Americans Against Gun Violence president, Dr. Bill Durston, was quoted in an article on the front page of the Sacramento Bee on July 24, 2017 concerning the decline in long gun sales in California after Donald Trump became President. Dr. Durston noted that grandfather clauses that are typically included in US gun control laws, allowing people who already have the types of guns in question to keep them if they obtained them before a ban goes into place,  lead to surges in gun sales when potential buyers fear that a new gun ban is imminent, as after a mass shooting or when it appears that a candidate who supports gun control will be elected.

AR-15 rifle

Sales of AR-15  style assault rifles surged after the Pulse nightclub massacre and when it appeared that Hillary Clinton would be elected president, but they’ve declined since Trump assumed office. Sales of handguns, though, have continued to rise. With more than 300 million guns already in circulation in the United States, and with handguns accounting for most firearm related deaths in our country, Dr. Durston noted that a decline in new sales of long guns without a reduction in the total number of guns in circulation would not be expected to lead to a significant reduction in rates of gun violence.