NICE: Stuck At Home With Your New Gun? Some Gun Owners Want To Help You Stay Safe.

Jon Ogawa, a sales associate at Grandpa’s Pawn & Gun in Longmont, Colorado, says sales in the past few weeks have been higher than ever.

“More first-timers than, generally, we’ve ever seen before,” Ogawa said. “They’re worried about looters, people breaking in, looking for toilet paper, food, water…”

It’s vital that new gun owners understand what they’re getting into, Ogawa says.

“It’s a little bit concerning because it tends to be uneducation or ignorance that ends up being the reason why people end up getting hurt,” he said. ”It’s important that we all understand the responsibility.”

Ken Constantine, the owner of Elk River Guns in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, described his sales as “skyrocketing.”

“The majority of customers coming in the door in this increase are new customers,” Constantine said. “My guess is that many of these first-time buyers are people who had been thinking about it for a while, on the bubble as to whether or not to spend money, and now they’re coming in because of this virus and they’re nervous. They’re deciding to spend the money on personal protection.”

New gun owners represent an opportunity for the gun rights community, eager both to keep people safe and to add to its ranks.

Not only are firearms a constitutionally protected right, but shooting is fun — and I’ve never met nicer or more generous people than I’ve met at the range.