USCCA Emphasizes Training and Responsible Gun Ownership

USCCA President Tim Schmidt Discusses Rise in Gun Sales Around COVID-19 Pandemic On Fox News This Week

As anxiety has grown around the COVID-19 pandemic in recent days, news reports from across the country have detailed how more and more Americans are embracing their right to self-defense and choosing to be their families’ ultimate protectors. Ammo.com reports, for example, that revenue from sales on its website increased 309 percent from Feb. 23 through March 15, compared to a month before.

USCCA President Says Get Training

The U.S. Concealed Carry Association provides self-defense education, training and legal protection to more than 350,000 responsible gun owners across the country. The USCCA is the largest and fastest-growing association whose sole focus is the responsibly armed American.

In case you missed it, USCCA President and Founder Tim Schmidt was a guest on Fox News with Tucker Carlson this week, noting, “Now more than ever, people understand they need to be their families’ first line[s] of defense.”

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Schmidt noted that gun ownership and self-defense come with great responsibility, encouraging all Americans — particularly first-time firearms owners — to educate and train themselves in this critical area: “I applaud all of these brand-new people [who] are buying guns. […] So many — 90 percent — of these … people buying guns have never owned guns before. They’ve probably never even touched a gun,” he said.

Schmidt continued, “Now, don’t get me wrong, Tucker. I personally think that firearms ownership is a natural-born right of free people. But with that right comes a tremendous responsibility, and that responsibility is to be trained. […] If you’re watching this and you just bought a gun for self-defense, get training. […] It will help you be a better defender, which we all know you’re going to have to be.”

Providing education and training to responsible gun owners is critical to our mission at the USCCA. We are proud and encouraged that thousands of Americans are taking the first step toward being the ultimate protectors for themselves and their families. We at the USCCA believe that government at ALL levels should be supporting and protecting all Americans’ right to self-defense, and we will continue on our quest to help all Americans become the best protectors they can be.

Additional Examples

• The New York Times
  Daniel Hill had never bought a gun before. But last week he was in Larry Hyatt’s gun store in North Carolina picking out two of them: a 9mm Taurus handgun and an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle. His motivation: the coronavirus.

• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
  At gun shops, cash registers rang more like Christmas Eve than St. Patrick’s Day as firearms and ammunition sales soared through the roof Tuesday. Shop owners and managers cited customers’ concerns about home defense related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The Arizona Republic
  People in the U.S. are preparing for total anarchy amidst the growing COVID-19 concerns. Fear and panic are driving the gun-buying frenzy. Whatever the reason, gun sales are up everywhere — but particularly in states like California, New York and Washington that have been hit hardest by coronavirus, according to The Los Angeles Times.

• The Denver Post
  Some shops are selling twice as many firearms as on Black Friday while Colorado residents grapple with the novel coronavirus pandemic, disruptions to daily life and an uncertain future.

The USCCA has been hearing from many members as well as those interested in joining the USCCA family who are justifiably concerned with the current situation. We are proud to represent more than 325,000 Americans nationwide and work hard to provide education, training and legal protection for responsible gun owners.

For more information or to schedule an interview with USCCA President Tim Schmidt please also contact [email protected]