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Image by Oleg Volk. Used with permission. blog.olegvolk.net
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In recent weeks, Americans voted with their wallets — again — and have stripped gun retailers’ shelves bare of most guns and ammo. Between the Chinese flu and widespread civil unrest, these buyers included over two million first-time firearm owners. Increasingly, Americans are realizing that they can’t count on the beleaguered police or soft-on-crime politicians to protect them.

They’ve also concluded that nothing protects one’s self and family like a firearm. The old saw about “when seconds count, police are just minutes away” says it all. Although “minutes” may be wildly optimistic right now.

No doubt many of these first-time buyers resemble some friends of mine. Their family (mom, dad, a teenage son and a coed daughter) has wrestled with whether to buy a gun for years. Watching rioting happen locally with police standing by, letting it happen and not making arrests, proved their “come to Jesus” moment. Even mom got onboard with the purchase decision.

GLOCK 19.  Image via us.glock.com

They went out and bought a GLOCK 19.

They know that when government can’t protect them, they will have something more effective than harsh language and a Louisville Slugger to defend their family.

Another family took my advice and bought a “social shotgun,” a 12 gauge riot gun. Of course, the fact that most two of their local gun shops had few self-defense handguns remaining for sale helped them with their purchase decision. And while their favorite gun shop didn’t have a single round of 9mm or 5.56/.223 to sell them, the store still had some buckshot and slugs for their new thunderstick.

Image via Remington.

Neither of these families bought their first defensive firearms for the thrill and excitement many of us associate with recreational shooting. They bought them to give themselves a fighting chance if violent criminals pick their home to attack.

These families don’t want to be sitting ducks. Like millions of others in America, they can read the writing on the wall. Radical extremists are rioting and calling for “defunding the police” or outright disbanding local departments as Minneapolis’ hard-left city council just voted unanimously to do. Law enforcement has pointed out that residents will have to live with the consequences of “defunding” or “disbanding” law enforcement agencies, but that hasn’t stopped them.

What’s more, now that more ranges have opened, many of them have wisely flocked to trainers to learn how to safely handle their new purchases, as well as the legal considerations of using deadly force in self-defense situations. Learning about the judicious use of force is especially critical in today’s world. After all, prosecutors with sympathies towards criminals don’t usually embrace self-defense rights of the law-abiding.

How many of you know of families who have joined the fraternity of gun owners in the past few weeks or months? Or perhaps they’ve made their own first-time gun purchase?

 

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58 COMMENTS

  1. Cool…I was prepared but a frantic old friend wasn’t. He had guns & ammo but very little know how-I taught what I could but they need ro go to the range. And now they are seriously thinking about moving away from our formerly nice burb. Except it ain’t as ez as they thought. Ditto my wife’s church friend. The local keystone cop’s are pathetic!

    • BREAKING NEWS: Bubba Wallace LIES. His “noose” is not a noose. Lying AZZHOLE! Jussie Smollet’s 2nd cousin😩😖😟

      • I just posted that on the next article. I think I read that Bubba never saw the rope. I don’t know if that’s true that he didn’t see it, or they’re just trying to save face. White people are sick and tired of constantly being judged by the color of their skin. This won’t do Bubba any favors with NASCAR fans, but I’m sure it endeared him to the fake news activists.

  2. it is kinda funny on my block the liberals were rabbid screamers, now they realize the communist bullshit really stinks, and went out and picked up a firearm..most bought a shotgun,but a few actually got smart and bought a colt or ruger pistol, one actually found a auto-mag 44. wouldn’t say what he paid for it but he can afford it.

    • 44 auto mags have really skyrocketed in value.
      It’s on my list, but way down the list. If I’m gonna blow 4-5 large on a gun, it’ll be something else before that.

      • Auto Mags are really neato… but the last one I saw was over $5,000. To be fair, they’re not worth it. I’d rather spent three times that much on a Heym Express rifle before dropping $5k on a gun that should sell for no more than $1,200.

  3. I’ve had 3 different “blue” friends contact me about getting their first gun. Amazing how perspectives change when reality gets close to home.

    • Fewer than I thought asked.

      Some just bought. Then again, what do I say? X, Y, and Z are the first choice guns. Sold out? How about P, D, or Q? Oh… bummer.

      • My distributors (I have 6) have nothing. Not just $500 poly guns either. $1700 1911s and $2600 ARs are sold out too.

        • Pistols are plenty in stock here…….the requisite license may have something to do with it. Also AR’s but…..yeah those are a hard sell here where they are necessary (if you are closely investigated).

        • Understood, LGS inventories will vary regionally but the national wholesalers are being cleaned out by particular pockets of concentrated buying. If your locale is more or less unaffected, that’s good news. Continue regularly tooling up!

