BusinessBusinessar-15 gun sales

Americans Ecstatic To Get Guns For Christmas, Rejoice On Twitter

Americans Ecstatic To Get Guns For Christmas
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Forget the turtle doves. This year, many Americans were ecstatic to find guns under the Christmas tree.

The AR-15 style weapon, which was used in this month's Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Conn., was a popular gift among many Americans who turned to social media to share their excitement:

Gun sales surged in the wake of the Newtown shooting. But even before the violent tragedy, Americans turned out in droves to gift guns this holiday season. On Black Friday, the FBI fielded a record number of background check requests for gun buyers.

In the week before Christmas, Brownells, the world's largest supplier of firearm accessories and supplies, was overwhelmed by "unprecedented" demand for AR-15 ammunition magazines, selling about 3.5 years worth of magazines in just 72 hours. Walmart sold out of semi-automatic rifles in five states as well.

Here's what people were saying about getting AR-15s on Christmas:

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Before You Go

12 Items Walmart Finds More Dangerous Than Guns
Pregnant Barbie(01 of12)
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Barbie's pregnant friend Midge was pulled from Walmart shelves after customers complained. This item is still banned from Walmart stores. (credit:Amazon.com)
Prince's Album(02 of12)
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Walmart banned Prince's 1988 album Lovesexy because of the album's cover. This CD is currently not sold in Walmart stores. (credit:Amazon.com)
The Morning After Pill(03 of12)
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Walmart refused to sell the morning-after pill between the years 1999 and 2006, until a lawsuit forced them to sell the drug, and it is sold in Walmart stores today. (credit:Amazon.com)
America: The Book(04 of12)
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Walmart said The Daily Show's book was banned because of its photoshopped naked pictures of Supreme Court Justices. The book is currently not sold in Walmart stores. (credit:Amazon.com)
Al Snow Action Figure(05 of12)
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This action figure was banned after two professors at Georgia’s Kennesaw State University complained that the mannequin head the character and action figure carry around promotes violence against women. This item is not currently sold at Walmart. (credit:Amazon.com)
Marilyn Manson(06 of12)
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All of Marilyn Manson's music and DVDs are banned from Walmart. Marilyn Manson's music is still banned from Walmart stores today. (credit:Shutterstock)
Racy Men's Magazines(07 of12)
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Walmart does not carry what it calls "lad mags" or racy men's magazines like FHM, Maxim, and Stuff. This ban is still in effect today. (credit:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/" role="link" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="Flickr" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5bb2e1d0e4b0480ca65def2f" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://www.flickr.com/" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="11" data-vars-position-in-unit="15">Flickr</a>:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/82365211@N00/2156911399" role="link" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="kalleboo" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5bb2e1d0e4b0480ca65def2f" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://www.flickr.com/photos/82365211@N00/2156911399" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="12" data-vars-position-in-unit="16">kalleboo</a>)
Sheryl Crow's Debut Album(08 of12)
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Walmart banned this album because one song on the CD contained the following lyrics: "Watch out sister/Watch out brother/Watch our children as they kill each other/with a gun they bought at the Walmart discount stores." This CD is not currently sold in Walmart stores. (credit:Amazon.com)
Uncovered: The Whole Truth About The Iraq War(09 of12)
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Walmart refuses to carry this documentary about the Iraq War in its stores. However, the DVD is currently available for purchase on Walmart's website. (credit:Amazon.com)
George Carlin's Book(10 of12)
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Walmart deemed this book to be too provocative to sell. However, the book is currently available for purchase on Walmart's website.
Goo Goo Dolls Album(11 of12)
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This album was banned because of its cover art. This CD is not currently for sale at Walmart. (credit:Amazon.com)
Green Day's Album(12 of12)
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This Green Day album was banned because the band refused to edit their lyrics. The CD is still not available for sale at Walmart. (credit:Amazon.com)
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