Rifle sales in Massachusetts spiked by more than 1,900 percent on just one day last week.The massive increase -- from just 132 sales on Tuesday to 2,549 on Wednesday -- came on the heels of a controversial announcement from Democratic Attorney General Maura Healey on Wednesday morning. She said that her office will step up enforcement of the state's assault weapons ban.The Massachusetts assault weapons ban mirrors the federal ban that expired in 2004. It bans the sale of specific and weapons and explicitly bans copies or duplicates of those weapons.Healy said that manufacturers were selling "copycat" weapons that are sold, for example, without a flash suppressor or with a fixed instead of folding stock. She argued that the changes do not make the weapons less lethal or more legal.She defined a weapon as a copy or duplicate if its internal operating system is essentially the same as those of a specifically-banned weapon or if the gun has key functional components that are interchangeable with those of a banned weapon.Healy estimated that 10,000 of the so-called copycat weapons were sold in Massachusetts last year, and said the gun industry has openly defied the law."If a gun's operating system is essentially the same as a banned weapon - or if the gun has component parts that are interchangeable with those of a banned weapon - it's a copy, it's a duplicate, and it's illegal," Healey said at a press conference in her office.In the hours after she uttered those words, gun buyers flocked to local stores and formed long lines stretching outside.Here are the rifle sales data from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety & Security:Monday, July 18: 51 rifles soldTuesday, July 19: 132 rifles soldWednesday, July 20: 2,549 rifles sold (Date of Healey's announcement)Thursday, July 21: 266 rifles soldFriday, July 22: 139 rifles soldSaturday, July 23: 135 rifles soldSunday, July 24: 58 rifles soldDownload: Complete rifle sales data from July 18-24Get the WCVB News App

Rifle sales in Massachusetts spiked by more than 1,900 percent on just one day last week.



The massive increase -- from just 132 sales on Tuesday to 2,549 on Wednesday -- came on the heels of a controversial announcement from Democratic Attorney General Maura Healey on Wednesday morning. She said that her office will step up enforcement of the state's assault weapons ban.



The Massachusetts assault weapons ban mirrors the federal ban that expired in 2004. It bans the sale of specific and weapons and explicitly bans copies or duplicates of those weapons.



Healy said that manufacturers were selling "copycat" weapons that are sold, for example, without a flash suppressor or with a fixed instead of folding stock. She argued that the changes do not make the weapons less lethal or more legal.



She defined a weapon as a copy or duplicate if its internal operating system is essentially the same as those of a specifically-banned weapon or if the gun has key functional components that are interchangeable with those of a banned weapon.

Healy estimated that 10,000 of the so-called copycat weapons were sold in Massachusetts last year, and said the gun industry has openly defied the law.



"If a gun's operating system is essentially the same as a banned weapon - or if the gun has component parts that are interchangeable with those of a banned weapon - it's a copy, it's a duplicate, and it's illegal," Healey said at a press conference in her office.



In the hours after she uttered those words, gun buyers flocked to local stores and formed long lines stretching outside.



Here are the rifle sales data from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety & Security:

Monday, July 18: 51 rifles sold

Tuesday, July 19: 132 rifles sold

Wednesday, July 20: 2,549 rifles sold (Date of Healey's announcement)

Thursday, July 21: 266 rifles sold

Friday, July 22: 139 rifles sold

Saturday, July 23: 135 rifles sold

Sunday, July 24: 58 rifles sold

Download: Complete rifle sales data from July 18-24