Recent shootings have ignited gun sales across country

MILWAUKIE, Oregon (CNN) -- The Oregon mall and Connecticut school shootings have started a new conversation about gun control. President Obama has promised "meaningful action" on the issue, and that has some gun enthusiasts rushing to stock up.

The rush began soon after the Clackamas Mall shooting, but the massive lines formed just hours after Friday's school massacre in Connecticut. 

"Yesterday was the biggest day we've ever done in 20 years. Today will probably eclipse that," gun store owner Karl Durkheimer said.

Gun stores are so busy, in Oregon, state background checks that usually take 15 minutes now have customers waiting for hours. 

Even so, gun buyers like Bret Eyman are more than willing to wait. He was purchasing a semi-automatic rifle because he said he believes his right to buy one may soon be going away.

"I believe it's going to be coming to an end in the next year," Eyman said.

"The guns we're seeing in our communities have nothing to do with hunting. They have to do with killing people and we have to get real about that," Oregon state Sen. Ginny Burdick said.

Burdick is a long-time gun control advocate and believes more needs to be done to keep guns out of the hands of children and criminals. She has introduced a new bill limiting gun magazines to 10 bullets.

"If you limit the size of magazines, you limit the number of shots that someone can get off rapidly before changing clips," Burdick said.

President Bill Clinton passed a similar federal law in 1994, but it expired 10 years later.

The recent shootings in Oregon and Connecticut have people on both sides of the gun control debate fired up. 

"Everybody's got a fear now that owning any weapon of any sort is gonna be more difficult to acquire. I think you're going to see people, including gun owners, get engaged to end this madness," gun owner Ray Hettwer said.

In the meantime, it appears guns and ammo of all kinds will be flying off the shelves.

President Barack Obama on Friday appeared to promise to tackle gun violence in his second term, but supporters of tighter gun control measures want to see more specifics.
Multiple gun control bills have been introduced in recent years, but not a single one has advanced to a floor vote.