ANCHORAGE - Alaska is a gun owner's state. And at Ammo King in northeast Anchorage, sales have been up for months.
“This has been insanity, complete insanity,” said Krisann Farah, co-owner of Ammo King. Her sales have been up since the election, and with fears of new federal restrictions coming in the wake of mass shootings across the country, she said business is better than ever.
“We have done more business in the past seven to eight days than I think we did in the past six months,” Farah said. “It's gone through the roof.”
One gun supplier said the state has seen a 45 percent jump in guns and ammunition sales since August. The demand ranges from assault rifles to handguns, from high-capacity magazines to ammunition of all types.
At Ammo King today, Ramone Schin was looking for a new magazine for a gun he already owns. But the Army veteran said with low stocks in gun stores around Anchorage, he's thinking of buying a second firearm -- just in case.
“There's been a lot of craziness and talk of more restrictive laws pertaining to firearms,” he said, hefting the weight of a new pistol at the counter. “So, might as well do it now, while I can.”
With talk in Washington about new gun control legislation, firearm advocates say it's a pivotal time for Alaskan gun owners. Sarah Spindler is a firearms instructor who also works for a major firearms supplier in Alaska. She says a lot of the sales she’s seeing are based on fear… and that’s never a good thing. She thinks anyone buying a gun needs to be educated.
“I definitely believing in loading your brain before loading your gun, and I definitely believe in education before anyone owns or chooses to use a firearm of any type.”
Guns are still on the shelves at Ammo King, for beginners looking for their first weapon. But for now, demand for assault rifles, high-capacity magazines, and ammunition remains high; supplies in Alaska and across the country are exhausted; and retailers don't know when the situation is likely to change.
