PARSONBURG, Md.- Bullets were loaded into the gun, the goggles were in place and his thumb caressed the trigger. Then, at a blink of an eye, the echo of one bullet pierced everyone's ear in a one mile radius.
"It's loud, but the shock of the noise will pass," said David Allen of Allen & Marshall Auctioneers and Appraisers, LLC. in Maryland. In his hands was a semi-automatic rifle. The auction house is selling some of the only AR-15s in the region.
This firearm auction is the largest gun show in the Mid-Atlantic area.
"We have over 1,000 bidders online as well around the country," Allen said.
With a national outcry for gun control, the demand for rifles- like AR-15s- are high. Manufactures can not keep up with gun owners' orders. In fact, a local gun manufacturing company has a waiting list that may take months to fill, according to Allen.
A local hunter and war veteran, who's not against guns, says certain guns shouldn't be sold.
"I don't think they should be selling 'man-killing' rifles," said Joseph Eurke of Salisbury. And he isn't alone. Allen said he received backlash days leading up to the auction.
"We've had a couple of calls from people who were concerned- more or less," Allen said. "They want to make sure no one is purchasing firearms and walking out with them; that's the major concern."
But Allen says they have nothing to fear because the auction house makes sure guns aren't placed in the wrong hands.
"Everyone has to fill out a background check when they buy a firearm."
The background check may take up to a month. The Maryland State Police say they backed up with paperwork for new gun purchases. Allen said he doesn't mind the wait and is happy they aren't letting people slip through the cracks.
"We take every precaution. We run serial numbers on the firearms to make sure the are not stolen and we also do again all of the background checks."
The auction starts at 10 a.m., on Friday, Feb. 1, in Parsonsburg, Md., at the Allen & Marshall auction house.
(Photo: WBOC)
