertainty in the world today, it is often comforting to own a firearm. However, there have been over 2 million first-time gun owners in the first half of 2020, which means that there is an increased need for an understanding of gun safety and security!

At Shooters Depot, we believe that firearms can be used to keep our homes secure and protecting our family, but we also know that it’s so important to keep firearm safety in mind. Here are a few resources that we think may be helpful to first-time gun owners:

1. NSSF - The Firearm Industry and Trade Association’s 10 Rules of Safe Gun Handling
2. A Girl & A Gun’s 4 Rules of Gun Safety
3. Gun certification courses to train on how to safely use your firearm - Shooters Depot offers a variety of certification courses, from basic to advanced
4. Range time is key to practice your skills - Shooters Depot has the Chattanooga area’s premier gun range
5. Purchasing the correct firearm and ammunition for your needs - Check out Shooters Depot online store for a range of firearms and ammunition to fit your needs or stop by our brick-and-mortar store for a consultation with one of our experts

We hope that these resources help you to better understand what it means to be a first-time gun owner and how to be safe with a firearm. 

According to the FBI, over 3.5 MILLION background checks took place in March. While this statistic isn’t directly correlated with gun sales, it does tell us that more guns were sold in March than ever before going back to 1998, when the background check system was put in place.

According to USA Today, gun sales revenue in the United States is up 309%. However, the other statistic worth noting is that crime rates have also gone down. Since the beginning of the pandemic in March, arrests have gone down 47% across the country, when compared to the previous month. We are grateful that the crime rates have not gone up alongside the increased firearms sales rates. While we have appreciated the influx of business, from new and returning customers, we want to remind all gun owners of the importance of gun safety and firearm storage. It is vital to store your gun locked up, with ammunition stored and locked separately.

We appreciate your patience with us as our inventory has not been as full as normal. We have been working hard to track down specific firearms and ammunition as customers have reached out with requests, and our online store has been seeing record traffic. Thank you for your continued support during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we look forward to seeing you at the range!