New gun owners say they bought firearms because police might not reach them in time

As pockets of anti-law enforcement activists demand that jurisdictions strip funding from police departments, ordinary citizens around the country assert that they are resorting to self-defense, and are buying weapons.

The assertions come amid a nationwide spike in personal weapons sales. In June, the FBI checked the backgrounds of 3,931,607 potential gun buyers, according to the Bureau. In the same month, Americans bought 2,387,524 guns, reported Small Arms Analytics & Forecasting (SAAF), an industry research and consulting group.

“The demand has absolutely exploded beyond anything we have seen over the last 20 years,” said Jurgen Brauer, chief economist for SAAF.

No official data explain the rise, Brauer told Just the News.