'We don't have anything!' Las Vegas gun shop owner tells customers to stay away after his shelves were stripped by panic-buyers amid the coronavirus pandemic

• e-mail

A Las Vegas gun-shop owner has urged people to stop trying to buy weapons and ammunition for at least two days because he has nothing left to sell. 

Brandon Burns, who owns Spartan Arms & Range Supplies, filmed himself in his store Monday in front of shelves that typically house rifles, shotguns, handguns and ammo - all of which have been stripped bare by panic-buyers. 

'Listen folks, do us a favor OK? Tomorrow, don't blow our phones up, I don't have anything,' he tells viewers.

Brandon Burns, a gun store owner from Las Vegas, has showed off his nearly-empty shop after a weekend of panic-buying left the shelves stripped

Burns urged customers not to show up for the next few days while he replenishes the stock, with just a couple of revolvers and .22 rifles (right) left on the shelves

'No handguns, no rifles, no ammunition, no 9mm, no 40mm, no .45, no 5.56, no .22, no twelve-gauge, no twenty-gauge, we don't have it right now. 

'We are gunna get it in the next two or three days though, so try to help our staff out and not blow our phones up asking if we have stuff because we just don't, OK?

'Things are not normal right now.'

It comes after states including California, New York and Washington - the worst-hit by the coronavirus pandemic - reported soaring sales at the weekend.

Pictures taken across the country showed lines snaking out of gun stores and down the street as people attemped to protect themselves amid fears of riots and looting if the situation spirals out of control. 

Others feared that the government's emergency powers could restrict their right to buy a gun while some Asian-Americans bought weapons to protect themselves from potential racist attacks. 

Outlining the situation, he told viewers: 'No handguns, no rifles, no ammunition, no 9mm, no 40mm, no .45, no 5.56, no .22, no twelve-gauge, no twenty-gauge, we don't have it right now'

A file image showing how the shelves would typically look, before they were stripped

Bruns's handgun cabinet before all the weapons sold out amid coronavirus panic-buying

It comes as thousands of Americans flocked to supermarkets to stockpile essential goods as panic about the coronavirus, which has killed 69 and infected 3,774 in the US alone, takes hold. 

Huge lines stretched along the sidewalk outside the Martin B. Retting gun store in Culver City, California.

Another stretch of shoppers was seen outside Gun World in Burbank. 

US correspondent for Australian network Nine News Amelia Adams tweeted: 'Queues to buy guns in LA. Buyers tell me they’re scared of what will happen if people run out of food and supplies, and they need to protect their families.'

Shoppers in Las Vegas, Nevada, lined up to buy guns and ammunition as coronavirus panic takes hold

California, New York and Washington - the states hardest hit by the deadly bug - all saw a massive surge in gun sales as panicked shoppers lined up around the block (pictured in Burbank, California)

Americans are starting to panic-buy guns with sales rocketing across the country and shoppers lining up around the block outside hunting shops amid coronavirus fears. Pictured: Shoppers line up outside a gun store in Culver City, California

John Gore, 39, who lined up outside the Martin B. Retting store on Saturday, told the LA Times: ‘Politicians and anti-gun people have been telling us for the longest time that we don’t need guns. 

'But right now, a lot of people are truly scared, and they can make that decision themselves.’ 

Anna - who had never bought a gun before - said: 'It’s not like an active panic, more a preoccupation with making sure everyone is adequately prepared, myself and family and friends. 

'Better to be prepared and not need it than need it and not have it.'

Ralph Charette, 71, spent $1,500 at a store in Germantown, Wisconsin and told USA Today: 'There's so much uncertainty and paranoia but you've got to protect your own.'

Some buyers fear that the government's emergency powers could restrict their right to buy a gun. Pictured: Shoppers stretched along the sidewalk outside the Martin B. Retting gun store in Culver City

Some Asian-Americans are buying weapons to protect themselves from potential racist attacks. Pictured: Lines outside a gun shop in Culver City

People lined up outside a gun shop in Culver City as shoppers panic buy guns due to the coronavirus crisis

Gun sales also soared in San Gabriel Valley, Los Angeles, as Asian-Americans feared they could be victims of racist attacks due to coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, China.

Arcadia Firearm & Safety David Liu told CBSN that many are fearing for their safety should people in their local area catch the bug.  

Online ammunition store Ammo.com said there has been a 68 per cent increase in sales from February 23 - when Italy's major outbreak was first reported. 

Donald Trump urged Americans not to stockpile food and told citizens to 'take it easy' on Sunday. 

Vice President Mike Pence also insisted that food stores will stay open indefinitely.

Trump also insisted the outbreak is under 'tremendous control'. 

The president said the federal, state and local governments are all working with these retail leaders, including Walmart, Costco, Target, Whole Foods, Publix and several more, to ensure there are no shortages of goods and food.