FBI numbers indicate a run on guns

(CBS News) In the wake of the December shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, new figures show that the FBI performed a record number of background checks in December, indicating a significant jump in those seeking to own firearms.

The FBI processed 2,783,765 gun background checks in December, a 39 percent increase from November 2012.

CBS News senior correspondent and former FBI national intelligence official, John Miller, explained that while December typically brings peak gun sales, three elements combined in 2012 -- Black Friday, sales on the Saturday before Christmas, and the fear that more restrictive gun laws will be passed -- to produce "the perfect storm for gun sales."

Miller added that gun store owners say the AR-15 rifle -- the weapon used in the Newtown school massacre and other recent mass shootings in the U.S. -- is "flying off the shelves," likely because gun enthusiasts are concerned that a potential assault weapons ban could limit availability of the AR-15.