Gun fanatics? Do you have a hobby? If you were a stamp collector and the government was threatening to ban stamps would you not go out to buy that stamp to complete your collection or that stamp you always wanted? With the government threatening to ban so called "assault weapons" then people are looking to get that gun now vs never being able to purchase in the future.
Have you been to a gun shop recently? Hand guns are plentiful, only scary black rifles are being purchased before the 2nd assault weapons ban. Nobody at any gun shop I have been to is afraid of confiscation.