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NAPLES, Fla. — Attribute it to the economy, the political landscape or a combination of both. While Floridians are scaling back their wish lists in response to present uncertainty, they’re not skimping on one product: Floridians are buying more guns.

PIERRE, S.D. — Have gun, will travel -- even if the economy's shot.

Sales by firearm and ammunition manufacturers were up 5.1 percent in the second quarter of 2008, led by a 14.2 percent increase in ammunition sales and a 9 percent rise in handgun sales, according to the firearm industry's best economic indicator.

For the third quarter of 2008, the Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. reported net sales of $41.8 million and earnings per share of $0.02, compared with sales of $31.9 million and a loss per share of $(0.03) in the third quarter of 2007.

According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Section will be extending its hours of operation on the day after Thanksgiving. The NICS Section will be available on Nov. 28 at 6 a.m. EST. The NICS Section will return to its regular hours on Nov. 29.

NEW YORK — Mets sluggers David Wright and Carlos Delgado are two of the city's newest young guns - both were granted pistol permits over the last year, according to a New York Post story.

DENVER — John Faulkner and his wife, Brenda, thought Wednesday was a good day to buy a handgun. 'I'm 37 years old, and this is the first time in my life that I am really scared for our future,' said Faulkner, an oil field worker, as he perused the collection of weaponry in A Pawn Shop.

SALT LAKE CITY -- The Salt Lake Tribune reports, 'As polls and pundits in recent weeks increasingly pointed to the election of Barack Obama as the next president, scores of Utahns flocked to gun stores.'

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 -- The following is from an Op-Ed article by Chris W. Cox, executive director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, that was published in The Washington Times:In speech after speech, Barack Obama has claimed he would 'uphold the Second Amendment.' Mr. Obama, of course, is a polished speaker who says 'words matter.' But records matter more. And while Mr. Obama is short on experience on most issues, he's long on anti-gun votes and even longer on rhetoric. ...

MINNEAPOLIS — Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) has received a total of $88.5 million in new medium-caliber gun and ammunition orders. These orders are in addition to the previously announced $53 million contract to produce Mk19 Mod-3 Grenade Machine Guns. The orders were received from a variety of domestic and international customers.

Here's a brief synopsis of what the president-elect's www.Change.gov website says the Obama/Biden transition team is working on:

FORT WORTH — From an Associated Press story on Nov. 6:While watching Republican presidential candidate John McCain's concession speech, gun owner AJ Sullivan had a sinking feeling.