Either gun manufacturers did a fantastic job on Black Friday promotions, or the American people are quickly waking up to the reality that all is not as peachy as it may seem.

Gun dealers flooded the FBI with background check requests for prospective buyers last Friday, smashing the single-day, all-time high by 32%, according to bureau records.

Deputy Assistant FBI Director Jerry Pender said the checks, required by federal law, surged to 129,166 during the day, far surpassing the previous high of 97,848 on Black Friday of 2008.

The actual number of firearms sold last Friday is likely higher because multiple firearms can be included in a transaction by a single buyer. And the FBI does not track actual gun sales.

…

Dennis Henigan, acting president of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, said he was “skeptical” of the Black Friday gun surge.

“I think there may be no real signifcance at all,”

Source: USA Today via Zero Hedge

“Gun Sales Surge on Black Friday” Video report:

Perhaps Mr. Henigan of the Brady Center is right and the fact that this was the single largest sales day for private gun sales in American history holds no significance.

Or, maybe there is something more to the recent surge in gun sales. Perhaps over a hundred thousand Americans came to the conclusion that rising crime, sustained unemployment, suggestions of apocalyptic meltdown in Europe, and  fear of a potentially catastrophic hyperinflationary depression in the United States are reason enough to have a firearm – just in case.

The preppers were out in droves last week, and they weren’t interested in the latest tablet PC, 3D television or video game system. Instead, they were stocking up on gear and preparing  for the “possible collapse” of society.