![Are Gun Shops ‘Essential’ Businesses During a Pandemic?](http://townsquare.media/site/36/files/2013/10/158759487-1.jpg?w=980&q=75)
Are Gun Shops ‘Essential’ Businesses During a Pandemic?
There's no consensus in the U.S. on whether gun shops are considered essential businesses that can remain open during stay-at-home orders meant to slow the coronavirus.
Some gun rights advocates are concerned about an erosion of Second Amendment rights just as Americans are buying firearms in record numbers to try to protect their families.
Even some gun control advocates worry that closing down licensed gun dealers would send people online or to private sales that don't require background checks.
But they also say keeping shops open could mean more first-time buyers who lack training on how to safely handle a gun.
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