PRESTON — Long before the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Connecticut, where a 20 year old killed 20 children and six adults, firearm sales and concealed weapons permits Franklin County were climbing. Guns are getting hard to find and finding ammunition or ammunition-making supplies is even harder. The .223 round used in the AR-15 assault rifles is no longer on the shelf for easy picking. The rounds are hardest to find anywhere according to local gun dealers.

    Michael Sparks of Michael Sparks Place at 210 S. State St., buys and sells guns and ammunition. He said his business doubled when Obama was elected and then doubled again when he was re-elected. After the shootings at Sandy Hook all of his AR-15 assault rifles were purchased, then his handguns started to sell. Now sales have plummeted because he has a hard time finding guns and ammunition.

    “We’ve majority of people buying handguns wanting to defend themselves. I have had as many as 40 handguns now I’m down to about 15,” he said.

    He said Black Hills Shooters Supply Company, one of the largest wholesale reloading component distributors in the country, has a nine-month waiting list on powder and primers.

    A primer is one of four components on a centerfire cartridge. The other components are the case, powder charge and bullet.

    Cases can be reused, but primers and powder charges cannot. And the material that needs to be bought new is in short supply. In the last month alone, Sparks has sold 50,000 primers. “I’m a little store,” he said.

    Larry Biggs, another well-known gun shop owner in Preston, special orders firearms for people. He does not have a store front or keep guns where they can be stolen.

    He said his sales on AR-15 assault rifles have been very good lately.

    “There are 24 federal firearms licensed dealers in Preston. It is hard to sell guns around here when people can buy them direct from their friends,” Biggs said.

    Biggs said the reason everyone is running out and buying firearms is the president of the United States wants a national registry.

    “If you look back in history, that’s what Mussolini and Hitler did. With one stroke of the pen Obama can make felons out a lot of good citizens. Obama is the best gun salesman we have,” he said.

    The Barn on Hwy 33 just started selling guns in December. Damon Hull, one of the employees, said it didn’t take them long to figure out what was going on. They had two AK-47 assault rifles and some shotguns that went quick. They also sold some 9 mm and 380 bodyguard handguns.

    Joe Hardy, The Barn owner, said things are pretty crazy. He said they tried to order more from their suppliers, but they are out of supplies.

    “It’s pretty crazy! One of our suppliers we get semi-automatic rifles from has over 450 makes and models. They only have 13 in stock. The vendor we get our pistols from has over 900 models of semi-automatic pistols. There are only 40 different models in stock. Nobody can trust Obama and it’s got the industry chaotic,” Hardy said.