WINDBER — President-elect Barack Obama already has shown he’ll be good for business.

Gun dealers in Greater Johnstown say that ammo and guns – particularly assault-style firearms – have been flying off the shelves.

Collectors and hunters fear Obama will sign off on higher taxes or outright bans on certain weapons when he becomes president.

Larry Moschgat, owner of L&L; Hunting Supplies in Windber, has seen a spike in sales of assault weapons.

“I’ve probably had three AR-15s all year,” he said. “In the past two weeks, I’ve had 20 requests.

“Manufacturers have been cranking them out. M18s, AR-15s. They’re buying AKs as fast as they come out.”

Moschgat deals with 15 different wholesalers.

“They’re all sold out,” he said.

They tell him they’re operating on a backlog of a year to 18 months.

What was on the shelves when Obama was elected is long gone.

That’s backed up by gun maker DPMS, which bills itself as the second-largest manufacturer of AR-15 rifles.

Its Web site contains this disclaimer: “Regrettably, DPMS is no longer able to offer a definitive delivery time on any rifle. All orders are being processed chronologically as supply permits. All products should be considered as out-of-stock when ordering. We thank you for your understanding and patience.”

Paul Hornick, assistant store manager at Gander Mountain in Richland Township, said gun buyers “are just saying they’re afraid they won’t be able to buy them anymore. They are not complaining. They almost seem that they’re resigned to it.”

He said a federal ban on assault rifles expired under the presidency of George W. Bush and that Bush didn’t renew it.

“Those types of guns have been selling very well. It will be spotty availability from here on out,” Hornick said.

Obama has said he favors “common sense’’ gun regulation while respecting the Second Amendment. According to The Associated Press, as a U.S. senator, Obama voted to keep gunmakers and dealers liable to lawsuits. And, while in the Illinois Senate, he backed a ban on semiautomatic weapons and tighter curbs on all guns, the AP said.

Access to permits for concealed weapons also concerns gun aficionados.

Somerset County Sheriff John Mankey has seen a modest increase in the number of concealment permits issued.

In October, for instance, he issued 110 permits versus 90 in October 2006. With a few days remaining, the number of permits issued through noon Tuesday – 69 – matched the number for all of November 2006.

And the AP, quoting FBI sources, reports a 15 percent increase in background checks for gun purchases in October from October 2007, a rise of 108,000.

Business is good at Sporting Good Discounter on Scalp Avenue.

“Sales are up 50 percent over the same time period last year,” said Manager Doug Meyers. “We’re extremely busy. People are buying ammunition by the cases.”

He said he sold a couple dozen AK-47s in the past month. “In the past month, I’ve had a big rush on the tactical style,” he said.

Meyers is opinionated when it comes to gun regulation, and singled out the now-expired ban on assault weapons.

“Crime didn’t go down when the weapons were banned,” he said.

And, according to the sales books, assault weapons remain as popular as ever.







More Pennsylvanians are having background checks done so they can buy firearms, reflecting concerns that President-elect Barack Obama will clamp down on certain weapons and/or increase taxes. A look at state police stats for 2007:



• Background checks initiated: 581,625.

• Total approvals, including researched calls: 550,027, 94.6 percent.

• Licensed dealers by county: Cambria, 38; Somerset, 32; Bedford, 22; Blair, 40; Clearfield, 23; Fayette, 42; Indiana, 51; Westmoreland, 115.

• License to carry, sportsman’s firearm permits: Cambria, 4,316, 50; Somerset, 1,786, 72; Bedford, 1,133, 51; Blair, 2,879, 32; Clearfield, 2,210, 73; Fayette, 2,286, 68; Indiana, 2,796, 103; Westmoreland, 8,695, 258.