TABLE 3.
Perceived change in firearm sales during the pandemic (N = 1432)
| Item | Did not buy during the pandemic (n = 1169), N (%) | Bought firearms during the pandemic (n = 263), N (%) | P |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compared with last year (ie, March–May 2019), what do you think has happened to firearm sales from March to May 2020? | <0.001 | ||
| Increased a lot in the year 2020 | 598 (51) | 113 (43) | |
| Increased a little bit in the year 2020 | 370 (32) | 89 (34) | |
| Remained the same as last year | 192 (9) | 48 (18) | |
| Decreased a little in the year 2020 | 73 (6) | 9 (3) | |
| Decreased a lot in the year 2020 | 26 (2) | 4 (2) | |
| Which of the following represents your opinion of firearm sales since January 2020? | |||
| Legal firearm sales have increased | 795 (68) | 152 (58) | 0.002 |
| Online sales of firearms have increased | 656 (56) | 112 (43) | <0.001 |
| First‐time firearm buyers/ownership has increased | 669 (57) | 95 (36) | <0.001 |
| Illegal firearm sales have increased | 508 (44) | 94 (36) | 0.02 |
| Sales of assault or deadly firearms has increased | 436 (37) | 90 (34) | 0.33 |
| Number of background checks have increased | 356 (31) | 110 (42) | <0.001 |
| High‐capacity firearm magazine sales have increased | 308 (26) | 69 (26) | 0.93 |
| Exchange of firearms between individuals/private trading has increased | 322 (28) | 48 (18) | 0.002 |
| Build‐it‐yourself firearm sales have increased (ie, ghost guns/or parts to make) | 269 (23) | 53 (20) | 0.31 |
| Number of firearm owners in my neighborhood has increased | 231 (20) | 68 (25) | 0.06 |
| None of the above has happened | 69 (6) | 8 (3) | 0.07 |
N (%) indicates frequency and percentages. P value indicates significance levels for group differences.