Gun Sales On the Rise - Valley News Live - KVLY/KXJB - Fargo/Grand Forks

Trying to get a gun just got harder. Gun shops in the valley are running into problems as people across the nation rush to get weapons. As of Tuesday at 6pm everyone is using the same national criminal background check system and now it's too backed up to process. Valley News Live talked with the owner of a gun store in Wahpeton today to find out what he's been hearing from customers.

At Lock Stock and Barrel Guns in Wahpeton, National Guard veteran Glenn Manor knows many factors play into why they've been so busy lately.

Manor explains; "people want to get ahead of the curve, they want to buy the things they've been thinking about or wanting to get but just haven't had the impotence to purchase those items. So they're going out in droves now to buy them because they're worried they won't be able to in the future."

Some of the concerns Manor hears from customers who want to buy a gun today include everything from nuclear threats, terrorism, and legislation that would limit what they can get. And of course after deadly attacks that expose all of our vulnerabilities, he see's an up tick in business too.

"The cinema shooting in Colorado we had a lot of people coming in looking for concealable holsters, concealable handguns, because people are refusing to be victims." Says Manor.

One of the most popular items they sell here are hand guns. More and more people are picking them up because of North Dakota's conceal and carry law. The surprising part Manor says is the demographic that's picking them up, are women, "more women are feeling their capable of defending themselves. More capable of depending on themselves than relying on somebody else to provide protection."

And it's all about being prepared, that's what Manor says he hears from many folks looking to invest in a firearm. "All it takes is that one time... A lot of people, their mentality is, they refuse to say "if I only had my gun... I could have done x-y-z."

Today the White House press secretary announced that President Obama will support legislation to eliminate high-powered firearms from gun stores. That's likely why the online background checks and phone lines aren't in working order in some parts of the country.