Gun sales skyrocket

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Gun sales have spiked all over the county, and New Mexico is no exception.

New Mexico had more firearm background checks last year than any other year on record.

"When you come in, you select a gun that you want, we call in a background check, and that's when it's called into the FBI," said Will Hogsett, director of sales at Calibers in Albuquerque.

Background checks take about 20 minutes in New Mexico. Every gun buyer needs one before leaving the store with a firearm.

There were more than 115,000 background checks for firearm purchasesin the state in 2011. That number is more than any other year.

And there are reasons for that.

Gun shops are advertising to the first-time buyers. On Black Friday, the start of the post-Thanksgiving shopping season, the managers of Calibers said their sale that had people lining up outside their store waiting for the doors to open.

Some customers are looking for a gun for personal safety, others taking up sport shooting.

Hogsett has noticed the number of background checks in the month of December compared to the best year they've every had in 2008, and there was a jump of more than 30 percent. That means guns being sold to more people.
 
Hogsett says 2008 was the benchmark year for Calibers as well as many gun dealers across the nation. Many credit that to the presidential election.

"A lot of people have that fear tied in with Obama, that he's going to put major restrictions on guns, ammunition, gun sales, everything having to due with the shooting industry," said Hogsett.

Most applicant do pass the background checks. The FBI said only about 1 percent of customers are denied.