The firearms industry is no exception to the Black Friday shopping madness, and with the number of NICS checks rising over the past few months (which is a pretty good sign of increased gun sales), gun store owners say this year’s Black Friday could be one of the biggest ever in terms of sales.

“We’re stoked. We’re ready,” said Monte Dabbs, Dabbs Gun and Pawn store.

Dabbs has high expectations for sales at his Southaven [Mississippi] gun store this Friday.

“We’re expecting it to be big. We’re gearing up. We got extra people here,” said Dabbs.

Monte Dabbs is far from alone. On Florida gun store owner told WINK-TV that he’s expecting a big day as well.

Joe Dezendorf, the manager of Fowler Firearms and Gun Range, said the business is preparing for plenty of customer traffic in his store on Black Friday.

“As far as gun sales,” Dezendorf said, “those will always pick up because of the holidays.”

Dezendorf is right that this is traditionally the busiest time of year for firearms retailers, but this year looks to be busier than most. The number of NICS checks performed each month this year has never dropped below 2-million for the first time in history, and strong holiday numbers could lead to a record setting year for the industry.

With the holiday shopping season approaching, the number of background checks for 2019 could break the one-year record of 27.5 million, according to bureau records.

Analysts said the numbers suggest the industry may beemerging from the “Trump slump” that followed the election of the pro-gun president.

Black Friday has traditionally been one of the busiest days for gun dealers – and for FBI employees who determine whether prospective buyers should be prohibited from purchasing firearms. Two years ago, the FBI was flooded with a record 203,086 background check requests the day after Thanksgiving, a single-day record.

Will we break that record this year? It’s quite possible. I know that in Virginia, where I live, gun stores have been dealing with Black Friday-level demand from customers for nearly a month now. Ever since Virginia’s elections, when anti-gun lawmakers took control of the state legislature, sales have been surging, and I imagine it will only get crazier on Black Friday itself. My local gun store owner in the sleepy town of Farmville says that he’s sold more AR-15’s this month than he sold from January to October, and he’s sold more suppressors since the election than in the previous five years.

Some of the increase in gun sales in recent months is definitely because of growing concern over the anti-gun agenda from Democrats running for president, as well as the push for gun control in states across the country. Let’s hope these increased sales lead to increased activism as well. I’ll never begrudge anyone’s good deal on a good gun, but gun sales alone won’t protect our rights. In fact, there’s a good chance that a lot of the firearms purchased on Black Friday in 2019 will be banned if anti-gun activists get their way in 2020. If you’re heading out to find a Black Friday bargain, good luck to you, but don’t let your activism end there.