Alabama appears to have led the national run on guns last month.
It’s not that Alabamians purchased the most. But Alabama saw the nation’s largest spike in applications for firearm background checks, a sudden rise of 145 percent, between the months of October and December.
Federal background checks spiked in every single state following the presidential election and the shooting in Newtown, according to FBI data on background checks. Background checks normally rise before Christmas. But as 2012 ended with debate over gun control, the rise wentwell beyond the normal uptick for holiday shopping.
And the increased interest wasn’t limited to the South.






