These aren ’ t a small group of “ hoarders ” as is sometimes portrayed , but a flourishing community that expanded substantially in 2020 , a year filled with a pandemic and civil unrest . The number of firearms sold jumped from a 10-year average of 13 million per year to 20 million in 2020 and 2021 . It is estimated that
40 % of those ( 8.4 million ) were first-time buyers . Women accounted for 40 % of all sales in 2020 , and “ purchases by African Americans increased by 56 %,” according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation ( NSSF ). It turns out that for all the hub-bub , normal people own guns , and owning guns is , well , normal .
Growing numbers indicating a wideracceptance is just one part of the story , and one which only bears explaining in the current political climate , because significant collectors have long recognized the value , aesthetics and historical relevance of fine arms . Robert M . Lee , a prominent car collector who won Best of
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