Gun sales in Sacramento County have increased 406 percent during the past 15 years, the largest increase in any county in California.

Such an increase “translates to about one gun sold for every two residents in the county.”

According to The Sacramento Bee, two out of every three guns purchased during this 406 percent increase have been handguns, which signifies self-defense and concealed carry as motivations.

Fear of government overreach has also been a motivator. The Bee points out that while the increase has taken place during the course of 15 years on paper, it actually “began in earnest around 2008, the same year that Barack Obama was elected president.” Josh Deaser, owner of Just Guns, said Sacramento residents feared what the combination of Obama and the California legislation could do to gun rights. He indicated that residents “responded to that perception by purchasing weapons while they could.”

The California Department of Justice released a list of gun sales from 2001-2015, and San Bernardino County came in second place with a 385 percent increase. Riverside had a 220 percent increase, Orange County a 203 percent increase, and Los Angeles County came in with a 190 percent increase.

The top-selling gun brands during this surge in sales are Smith & Wesson, Glock, and Ruger. The handguns from these companies represent some of the best concealed carry handguns on the market. The Smith & Wesson M&P Shield, Glock 43, and Ruger LCP .380 are among the best sellers nationwide.

AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.