Gun Sales and Stocks Continue to Boom During Obama Presidency

Maybe President Obama would have been a better gun salesman than leader of the free world.

We've previously reported on the odd correlation of firearm sales and concealed handgun permit applications booming to all-time highs since the 2008 election, and Business Insider notes Saturday that the climb looks to continue, reporting that Ruger stock has nearly tripled since last summer and is now up 14 percent from Wednesday.

BI notes that since Obama took office, Ruger is up nearly 10x.

In addition to Ruger, we reported on similar statistics last February showing "the Obama effect" on the firearms industry:

• Winchester’s sales of ammunition have gone from $431.7 million to $572 million, an increase of 33%
• Federal excise taxes collected on the sale of new firearms and ammunition has risen 48.3%
• January 2012 was the 20th straight month of increases in NICS background checks compared to the same month in the previous year
• December 2011 saw over 1.41 million NICS background checks run, the most ever for a single month
• The few states which regularly report concealed carry permit numbers have seen increases in active permit holders ranging from 46% to 161%

Gun shop owners tell Fox News that the boom has spiked in recent months, with this, Ruger had to suspend new orders after taking orders for more than 1 million guns in the first three months of the year:

"Industry experts and gun shop owners alike say the factor driving gun sales is the Nov. 6 election. There was a similar spike before President Obama was elected to his first term, and many gun buyers are saying they fear Obama’s re-election could mean more regulations on firearms. Obama famously told fundraisers in 2008 that many Americans 'cling to guns or religion,' and gun enthusiasts believe he is not fully behind the Second Amendment.

'It’s definitely the election year,' Jason Hanson, a former CIA officer and personal security specialist, told FoxNews.com. 'People feel that Obama will serve second term and with it their gun rights with taken away, so they are stocking up.

'They’re also worried that the economy is not getting any better and that they need to protect themselves,' Hanson added."

Fox goes on to note that Smith& Wesson shares are up 125 percent over the past year. Josh Horwitz, executive director of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, tells Fox that the gun industry does work to promote the perception of spiking gun sales due to fear of Obama enforcing stricter gun laws during a second term.

"There's no doubt [National Rifle Association President] Wayne LaPierre is out there every day saying that President Obama has a secret plan to take away your guns," Horwitz said. "They want to gin up sales."

Ammo.net produced a cheeky graphic last month illustrating trends between firearm sales and President Obama, "The Greatest Gun Salesman in America."