Gun, ammo sales remain strong in Colorado Springs during COVID-19 pandemic

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Fears of a breakdown in society due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and now the upcoming transition to a new presidential administration, continue to fuel strong demand for and short supply of firearms and ammunition.

Mel Bernstein, owner of Dragonman's gun range, paintball range, firearms sales and museum, said it's the industry's most successful period in his 40 years living here.

As further proof of the strong industry sales, Bernstein said he is manufacturing an AR-15 rifle that has generated more than 200 orders, with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office being among his customers.

"They're called Dragon Fire rifles," he said. "I can't keep up with the demand. I've been shipping them all over the U.S. I make them semiautomatic and fully automatic."

Bernstein said that he is the only gun manufacturer in Colorado, and has a Class 7 license allowing him to specialize in automatic and semiautomatic weapons.

"My AR-15 has the heaviest and thickest barrel on the market," he said. "The heavier the barrel, the more accurate the bullet is. It has a custom-made flash suppressor. No other AR-15 has this. It makes the rifle easier and faster to shoot."

Bernstein has future plans to manufacture at least two other rifle models.

"This week, we finally got some gun and ammunition orders in, some that we haven't seen for a while," he said.

But he still had many empty boxes, too. That's what gun owner Tyrone Hunter has consistently found in his search for ammunition.

"I've looked five or six times since the pandemic began and have come up empty," he said.

Tammy Spellman, owner of Springs Armory in Colorado Springs, said there has been little to no slowdown in the surge of sales.

"We had about a week when it slowed down," she said. "But that ended when the riots and protests after the death of George Floyd started. People wanted more protection."

Spellman said that the time for background checks for gun customers has increased from a few hours to a few days. Around 5,000 Coloradans were waiting for checks to be completed as of Friday.

"I keep asking myself how much longer can this last and I don't know," she said. "But it's a nice problem to have, with so many businesses struggling."

Some gun owners said the scarcity of ammunition has doubled or tripled its price.