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As the number of COVID-19 cases grows, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has received a 鈥渉igh volume鈥� of requests for firearm background checks, a rough proxy for gun sales.   

From March 10 to March 16, CBI received 14,604 background check requests, compared to 7,357 from the same timeframe last year. 

In response to the 'extreme volume of requests,' the CBI on Tuesday announced changes to its system, including expanding business hours and reassigning staff.

Earlier this week, Anthony Navarro, the owner of Colorado Shooting Sports in Greeley, said his computer system was showing over 3,000 background check requests in CBI鈥檚 queue. 

Making a comparison to groceries and toilet paper, Navarro said his shop has already sold out of several types of guns and ammunition. 

鈥淲hen people are scared, there鈥檚 that sense of grasping and hoarding mentality,鈥� Navarro said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 part of our DNA as cavemen.鈥�

He said many of his customers are worried about the government limiting or banning gun sales. 

鈥淲e鈥檙e seeing everything from your standard client that we see all the time, all the way to liberal, democratic anti-gun people, buying guns for the first time.鈥�

On , members were posting about their experiences, describing waiting from a few hours to 48 hours for their background check to process.  

According to the CBI, wait times for background checks usually range from five to eight minutes but are now approaching two days.

 
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include CBI's announcement of changes to its background check system on Tuesday.