California Gun Sales: More Californians Buying Guns Than Ever

In the wake of the Aurora shooting, it may come as a surprise that Californians are buying more guns than ever.

Legal gun sales are set to break the state record this year, reports the Sacramento Bee.

Despite the fact that California has some of the strictest gun control laws in the nation, the US Department of Justice predicts that Californians will purchase 725,000 rifles, pistols and shotguns in 2012, which is nearly twice the number they purchased five years ago -- when 370,628 were bought, says the SF Gate.

Sales in firearms have increased consistently in the past decade, despite drops in statistics regarding crime and economic problems, reports CBS.

Apparently, it's hard to pinpoint the reason for the surge in sales, since California state law doesn't require the tracking of reasons for gun purchases, according to the Sacramento Bee.

However, California gun laws do require the registration of handguns, and will also mandate record-keeping on rifles and shotguns sold in the state beginning in 2014, reports Voice of America. The state bans the sale of high-capacity ammunition clips and military-style assault rifles to the public. We also have a 10-day waiting period for the purchase of firearms. Furthermore, while some states do not restrict online firearms and ammunition sales, California requires that all purchases must be made through a registered dealer.

In addition to the surge in California sales, Colorado, Florida, Washington, Oregon, and Georgia have also reported increases in gun purchases since the Aurora shooting, Reporter News tells us.