Despite high gun deaths in Iowa, the state has seen a decrease in gun sales in recent years.
Nick El Hajj authored this piece.
According to Iowa’s News Now, there has been a decline in gun sales in Iowa in recent years, and it is predicted that this trend will persist until 2024. Despite this decline, firearm-related deaths in the state have not decreased in a similar manner.
Iowa’s Cedar Rapids witnessed a recent event that caught the attention of many.
According to projections, Iowa’s gun sales are expected to continue their downward trajectory until 2024. Surprisingly, despite the decline in sales, the rates of firearm-related deaths have not decreased accordingly.
According to Tiffany Morozek, who serves as the general manager at Midwest Shooting in Hiawatha, the reason behind the drop in gun sales can be attributed to financial limitations.
According to her, there has been a decline in the sales of firearms, which she believes is primarily due to the economic downturn.
According to Morozek, there has been a recent shift in consumer focus towards obtaining concealed carry permits. As a result, her business has experienced a surge in demand for firearm training sessions and the use of gun ranges.
According to her, there has been a surge in the number of individuals who are interested in obtaining a concealed carry permit and are actively seeking out training opportunities, private lessons, and classes. She also mentioned that owning a shooting range has been advantageous in attracting new members and customers, particularly during times when gun sales are low.
According to her, an increasing number of buyers are opting to sell their guns and buy secondhand firearms instead.
Gun sales in Iowa have returned to pre-pandemic levels, indicating a decline after reaching a peak during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, which was also observed throughout the country.
According to Art Roche, the executive director of Iowans for Gun Safety, the pandemic’s impact on fear and uncertainty is what caused the increase in gun sales.
During the pandemic, people were scared. It was kind of an ‘end times’ feeling in some cases, and people wanted to be prepared for that,” Roche said. “Gun sales went up during the pandemic, so they could only go down from there.
According to Roche, keeping track of gun sales accurately has become complicated due to legislative changes.
He said that background checks are no longer necessary in Iowa.
Gun deaths in the state continue to be a source of concern for him.
Although there has been a decrease in gun sales, firearm mortality rates have not followed suit and have instead increased since the pandemic spike. According to CDC data, Iowa witnessed a rise in firearm mortality rates, which reached 11.2 per 100,000 individuals in 2020 and 2021, up from 9.1 per 100,000 in 2019. Despite the decline in sales in 2022, the mortality rates have remained high.
According to Roche, the abundance of firearms in circulation remains a significant public safety concern. He emphasized the ongoing risk that the high number of guns already in use poses and said that having so many firearms in use can be dangerous.
During presidential elections, there has been a historical increase in gun sales. It is uncertain whether there will be a surge in sales during the latter part of 2024.
