CHARLOTTE, N.C. - It has been a busy month for gun shop owners across the country, including right here in the Queen City.

What You Need To Know

  • Small Gun Analytics reports that 2020 has seen the highest number of guns sales in their 20 years of record keeping

  • The report says in the month of June there was 145 percent year-over-year increase

  • A Charlotte gun shop owner says sales surged at the start of the coronavirus and after the death of George Floyd


Hyatt Gun Shop owner Larry Hyatt says some days it’s hard to keep up.

"I think it was the most guns sold in history, since we started selling guns," Hyatt says.

He said June and July are usually his slow months, but so far this summer, sales have double compared to last year. He said most of the sales are handguns.

“It’s self-defense,” Hyatt says. “It’s not hunting or targeting shooting. It’s protecting my family and my business.”

It's why Christine Jones came to the store, looking to purchase her second handgun.

“I have never been here,” Jones says. “My husband brought me here and I didn’t think it was going to be this busy.”

To purchase a handgun in North Carolina, a resident has to apply for a permit and fill out necessary paperwork. Hyatt says proper storage and safety is essential.

“Get some safety boxes to lock it up in so it can't easily be stolen and the kids can’t get to it,” Hyatt says.

To learn more about handgun purchase permit requirements and how to proper store a firearm click here.