Guns and Ammo Flying Off Store Shelves

Various assault weapons on display

Gun buyers across the country are flocking to stores to stock up on assault rifles, handguns and ammunition. MPB's Lawayne Childrey reports what's happening in Mississippi.

At Surplus City USA, a gun store in Clinton, this un-named man is filling out the paper work for a background check before he can purchase this small revolver for his wife.

“ My wife is at home a lot by herself and we don’t have small children at home no more. It’s just me and her now. And she can handle something like this.”

Store manager, Paul Merritt, has seen an increase in his stores gun and ammunition sales and believes it may be because some are worried that the Obama administration will re-impose the ban on assault weapons that expired in 2004.

“People just buying it up and storing it figuring they’re gonna try to take it away from us or jack the prices up on it. There’s been such a run on it kinda like the gas shortage was and right now there’s no ammunition in the pipeline to purchase it. Manufactures are working double time just to try to get it out there but right now it’s just not available.”

Over the past 6 months, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety's Firearm Permit Unit has reported a drastic increase in the number of people applying for concealed weapons permits. At the Discount Gun Safe shop in Pearl, manager John Thweatt would like to see Mississippi gun permit laws changed to be more in line with states like South Carolina which includes a test and firearms training.

“Which was actually going out to the shooting range and demonstrating proficient shooting skills. Cause they wanted to know that you knew all the rules for your state and that you could handle the firearm that you were using.”

To obtain a concealed weapons permit In Mississippi you must be at least 21, a 12 month resident of the state and pass an FBI background check. For MPB News, I'm Lawayne Childrey.