        • Fair enough and now that I took time to look all the new stuff is Ruger and Marlin so wouldn’t doubt most of the country is going through inventory substantially faster than your slightly more loopy neighbors.

    • But they’ll still vote D and when things settle down one way or another, they’ll happily hand them in under “buy backs” (mandated by law or not) and go back to their old ways and perspectives.

  4. Had two unarmed types ask me about the process of getting a Gun, mostly they think you need a special license and registration etc. Not in my state you don’t. Most of them are scared and now think 911 is a joke.

    • In that many American Made firearms are getting hard to find, maybe a surplus foreign military firearm could be your next best bet. I just bought a Tokarev 7.62x25mm semi-auto hand gun, and 100 rounds of Ammunition for it. I have 4 additional magazines on order for it. I am also getting an additional 100 rounds for it. The Polich Military has one with a shoulder brace as well in 7.62x25mm check them out, ammunition for these is easier to get through you local gun dealer them most American Made Rounds. Russia has a real nice Magazine fed 12 gauge that comes with 2 magazines one is 5 rounds the other is 10 rounds, you can also get a 31 round drum for it, now that would be a riot and looter stopper in a heart beat.

  5. I applaud new gun owners. That being said, I winched at the grip shown by the woman in the photo. Her ‘support side’ thumb looks like it’s either resting on the slide, or dangerously close. Whenever I provide training to anyone at the range, I always pay attention to their grip and help them to correct it. One time, one of my guests thought he was too ‘badass’ to listen to me, and gripped the gun with his thumb in the exact same position as the woman in the photo above. Upon firing, the slide cycled back and sliced his thumb open, requiring us to apply immediate medical care to stop the blood flow. He still has the scar to this day, and recently showed it to another newbie as evidence that proper grip is important.

    I know the photo above is only a photo, but small details count.

    • Every time I see someone teacupping, either in movies, vidya games, or real life, I get another gray hair.

      • If it’s with a revolver it isn’t an issue. It’s almost as if a revolver doesn’t have a mag well in the grip or something.

  6. Everyone in my neck of the woods owns firearms and carries. The big purchases over the last few weeks has been ammunition, thousands and thousands of rounds. Just out of curiosity, I went down to the local sporting goods store (big box type) and the ammo shelves were bare. Sure there were hunting rounds left, but even those stocks looked to be dwindling. The counter still had several handguns, and the racks were filled with rifles, but of the hunting kind. No semi-automatics.

    People are getting the message

    • It is the same story in my neck of the woods, Jimmy, with regards to ammo. In the last few weeks hand gun ammunition has been particularly difficult to find. The last time it was this bad, Obama was the President.

  7. I don’t hangout with Liberals. But I have noticed a big change in the color of people going to the local gun ranges.
    I use to be the only person of my skin tone at ranges. But starting 5 years ago I noticed an increase in people of my skin tone going to the range.

    Now in the last 4 months these folks, and others, are at the range nearly every day. And we all get along.
    (Smile)
    I call that winning.

  8. Just think, eight months ago most retailers couldn’t give ARs away and now they are as rare as hen’s teeth. A spent some time helping a friend out and trying to find him a PCC. I was amazed by how thin the selections had gotten, even online retailers were out of stock. I finally found one and he knew to jump on it immediately.

  9. Went to the LGS with my daughter Sunday and she bought me a nice heavy duty airline ready pistol case. They were busy as they have been and their stock was low, but I already have everything I actually need.

  10. Need to make a federal law that stand your ground in all of America even if the democratic communist have control of some states, we all need this made law, Constitutional Carry for all of America, as we go will know if some are never allowed, like felons.those that are mentally unstable, no license, no registration, all against the Constitution as Written

  11. Tired but true phrase; YOU are your first line of defense! If you depend on anyone else in these times, I’m afraid you’d better have your affairs in order.

  12. I’ve helped 3 different people select a first firearm in the last month. And they bought them not because of the protests – they bought them because they’re afraid of the police.

    • John, why would they be afraid of the police? They’re not doing anything anyway. I think we should give them what they want. Disband law enforcement. Let anarchy reign! Right. Let’s see how it works out.

      • They must believe Maxine Waters when she says: “I believe sometimes these officers leave home thinking, ‘I’m gonna get me the one today” (murdering a black man).

        • Or maybe they’ve decided to spit that cop sausage out and see what was happening.
          It doesn’t take that many videos of white guys on their knees with hands on their heads getting killed following orders to change minds.
          But hey, you love sausage.
          But hey, just because being white means you’re 25% more likely to be killed by a cop than the most urban of blacks…
          Enjoy your sausage.

