Shares in gun companies surge after Dallas attack

Stock prices of gun manufacturers climbed Friday, in the wake of the terrifying attack in Dallas that left five police officers dead and nine wounded. The stock market move followed a pattern that has become a predictable response to mass shootings, prompted both by security fears and the possibility that gun control legislation may become more likely.

On Friday morning, shares in Sturm, Ruger, America’s largest publicly-traded gunmaker, were up most among gun and ammunition sellers, at 4% (click the image for current price).

Smith and Wesson was up 3%.

And ammo maker Visto was up 2%.

Gun stocks also jumped in the wake of the Orlando shooting. Gun sales, as measured by background checks, also tend to surge in the wake of such events. Yahoo put together a chart using FBI and company data showing spikes in background checks following mass shootings (in addition to announcements of proposed gun control measures).

The rise in gun sales isn’t just connected to mass shootings; it’s also a function of relaxed gun-carry laws. Many gun stores in Texas, which passed a law allowing open carry of firearms last year, saw gun sales spike in the wake of the law’s announcement.

Texas’ open carry law may have made the Dallas shooting harder to investigate, but it appears to have been a boon to companies that sell guns.

Rob covers business, economics and the environment for Fusion. He previously worked at Business Insider. He grew up in Chicago.