LIHUE — Bronson Bautista, owner at PD Designs & Armory, said the discussion about new gun restrictions proposed by President Barack Obama has already led to higher gun sales. “Just today I had two guys come into my store to
LIHUE — Bronson Bautista, owner at PD Designs & Armory, said the discussion about new gun restrictions proposed by President Barack Obama has already led to higher gun sales.
“Just today I had two guys come into my store to buy AR-15s,” Bautista said.
He later tried to reorder the same type of gun from his supplier, but it was out of stock.
“Sales are going through the roof,” he said. “They don’t even know what’s going on. If they are banning these types of rifles, they will buy them.”
Bautista said three other men walked into his gun shop looking to buy pistols.
“I think there is a sense of fear for losing a right,” he said.
Under current law, only federally licensed gun dealers must conduct background checks on buyers, but many who sell guns at flea markets, on websites or in other informal settings don’t register as dealers, according to the Associated Press.
Bautista believes any new legislation will have little effect on Hawaii. It takes two weeks, sometimes longer, to get a gun permit after one submits an application to Kauai police.
Owning a gun in Hawaii is not easy, he said.
“It’s at the police chief’s discretion,” Bautista said.
He suggested the media should portray firearms in a positive way.
