Guns and ammunition sales have shot up in the Unites States, reported Al Jazeera, after President Barack Obama on Monday announced control measures designed to limit the availability of weapons. He said he will push through stringent measures to tackle gun violence in the country.

Gun enthusiasts have vowed to fight these restrictions. The National Rifle Association, the country’s largest gun rights group, said increasing background checks before selling guns – one of Obama’s recommendations – will not do much to improve public safety.

The president’s politically-charged move marks the beginning of his last year in office, and could cause him some major backlash, with the opposing Republican party strongly backing gun rights. AFP reported that Obama plans to bypass Congress to implement the new rules, which the Republicans have called “executive overreach” and a misuse of his powers.

Gun control is a politically-fraught subject in the US. Gun rights are part of the American constitution and the Congress has not approved any major gun-control measures since the 1990s. While the Democratic party largely supports curbs on gun ownership, the Republicans are expressly against it.