Must Be an Election Year: Bullets Are Flying Off the Shelves

When Barack Obama was elected president and the Democrats regained control of Congress four years ago, a boom time for gun sales soon followed. A record number of background checks were conducted during the election month of November 2008, and retailers reported sharp increases in firearm sales (up 39% in early 2009). The spikes came at least partly the result of fears that new government leadership would soon make it more difficult to buy guns, via tougher gun control legislation. Another election is approaching and it’s no coincidence that 2012 is shaping up to be a huge year for sales of bullets and guns. President Obama is even being referred to as “salesman of the year” among gun industry insiders. He may have competition for that title, though, in the form of … zombies?

Few firms welcome the reelection of Barack Obama quite as much, and for quite as odd a reason, as Olin Corp., a company based in Clayton, Missouri, that manufacturers bullets for Winchester rifles and handguns. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Olin’s ammunition sales have risen strongly during the first quarter of 2012, increasing 8% overall and 13% among civilians. During an April conference call with analysts, Olin’s CEO said the increase in sales “may be related to the election.”

The comments of analysts suggest that the forthcoming election have a more definite impact on rising sales. Bloomberg quoted the report on Olin by Susquehanna Financial Group’s Don Carson, which states:

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