Eastside gun dealer scrambling to replenish sold-out inventory

Seacoast Gun and Pawn in the Shoreyville Plaza has seen a huge uptick in gun sales. (Courtesy photo)

EAST ROCHESTER - Last week Seacoast Gun and Pawn did something they hadn't done in almost 15 years.

They sold out nearly every firearm and ammunition pack.

Every shotgun, every handgun, every black gun (AK-47 style). And pretty much all their ammo.

"The only thing we had left was a few rifles," store owner Jeff Walters said today.

Walters said the rush began on March 17, a few days after President Trump and Governor Sununu both declared states of emergency.

"We had a huge rush on shotguns, 60 percent of the sales were for shotguns," Walters said.

He surmised the run on shotguns was in reaction to folks thinking they were going to be put on lockdown and wanted to have something to protect themselves with. You also don't have to be a good shot to protect yourself, he added.

He said women made up about 30 percent of total guns sales during the run - buying mostly handguns - that left his shelves pretty much bare by the end of last week.

Deliveries have brought his supply of firearms back a bit, but he said sales continue to be brisk.

"I got a truck out there now and got to go see what's coming in," he said.

He added with all the uncertainty going on with the COVID-19 pandemic, no one's pawning their guns, either, though he thinks that may change once those who lost their jobs start having to live on unemployment checks.