ROANOKE, Va. – Some gun rights supporters are already looking ahead to next year, when bills on assault weapons restrictions could again be a topic of debate in the Virginia legislature.
Owners at SafeSide Tactical in Roanoke are working to keep the energy high among gun owners, hoping to ride the wave of momentum they feel they created after 20,000 demonstrators flooded the Capitol last month.
“We’re just encouraging people, not to stay angry, but to stay tied in,” said co-owner Mitchell Tyler.
He said in the last three months the store has seen an increase in gun sales, and there’s been a huge increase in interest in gun range use and concealed carry classes.
More gun control bills advanced in the General Assembly on Monday, but a bill restricting assault weapons and banning certain magazine sizes failed earlier this month.
Tyler said as momentum builds for stricter laws, people buy more guns, not fewer.
“Over the last three months or so we’ve seen a huge uptick, kind of back to pre-Trump buying,” he said. “Under the Obama-era when people were buying ARs, there was a lot of fear-buying. People were afraid they weren’t going to be able to buy this style firearm in the future. This year, I see people buying out of anger.”
SafeSide Tactical manufactures its own AR-style guns, which it wouldn’t have been able to sell to most customers had the assault weapons bill passed this year.
“That certainly would have had an impact on our business,” Tyler said.
He fears a version could still pass next year in Virginia, and believes many gun rights supporters also have concerns about the gun views of Democratic candidates running for the presidency.
In preparation, the business has been diversifying, including ramping up its production of ammo.
It’s holding town hall-style events starting next week to educate people on the changes to the law and to make sure their passion for opposing these measures doesn’t die down.
Owners said gun sales will likely increase again ahead of next year’s legislative session, particularly if a Democrat is elected U.S. president.