DENVER — Gun purchases in Colorado have apparently surged this month amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation reported receiving 25,468 background checks for firearms in the last week, compared to about 7,700 during that same period last year. That's a 227% uptick from normal. The week before last, the CBI received 14,604 background checks, compared to 7,357 during that time in 2019.
The average turnaround time for each background check is about four days, according to the CBI. While that might exceed federal regulations of three business days for a background check turnaround, the CBI is strongly encouraging sellers to hold guns until background checks are completed.
Before the coronavirus outbreak, turnaround times through the CBI's InstaCheck background check system were less than eight minutes.
