Maine Gun Safety Coalition Reacts To Report Of Surge In Gun Sales In Maine
For immediate release, September 17, 2020
For more information contact Geoff Bickford, 207 780 0501, geoff@mainegunesafety.com
Yesterday, September 15, 2020, the Bangor Daily News published an article entitled Pandemic, presidential politics and civil unrest are driving people to buy guns in Maine.
The Maine Gun Safety Coalition has consistently raised concerns about the surge of gun sales across the nation, and here in Maine, that has occurred since the beginning of the Covid 19 crisis. Maine is acutely at risk because:
Massive loopholes in Maine law ensure that many, if not most gun sales in Maine require no background check. Accordingly, while the FBI statistics on Maine gun sales are alarming, there is no way to fully determine how many guns are sold at any given time in the state. In all likelihood, the number is significantly higher than what is reported.
The same glaring loopholes that create an undercount of actual firearm transactions in the state all ensure that those who purchase guns in Maine at a non-retail establishment like a gun show or on line seller need no background check at all. That, in turn, means that a significant number of guns are being sold to, and are now possessed by those who are legally barred from doing so, such as those with previous felony and domestic violence convictions.
Data shows that a significant percentage of new gun sales during the pandemic were to first-time gun buyers. Maine’s antiquated and dangerous gun laws have no licensing requirement, carry permit provisions, or requirement that gun owners take a safety course or show proficiency with a gun. This means there are many more walking around our state with guns they may have absolutely no idea how to use it safely.
School-aged children are now home more than ever, with schools closed, or utilizing hybrid in-person/online teaching schedules. The risk to children finding unsecured firearms in the home, and accidentally/intentionally using them, has never been more present in our state.
For more information, contact:
Geoff Bickford 207-780-0501
geoff@mainegunesafety.com
Listen on Maine Calling
Hear Maine Gun Safety’s Executive Director Geoff Bickford on Maine Calling discussing the surge in gun sales in Maine and across the country.
Maine Gun Safety Coalition’s Executive Director Quoted in Portland Press Herald Column By Bill Nemitz
Maine Gun Safety Coalition Executive Director Geoff Bickford was quoted in the Portland Press Herald in a September 17 column by Bill Nemitz. Geoff spoke to the particularly hazards of the surge in gun sales in Maine, where there is no requirement that a firearm purchaser show any knowledge of how to carry, store, or operate a firearm safely.
You can read the column here.