![]() “And now, never a worse one for the gun industry than Trump.”įisher, the 71-year-old from Haymarket, doesn’t see it that way. “You’ve never had a better administration for the gun industry than Obama,” Bob Evans, an analyst for Pennington Capital said on a recent call with Sturm, Ruger executives. Sturm, Ruger & Co.’s stock, meanwhile, is down about 20 percent. Gunmakers’ stocks have also tumbled: Share prices of American Outdoor Brands, formerly Smith & Wesson Holding, have fallen as much as 34 percent since election night. In the two months since Trump took office, gun-sale background checks have fallen 18 percent compared with a year earlier, according to FBI data. A Republican president generally has the opposite effect, and Trump is no exception. A Democratic president - or the expectation of one - can send gun sales soaring to record highs. It is well-documented that gun sales ebb and flow depending on who is in the White House. She also vowed to “keep military-style weapons off our streets.” (It’s quite complicated to kill a constitutional amendment, requiring action by both houses of Congress and state lawmakers.) “It would’ve killed the Second Amendment.”Ĭlinton had called for closing loopholes that allow people to buy guns online or at gun shows without undergoing criminal background checks. “I really don’t know what would’ve happened had she gotten in there and done what she said she was going to do to,” Arndt said. To prepare, he bought a rifle and stocked up on ammunition. For weeks before the election, he had worried that Clinton would win the presidency and threaten his gun rights. Like many others here, Arndt says he is breathing a sigh of relief after President Trump’s victory. “Hey, Bradley,” he shouted to his son, “how many guns do we have altogether?” “You name it and I already have it,” he said. He had driven more than two hours from Augusta, W.Va., to see the store.Īrndt was buying two chairs, rifle primers and a dog collar for his German coonhound mix. Constitution matters a lot to shoppers like Guy Arndt, 63. “There’s a lot of outdoor heritage here - and seeing how the NRA’s headquarters are just down the street, it just made a lot of sense.” “We wanted to do a patriotic theme for this store, since this is the nation’s capital,” said Nathan Borowski, a spokesman for the company. There are other patriotic displays throughout the 79,999-square-foot space, too: A Bill of Rights mural at the front of the store flanked by buffalo and bald eagle mounts, and an homage to President Teddy Roosevelt in the gun library. #Cabelas bow shooting blocks free#Among the first things customers see when they walk in is the Second Amendment, etched floor-to-ceiling in stone at the store’s entrance: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” #Cabelas bow shooting blocks full#In a region full of them, Cabela’s stands as its own monument to gun rights. “I was hoping to possibly get some more guns.” He held his 6-month-old daughter, McKenzie, who had joined him in the morning wearing a pink camouflage cap that said, “I hunt for hugs.” “The fact that Cabela’s is here now, and that they carry firearms, is another step in the right direction.”Īmong the first in the door was Dustin Heinssen from Culpeper, Va., who had been waiting outside for 13 hours in a sleeping bag. “It’s a constant battle, keeping our gun rights,” said William Fisher, 71, of Haymarket, Va., who got his first gun at age 16. Meanwhile, back in Sidney, Neb., where Cabela’s is headquartered, 79 percent of residents had voted for Trump. Many said they feel underrepresented in a state that would have put Hillary Clinton in office (she skimmed past Donald Trump here with 50 percent of the vote). In short, shoppers heralded the new store as a victory for Virginia gun owners. Opening weekend festivities included an all-ages BB gun shooting range in the parking lot. Among its offerings: an indoor archery range, a gun library with antiques that cost as much as $6,500, and a display of special firearms donated by the National Rifle Association. The megastore - about 35 miles up the road from the White House - is the company’s 86th location and its closest to Washington. This opening, many shoppers said, was proof that Donald Trump’s America is thriving, even near the nation’s capital. “Whoo!”Īnd with that, the doors of the region’s first Cabela’s - the chain of hunting, fishing and camping gear stores - swung open and 2,000 people streamed in, clapping and cheering. “Y’all ready to go shopping?” Ware shouted. The arrow pierced the ribbon in one go, and the crowd went wild. Fifteen yards away and 21 feet off the ground, archer Jeff Ware pumped his fist into the air, cocked his bow and released. People wait in line during the opening of a Cabela’s store March 9 in Gainesville, Va. ![]()
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