Gun sales are surging since Orlando shooting; gun stocks are soaring on Wall Street [View all]

[davidn3600]

DENVER — Gun sales are surging in the wake of Sunday’s deadly mass shooting in Orlando, Fla. The tragedy is generating new debate over gun control reform and the right to bear arms.

Gun shops typically see a spike in customers after mass shootings. But this time, many are seeing shoppers they’ve never really seen before: More gays and lesbians.

George Horne, the owner of The Gun Room, Denver’s oldest firearms dealer, said Tuesday business is booming at his store.

“For this time of year I’d say its three to four times what we normally have,” he said.

Background checks that once took minutes can now take hours. It’s a sales surge similar to what happened after Sandy Hook and the Aurora theater shootings.

“We’re not surprised by it,” Horne said.

However, what’s different this time around is the clientele. Mike Smith, a firearms instructor in Colorado Springs, is one of many closely tracking the sudden surge in gays and lesbians buying weapons.

http://kwgn.com/2016/06/14/gun-sales-surge-after-orlando-shooting-2/

Shares of both Smith & Wesson (SWHC) and Sturm, Ruger (RGR) surged nearly 10% Monday in the aftermath of the tragedy at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando early Sunday morning. A gunman killed 49 people at the club before he was shot dead by police.

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If Hillary Clinton continues to lead Donald Trump in the polls, some gun buyers may fear tougher laws -- even though few have materialized during the Obama administration despite his calls for tighter controls.

"There will likely be heightened consumer fears about gun control," Dionisio said. "It could temporarily increase demand, especially since Clinton has made gun control one of her platforms."

Ammunition maker Vista Outdoor (VSTO)rallied on Monday as well. Shares of Olin (OLN), a specialty chemicals company that also owns the Winchester gun brand, were up slightly too, as was the stock of sporting and hunting goods retailer Cabela's (CAB).

http://money.cnn.com/2016/06/13/investing/gun-stocks-smith-wesson-sturm-ruger-orlando-shooting-pulse/index.html?section=money_markets