To me this means people are getting nervous (as well they should be) about the financial and political situation we face today. AmmoLand takes a decidedly more optimistic tone in their report, suggesting that gun owners are “voting with their wallets” by supporting the gun industry which everyone expects will come under attack sometime after the 2010 elections if Democrats can hold their seats:

Washington, DC –(AmmoLand.com)- Data released by the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) reported 1,074,757 checks in August 2009, a 12.3 percent increase from the 956,872 reported in August 2008.

So far that is roughly 9,076,205 gun bought this year! The total is probably more as NICS background checks may cover the purchase of more than one gun at a time.

This latest jump in background checks show that Americans are solidly in-favor of keeping firearms in the hands of law abiding citizens and clearly shows that proponents claiming the USA wants more gun control are blatantly wrong.

The increased trend of Americans buying firearms at a record pace was once thought to be a one time fluke caused by fears of the new Obama administration expressed lust for more gun control. But now 10 months in and the wrongly named “fear buying” has now become the norm as law abiding US citizen exercise their constitutional right to keep and bear firearms by the millions every month with no sign of slowing down.

The bulk of the buying has been concentrated on the following types of guns or calibers:

* Semi Auto Handguns
* Revolvers
* Ar15s and all variants of the Black Rifle
* .50 Caliber

Frankly these are survival weapons (although I myself don’t recommend complex weapons systems like ARs or even semi-auto pistols for survivalists unless they are extremely proficient) which are being stockpiled for the bad times that seem to be ahead. With high unemployment and low growth, plus shortages of food coming down the pike due to expected crop blights and ethanol mandates, many people are looking toward the future more uncertainly. America just sold the last of our surplus wheat and the dollar’s value is collapsing. The possibilities of food shortages or financial calamity are just too high for people to ignore the possibility that they may see civil unrest in their near future, and guns are a necessity when law and order break down.

Ammunition shortages are also still being reported. People are getting prepared.

h/t Survival Blog