I was reading Tam's blog the other day and she made a comment about crowds at the gun show this month (Jan 2012) I did not think much more about it till I visited a good size gun shop here last Saturday. I was shocked, the parking lot was full and inside the store you could hardly find a spot at the counter (and like I said this is a large gun shop) The store had 3 telephones on speed dial trying to get background checks done, the phones were on speaker so I could hear them. The applications were stacked up because of the wait. I heard an employee saying they had not seen this much activity before, apparently it was over the entire country. I know I am like a mushroom sometimes but what is going on? why all the fuss now? Did I miss some news? are people worried about the Mayan Calender? Are they worried the big Zero is going after their guns before the election?Can anybody help a brother out, what did I miss?
You've got me stumped.
ReplyDeleteI was down at Coal Creek Armory earlier in the month and their parking lot was slap full up, with people parked on the grass, the whole time I was there, pretty much from open to close, weekend or weekday, and all ten lanes were going on the range. Never seen the like.
Tam, actually now that you mention it I had somebody tell me they went to the local gun range here, it was so backed up they waited 2 hours and could not get a lane and left. This is a large outdoor range with about 6 or 7 different ranges inside.
DeleteI think its in anticipation of BOs possible re-election. Like when he got elected,purchasing a gun, buying ammo or getting your CWP it was all so crazy in 2008/09. We know the first thing he will go after is our Gun Rights. Newt had it right last night in the debate, he gets re-elected BO will be even more radical. Plus another factor could be gas prices, people want to buy now before gas hits more record highs, and the cost of goods sky rockets.
ReplyDeleteCould be, It just seems like something switched on after New Years.
DeleteWe had a story last week on the local news where a 82 yr old gentlemen shot and killed someone breaking into his home. County Sheriff said this gentlemen was well within his rights and would not be charged. We have seen the opposite happen when homeowner is charged. Things are diffidently changing. The question is for the better or for the worse??
ReplyDeleteI think I heard about that story, I haven't seen crime get that much worse in the last month, I don't know.
DeleteEUrope is on the brink of an economic melt-down. The U.S. is sixteen TRILLION dollars in debt. For all its appearances of power, China's economy is every bit as fragile as that of the U.S. or EUrope.
ReplyDeleteIt's a massive, global game of Jenga, and when the wrong block gets pulled out, the crash is going to be cataclysmic.
A lot of people are paying attention. More are picking up on the vibe. And we're not voting our way out of it.
My 2¢, anyway.
Kevin, Could be the reason. I guess I wonder what happened to wake everybody up all of a sudden, why not Nov or Dec last year????
DeleteFailure of the Greek bailout. Downgrading of national credit ratings. Riots in Athens, London, etc. #OWS. The current crop of reptiles competing for the Republican presidential nomination. Shall I continue?
DeleteTo add, my local favorite gun shop parking lot has been 80-120% full (overflow parking on the street and at the convenience store next door) since 11/08. It hasn't stopped, just eased up a bit here and there, now and then. I joke with the counter people that they need to spend some of their outrageous profits on a parking garage.
DeleteI live in Tucson, epicenter of Fast & Furious. We have a little bit different perspective down here.
Kevin, I live in Tucson too, and I am a relatively new gun owner. What gun store here is your favorite?
DeleteKevin, good points. Thanks.
DeleteJoseph, Welcome to the club.
I think folks appreciate the notion that a rogue government can take over the citizens~unless the citizens can fight back.
ReplyDeleteJust my thoughts.
Humble Wife, I have no doubt that is what is driving it (to a point) I just wonder what date on the calendar set them off and why because it did happen overnight.
DeleteI think people are also preparing for race riots and other civil unrest to be stirred up by this election cycle and the OWS types.
ReplyDeleteOdysseus, I agree that is the other part of what Humble Wife mentioned.....I guess the full moon woke them up. Maybe they realize 2012 is the year of the election??? who knows.
ReplyDeleteWhat Odysseus said - the #OWS crowd are the useful idiots and paid-for shock-troops of the rogue Govt. and they Media lets them do whatever they want with impunity - and that has to stop.
ReplyDeleteDirtCrashr, I guess that's part of it. Thanks.
DeletePeople suddenly realized that no matter the outcome of the next election we're likely to have an anti-gun socialist in the White House... AND there's a 50/50 chance that we won't even be able to vote him out in 2016, because he'll have an R beside his name. Can you imagine what Romney would say to the NRA and the rest of the pro-2A lobby as he's about to sign a permanent federal AWB? "What are you going to do, threaten to vote for Al Sharpton?"
ReplyDeleteTanksoldier, I guess so, maybe nobody paid attention till Christmas was over.
DeleteA more mundane possible contributor: How much have shows like Top Shot, Sons of Guns, and American Guns influenced people to get into shooting?
ReplyDeleteTam, I don't know if that is a reason or a symptom? but I have heard that those are some of the top rated TV shows.
ReplyDeleteEither (1) they look to those shows for information because they have the fever
or (2) the shows give them interest.
Somehow I think the first.
Local Wal-Mart started selling guns again few months back, after they where gone for several years.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I know that's the trend across the US.
I know Wal-Mart had guns marked down for Black Friday. That would be my best guess as to the record number of NICS on that day.
Mad Saint Jack, Wal-Mart is a business, they will take advantage if current trends. They probably to sell a lot of guns nation wide.
DeleteHere we go again. Why can't people just stock up over time and be prepared like normal folks? Why do they have to freak and bum-rush and drive .223 ammo prices up to $600 a case again? I don't know. My only guess is it is being driven by the next election. It's odd that the gun bloggers that are usually tapped into the general thought process are stumped.
ReplyDeleteI know a few months after OB was elected and ammo went screwy, I wanted to take the guns out of the safe and replace them with my ammo.
mmasse, that could very well be so. I wonder what pushed all their buttons at once.
ReplyDelete45er, My point exactly, it seems there is a big rush all of a sudden. Ammo came down a bit but it may go back up.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it happened suddenly after New Years. It's been building up for a while:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nssfblog.com/black-friday-sees-record-background-checks-for-firearm-purchases/
I guess it has been building but I did not see the frenzy at gun shows near the end of last year.
DeleteI'm so happy I can sit back and late those late to game rub elbows. It's fear of the unknown, pure and simple.
ReplyDeleteStephen, I'm sure it boils down to that, I just wish I knew what set 'em off again, I mean 6 months ago things had settled a good bit.
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