Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press In this file photo, an employee looks through the scope of long gun at a store in Calgary, Alta., Sept. 15, 2010. Some gun dealers are reporting a spike in sales amid the coronavirus outbreak.

TORONTO ― The COVID-19 outbreak coupled with fears about more restrictive gun legislation has fuelled a spike in firearm and ammunition sales, several dealers said this week. Buyers, they say, are stocking up while they can ― a development that has alarmed gun-control advocates. “We are seeing a surge in sales,″ said Ross Faulkner, owner of The Gun Dealer in McAdam, N.B., which bills itself Atlantic Canada’s largest firearms store. “When things get tough, it’s certainly a feeling of security, especially when you’re dealing with uncertain times like we’re dealing with now.” Earlier on HuffPost: Victims of Toronto mass shooting sue gunmaker Smith & Wesson. Story continues below.

The result, said Wes Winkel, head of the Canadian Sporting Arms and Ammunition Association, has been an “extreme surge″ in domestic sales. Part of it relates to concerns about being able to get permits as government offices close, as well as overall supply fears. “In no product in our supply chain does it take longer to replenish than in firearms and ammunition,” said Winkel, whose association represents retailers, distributors and manufacturers. “People know if they don’t get stuff and the supply chain is being depleted, they’re going to run out quickly.” Winkel said some people in more remote areas of Canada are worried about coronavirus-related disruptions in food supplies. As long as they have guns and ammo, he said, they can always harvest their own food.