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Florida gun dealers began seeing an uptick in gun purchases, based on background check applications in June.

Thousands are expected to start the purchasing process this Friday.

Gun sales have lagged in Florida since 2016 set a record for over a million background checks.

The slowdown in growth held through the first six months of this year, but that changed about the same time an impeachment and proposed ban on assault weapons in Florida started getting traction.

“Any time you have uncertainty, you are going to have people that are going to want to go ahead and buy it now because if I buy it now, I can own it. Some people would even say it they pass a law they’d have to take it away from me,” said Pawn shop owner, Mark Folmar.

Black Friday could, and often is, the biggest day of the year for Florida gun dealers.

“Politics always is going to have a little bit to do with it, but it’s that time of the year. Its holiday season and hunting season. It’s a good time of the year for gun sales,” said Brandon Long with Kevin’s Guns and Sporting Goods in Tallahassee.

If history is any guide, 9,000 to 11,000 people will apply for background checks on Friday.

At Folmar’s, sales are driven by personal safety.

“The majority of gun buyers do not hunt, or that’s not their main purpose. They really like shooting,” said Folmar.

But across town at Kevins Guns, hunting is king, at least at this time of the year.

“People do like to buy them as gifts and you have hunting season right in the middle of it,” said Long.

On Wednesday, waiting for a background check to be processed took just minutes.

On Friday, it could be an hour or more.

All guns sold in Florida are subject to a three day waiting period unless the buyer holds a concealed carry permit.