Sales of semi-automatic weapons soaring in region

Talk about it

DULUTH - Semi-automatic rifles are flying off the shelves in the Duluth-Superior region, as talk grows again about a possible nationwide ban on assault weapons.

Pat Kukull, the owner of Superior Shooters’ Supply, said she doesn’t like the phrase “panic buying” – but there’s no other way to describe it. Kukull said she’s been in the gun business for 35 years and quote, “I’ve never seen anything like this.” She said her store is sold out of semi-automatics – and other guns have also been selling well.

President Obama supports re-instating a federal assault weapon ban that was taken off the books in 2004 after 10 years of being in effect. And he promises to outline his gun control plans next month, in the wake of the December 14th school massacre in Newtown Connecticut. Gun store owner Scott Van Valkenburg of Duluth told the Duluth News-Tribune quote, “Every time Obama opens his mouth, I sell more” of the assault rifles. He said they normally make up for about five-percent of his business – but last week, they made up about half his gun sales.

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