Record gun sales this Black Friday

While Black Friday shopping was down this year, gun sales were at an all-time high.

In order to purchase a gun customers have to pass a background check.

Last Friday the FBI did 175,000 background checks.

That is 30,000 more than last year.

ABC 17 News checked in with local gun shops to see if that was the case in Mid-Missouri, and it was.

“It was probably one of the better Black Fridays we had. We have offered good sales in the past, but it was a good day. The weather was good, people were out, so we did have a good crowd come in,” said Barry McKenzie, with Target Master’s.

McKenzie said he is blaming the economy and good weather on the rise in sales, not necessarily what is happening in Ferguson right now.

“I think in Missouri, in the St. Louis metro area it is having an impact. But I don’t think it’s having a lot of impact in gun sales here per se, but it has had an impact on training,” said Mckenzie.

In Missouri, in order to have a conceal and carry permit you have to pass a class.

“We’ve had several people that come to the Columbia area almost on a daily basis who live in the St. Louis area have stopped by and do training on the range and sharpened their skills on training. We’ve seen a lot of that since the Ferguson incident,” said Mckenzie.

ABC 17 News checked in with the Boone County Sheriff’s Department to see if the number of permits are going up with gun sales.

Right now that does not seem to be the case.

There were 52 more permits given out in October than November.