RICHMOND, Va. – Gun dealers in Virginia say sales soared in December due to growing fears of increased firearms restrictions backed by Democrats who control the state government.

Estimated firearm sales totaled 73,849 last month, a 47% increase over December 2018,the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported, citing mandatory criminal background checks on Virginia gun buyers.

A review of data that goes back to 1990 shows that tally is second only to December 2012, when when 75,120 transactions were recorded. Several gun dealers told the newspaper many of the customers are first-time buyers. Others said customers are purchasing guns and accessories they believe will be banned.

As thousands rallied against gun control proposals at the Virginia General Assembly, the most recent statewide poll shows overwhelming voter support for universal background checks (86%-13%) and a red-flag law (73%-23%), with a slight majority in favor of a ban on assault-style weapons (54%-44%).  The poll of registered voters was released Dec. 16 by the Wason Center for Public Policy at Christopher Newport University.

“Gun control opponents had a very strong turnout for Monday’s rally, but the majority of voters want the General Assembly to pass some gun restrictions,” Wason Center Director Quentin Kidd said. “And it’s not just urban and suburban voters. You don’t get those overwhelming majorities without support in rural Virginia, too.”

These results are part of the Wason Center’s annual State of the Commonwealth voter survey on issues before the Virginia legislature. The margin of error for the survey is +/- 3.4 %.