PA – RETAILERS – Philly-area gun shops say COVID-19, protests, presidential election driving widespread shortages
David Long, owner of Unicorn’s Armory in Croydon, has sold firearms and ammunition for 15 years, but 2020 has been unique. The day after protests over the police killing of George Floyd broke out in late May in Philadelphia, he saw a huge demand at his Bucks County business for what were already scant supplies. “They came from all around,” Long said Friday. “There was a little bit of a shortage, but they have since wiped me out of every firearm and bit of ammunition I had. I have since been able to get some more. But I’m not selling any more ammunition. I just don’t have an excess of ammo for people who are constantly calling for more.” Gun store owners in the Philadelphia region are reporting shortages of firearms and ammunition caused initially by problems in the global supply chain that started due to COVID-19. As manufacturers were having trouble producing and shipping, demand began increasing, especially from novice buyers fearing unrest in U.S. cities, calls to defund police, and nervousness about the upcoming presidential election. [full article]