UK: Gun sales surge in US

PJ:  As more and more Americans arm themselves in preparation for the next mass murder, an outsider might wonder how safe travel to the country actually is.   I for one do not relish the thought of anyone open firing into a crowd of innocent people because they legally purchased weapons and thousands of rounds of bullets. The thought of cross-fire from one or more people in the crowd who have decided that they will take-out this murderous and deranged individual does little to calm any fears that I might have. 

The Guardian

Gun sales surge in US following Colorado shooting

American buyers of firearms fear politicians may use the Aurora massacre to push for new ownership restrictions

Firearms sales are surging in the US in the wake of the Colorado massacre as buyers express fears that politicians may use the shootings to seek new restrictions on owning weapons.

In Colorado – the scene of Friday's shooting during the screening of a Batman film that killed 12 and injured dozens of others – gun sales jumped in the three days that followed. The state approved background checks for 2,887 people who wanted to purchase a firearm – 25% more than the average Friday to Sunday period in 2012 and 43% more than the same period the week before.

Dick Rutan, owner of Gunners Den in suburban Arvada, said requests for concealed-weapon training certification were "off the hook". His four-hour course in gun safety, required for certification for a concealed-weapons permit in Colorado, had drawn double the interest since Friday.

Read it at The Guardian:   http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/25/gun-sales-surge-in-us

Related:  America's Love of Guns:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/23/aurora-shooting-gun-control-nra?intcmp=239