According to government figures, the number of arms purchases in the United States has risen sharply, following a history check by the authorities in March.

Specifically, in March, 3.7 million history checks were carried out by the FBI, the largest number of checks in the last 20 years.

Of those inspections, 2.4 million were carried out for arms sales, according to adjusted statistics from a leading arms trade group. This is an increase of 80% compared to the same month last year, the trading group said.

The figures show that the pandemic has increased demand for weapons, with some gun shops flooding with panic-stricken buyers, according to the Guardian.

Friday, March 20, was the day that broke every record in the history of arms purchases as in just one day: 210,308 checks.

In most states, individuals can also sell weapons to each other without a history check, and these private sales are not included in the FBI’s numbers.

The NRA (National Rifle Association) has sued New York Governor Andrew Cuomo over the closure of gun shops during the coronavirus pandemic, arguing that the restriction is unconstitutional and leaves them defenceless.

Governor Cuomo’s March 20 executive order, which also includes a ban on retailers selling firearms to non-core businesses that need to be shut down, is a “pointless and arbitrary attack on the constitutional rights of citizens and residents of New York,” the group said in the lawsuit filed.

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