I feel safer (Scottsbluff Star-Herald)

Record gun sales leading to ammunition shortages in Lincoln, elsewhere

The tumult and uncertainty of last year led a record number of people to purchase firearms in the U.S., and that’s leading to a shortage of ammunition.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation performed nearly 39.7 million firearm background checks last year, 11.3 million more than in 2019.

Not all those background checks were for firearm sales, but data from the National Shooting Sports Foundation suggests sales last year hit 21 million, a 60% increase over 2019 and 34% more than the previous record.

Kevin Bahr, manager of Nebraska Gun in Lincoln, said there have been similar demand spikes in the past, such as after the Sandy Hook school shooting in 2012, but the difference is how long it has lasted this time.

Bahr said demand for firearms and ammunition spiked after the coronavirus pandemic started, and it has been pretty high ever since.

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