Groton — At the M&P gun store on Thames Street on Wednesday afternoon, it was business as usual in the time of COVID-19.

Five men of varying age stood on one side of the counter in the small shop, while the two owners worked frantically on the other side to serve them. Owner Paul Vernotzy had the speaker phone on as he tried to reach the state police Special Licensing and Firearms Unit, which is always busy. The unit regulates all retail firearm transactions and private sales.

Locally and nationally, gun sales have surged, and some of the most popular calibers of ammunition have nearly sold out, both at physical gun shops and online retailers. Vernotzy said by phone earlier this week that 12-gauge shotguns, one of the most common home defense weapons, are out of stock and the store is out of some types of ammunition.

The surge in activity began last week, Vernotzy said, when Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden, in a confrontation with an auto worker, said he supports the Second Amendment but made what some found to be a disturbing reference to "AR14s." Biden later clarified he was referring to the AR-15, a semi-automatic rifle that is heavily restricted in Connecticut and some other states. 

The coronavirus epidemic, and all its attendant supply shortages, closures and financial implications, further fueled some people's desire to arm themselves and stock up on ammunition, according to Vernotzy and others interviewed this week. Some of those looking to arm themselves seemed unaware of the state's permitting requirements for guns and ammunition.

"It's been a bit of a wakeup call for some folks," said Holly Sullivan, president of the Connecticut Citizens Defense League, which is a Connecticut grassroots gun rights organization. "I think ultimately, at the end of the day, it comes down to preparedness. People are waking up to the fact that they need to be responsible for their own safety and their family's safety. Unfortunately, in the times of crisis that's not the time to be preparing."

Connecticut residents who want to obtain pistol permits will be unable to do so for the foreseeable future, since Gov. Ned Lamont on March 10 suspended the taking of fingerprints for all but health care purposes in an effort to promote social distancing and halt the transmission of the contagious virus.

Also by executive order from Lamont, those who need to renew their pistol permits and other licenses issued by the state police Special Licensing and Firearms Unit will have a 180-day grace period, according to Sgt. Alessandro Giannone, a member of the unit.

Giannone said the firearms unit has been busy for some time and is trying to manage daily responsibilities along with testing a new database that will streamline the process of authorizing firearm sales and transfers. He said the system, which will enable those authorizations to be completed electronically, could be fully operational by the end of the year.

"It will be of great benefit to the public, FFL (Federal Firearms License) dealers and our staff once it's up," he said.

The local firearms dealers said some of the current surge in business has been the result of a legal decision that enables pistol permit holders to purchase lower receivers, or gun frames with serial numbers, to build Connecticut "Other" firearms, which are legal, though they are similar to the AR-15-style semi-automatic rifles that were banned in Connecticut.

"There's been a huge uptick from end or middle of February to now," said Lee McCready, who holds a type of federal firearms license that enables him to manufacture firearms. He and his wife, Jessica, operate a home-based business, Phoenix Firearms, on Lincoln Avenue in New London.

John Drabik of Ron's Guns in East Lyme said he's nearly sold out of the most popular ammunitions, .223 caliber and 9mm, and is not sure when he'll be able to restock.

"I went to all my suppliers," he said. "They're all sold out and don't know when they're going to re-supply."

He said the current demand for firearms and ammunition is similar to that experienced after the Sandy Hook school shooting in 2012, when people rushed to get their pistol permits and purchase types of firearms and magazines that were banned months later.

Uncertainty is driving the market, but authorities say they are prepared to handle the current emergency and that life eventually will return to normal.

"We need to emphasize calm," Groton City police Chief Michael Spellman said in a phone interview. "Even though we are in uncharted territory, we do have the mechanisms and professionalism to deal with it. You have to be a good citizen at this point and have a little extra patience."

k.florin@theday.com