Lots of people are getting guns for Christmas

Gun in wrapping paper.
(Image credit: iStock)

The 2015 holiday season has already been a big one for gun sales, with firearm background checks reaching an all-time high on Black Friday. According to many gun store owners, the torrent of sales hasn't let up, either. Speaking with Today in Smyrna, Georgia, Adventure Outdoors manager Eric Wallace said he's seen gun sales nearly double since this time last year.

"Every day since the Paris attacks, we've had a lot of customers coming in. Buying first guns, buying guns to protect their homes, their families, and themselves," Wallace said.

"It is a significant gift of love, to arm the people that you love with the tools and training to protect themselves," the owner of Well-Armed Women, Carrie Lightfoot, told Today. One customer, Louis Cole, agreed, saying, "Like any good husband, I asked [my wife] for the list of Christmas items that [she'd] like to have and one of the items was a firearm. Above jewelry was a firearm."

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Gifting guns is allowed under federal law and in many states, the recipient is not required to get a background check.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.