Enthusiasts buy up firearms at gun show in Monroeville

Todd Hillman started buying guns about 20 years ago for self-defense.

For many of those years, firearms provided a sense of safety for Hillman, 51, of Wexford. But over the past two years, political tensions and rising crime have caused him to feel less secure.

“Crime rates are up, and it’s a reminder that we have to take self-defense seriously,” Mr. Hillman said Saturday at the Pittsburgh Gun Show at the Monroeville Convention Center.

If numbers are anything to go by, Mr. Hillman is not alone in his concern: The pandemic and other stressors have led to record-setting gun sales over the past two years, with more firearms sold in 2020 than during any other year on record.

It’s also not uncommon for gun sales to spike under a Democratic administration, some show attendees said, and many tables selling merchandise at the show featured T-shirts, drinking glasses and other wares disparaging President Joe Biden with profanities.

In addition, the firearms industry has been hit by the supply-chain issues facing many businesses, prompting gun owners to buy up ammunition that already had been in short supply nationwide, said Christian Burton, manager of gun show organizer Showmasters.

Mr. Burton also said he’s seen more first-time gun buyers in recent months.

“I think a lot of people are getting scared with the pandemic going on, government restrictions — not liking that, and just feeling the need to protect their houses and their families,” Mr. Burton said.

But many people at the event were longtime collectors. Ryan Smith, 27, and his 30-year-old brother, Adam, both from the North Hills, have been collecting since each turned 18.

“You can collect anything,” Adam Smith said. “People collect stamps. It’s just whatever piques your interest. The versatility and the difference between different firearms — from handguns to rifles to shotguns — each one’s got its own separate purpose, and that’s unique in its own way.”

Guns and hunting also present a way for some people to connect more deeply with nature. William James, 28, of Ross, said he bought a gun as soon as he turned 18 after growing up hunting with his grandfather.

“Everybody goes on about farm-to-table this, farm-to-table that,” Mr. James said. “There’s nothing fresher than harvesting your own game. God put it on the planet for you.”

His primary purpose is hunting for food, Mr. James said, not for trophies. Butchering and prep a r i n g meat himself makes him feel closer to the experience than if he were to buy a steak in a store.

“You’re there from the time its life is taken to the time that you’re finished butchering it,” he said. “It’s yours, you put everything into that to enjoy it even more.”

“Some people just love the thrill of shooting guns, honestly,” Mr. Burton said. But he emphasized that they are deadly weapons, not toys.

“What it can do should always be treated with respect,” he said.

Saturday brought about 2,500 people to visit the more than 100 vendors set up at the Monroeville Convention Center. Those numbers were up significantly from last year due to fewer COVID-19 restrictions in 2022, Mr. Burton said.

The show continues from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

“I think a lot of people are getting scared with the pandemic going on, government restrictions — not liking that, and just feeling the need to protect their houses and their families.” Christian Burton, manager of gun show organizer Showmasters