If you've had any involvement with a gun store in the last few weeks, whether you were shopping online for ammo or buying something at a physical storefront, you've certainly noticed that things are rather hectic at the moment. Concerns related to the coronavirus, a.k.a. COVID-19, have led people throughout the United States to stock up on supplies — that includes guns and ammunition. There has also been a wave of first-time buyers seeking tools to defend themselves and their families during these uncertain times. The resulting situation led the RECOIL team to gather a panel of four experts to discuss how COVID-19 is affecting the gun industry.

The gun industry panel was hosted by RECOIL editor Iain Harrison, and consisted of the following four guests:

• Tom Taylor: CMO & EVP Sales, SIG SAUER
• Dan Brokos: Tactical Instructor & Owner, Lead Faucet Tactical
• Ryan Repp: Director of Content and Communications, Brownells, Inc.
• Jason Hornady: Vice President, Hornady

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Topics of discussion included sales trends, product availability, and carry gun recommendations for new owners. Jason Hornady likened the overall situation to “locusts hitting a cornfield,” and said that despite having seen similar rushes throughout his career, purchases as a result of the COVID-19 situation grew at an especially surprising rate. Taylor said that SIG sold more ammo in the month of March than it did in all of 2019. It's hard to predict when things will get back to normal at gun stores, but it may not be any time soon.

Check out the full video stream using the RECOILtv player above. More OFFGRID and RECOIL Live videos are in the works, so stay tuned here and on RECOILweb for future panel discussions and Q&A sessions.

Written by Patrick McCarthy