Illinois gun sales soar, up 39 percent in November

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- Gun advocates say gun sales in Illinois soared in November in part because people fear President-elect Barack Obama will take them away.

The Illinois State Police conducted more than 24,000 background checks for gun purchases last month. That's up almost 39 percent from the same month the previous year.

Illinois State Rifle Association head Richard Pearson says semiautomatic rifles and pistols are selling fast because people fear a Democratic president and Congress will reinstate a ban on such weapons.

Steve Swartz of Capitol City Arms Supply in Springfield says his business was double what he expected in November.

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On the Net: Illinois State Rifle Association: http://www.isra.org/