Here's Why Gun Sales Could Slow Under President Trump

Gun sellers fear a decline in sales now that Second Amendment supporters will take over the White House and Congress.

Sales have been booming for the past eight years, due in large part to rumors that President Barack Obama was going to pass gun-control legislation. Now that it doesn't look like the Republican-majority government will continue that discussion, some store owners worry the slight decline they've already seen since Election Day will continue, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

Khaled Akkawi, who owns Shoot Straight in Central Florida, told the Sentinel that Obama's anti-gun rhetoric is a large driver of his store's sales. And now, despite it being the holidays, Akkawi said sales are "pretty much flat."

"Obama has been my best salesman for eight years," he said. "Obama was perfect because he talked about restrictions, but never did anything about it."

The good news, however, are experts expect sales to level out in the upcoming year. However, retailers fear that the urgency of stocking up on controversial weapons like the AR-15 will be eliminated under a Trump presidency.

Though gun sales are not publicly reported, the number of background checks for firearm purchases is often used as a metric of sales. Last year, FBI background checks for such purchases reached an all-time high.