  13. I haven’t gotten a single call for advice. And before all you guys that hate me chime in; all my friends and family are already heavily armed. They’ve already taken my advice. Except for a few that couldn’t afford anything but an $800 AR. 😆

  14. But hey. It’s better than a sharp stick. Although, I did advise them to keep the sharp stick as backup.

  15. Guns of any interest all sold out and no point to even look for anything right now. Ammo is priced way too high if there is any.

    Funny you would mention a Louisville Slugger… A pity the APD officer, Rolfe, didn’t keep one around to chase down Brooks with. He could have knee capped the drunk as opposed to shooting him in the back. A taser may malfunction but a Louisville Slugger never does if you can swing it. It’s a mobster thing. Some just don’t understand or get it. Another positive is after use it can be just another log on the fire. And you may believe I’m making this up? You’re wrong.

    Anthony Accardo also known as “Joe Batters” and “Big Tuna”, was a longtime mobster. During Prohibition, Accardo got the nickname “Joe Batters” after using a baseball bat to murder three mobsters who had betrayed the Chicago Outfiy syndicate. Al Capone was allegedly quoted as saying, “Boy, this kid’s a real Joe Batters”. Chicago newspapers eventually dubbed Accardo “The Big Tuna”, after a fishing expedition where Accardo caught a giant tuna and was famously photographed with his catch. Despite an arrest record dating back to 1922, Accardo spent only one night in jail or avoided the inside of a cell entirely (depending on the source). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Accardo

    LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The maker of the Louisville Slugger has stopped making commemorative nightsticks for the Louisville Metro Police Foundation in light of recent protests against police.

    A bat-wielding 75-year-old Michigan granny faced off this week against George Floyd protesters, blocking them from marching down a street in her affluent neighborhood. [Jun 5, 2020]

  16. I have been after my son, who has a few pistols, to get his CCW for a few years now and recent events compelled him to do so and he is waiting for his permit to arrive. He was over on Father’s day with his fiance and I brought my Glock 19 and Walther PPS down to kitchen table with the kydex holster for each to show them how they compare for CCW and the differences in size, especially width.

    On occasion someone will ask me about a recommendation for a pistol and Glock 19 is always mentioned as a top choice for all around self defense pistol with a suggestion to stay away from the lowest price options if you can afford better. I also mention the M&P 2.0 Compact as another great choice and comes with a safety if that is wanted. Of course some basic training is highly recommended too for proficiency, safety, and liability (know the laws) reasons

  17. Chicago Outfit syndicate that should have read… Tony/Joe just called it the outfit. Accardo had more brains for breakfast than Capone had in a lifetime.

  18. Memorize:
    * Police have no legal duty to protect individuals.
    * Police have no legal liability when they fail to protect individuals.
    * Police not specifically assigned as bodyguards have virtually no ability to protect individuals.

    The police don’t protect individuals.  They draw chalk outlines around individuals unable or unwilling to protect themselves.

    If you’re not able and willing to protect YOURSELF, you’re just not going to get protected AT ALL.
    Anybody who tells you different is a LIAR.

  19. My lib friend (extreme lib) had two guns given to her by family members about 15 years ago. She doesn’t know what they are and put them in the attic. Didn’t want them around her.
    She called yesterday. Wanted to know if I could check out the guns and take her to the range.
    The times, they are a’changin.

    • Hear that line a lot but don’t see it appear too often in real life. I am sure it happens but I think your estimate may be a bit past a rounding error.

      • Pretty much every instance I’ve seen of a failed self-defense situation was somebody doing the following:

        * bargaining with an assailant
        * brandishing a firearm when it should be used
        * firing a warning shot
        * shooting to “wound”

        When the time comes to use a firearm, USE it. Your assailant is serious about what he’s doing. You’d better be as well.

        • I think I only ever saw your first two but yeah could see the others being failures at times. Still can’t find many examples especially compared to successful armed defensive outcomes or more telling adverse outcomes for unarmed victims.

  20. Noose on the loose…it appears all the hoopla about a noose hung in Bubba Wallace’s garage turned out to be a door pull that was present in 2019. Photo evidence shows the timeline. Bubba and associates owe everyone an apology for pouring knee-jerk gasoline on the flames. After that you can shut up and drive Bubba.

  21. I was raised all my life with around guns but after I moved out of the family home I wasn’t overly concerned about needing a firearm. Then President Clinton and Congress began banning and restricting what guns you could purchase and I went out and purchased an SKS, an AR-15, 3 HANDGUNS, 2 12 Gauge Shotguns, and a .22 RIFLE, renewed my NRA membership, joined a shooting range, and got my Concealed Carry Permit.

  22. Your using fear to jack up price of guns. Shame on you. You are saying people are using guns because they cant count on police or politicians to save them. When is having someone save you better than saving yourself? I disagree with being dependent on government or politicians. That’s what lead to abuse in the first place. “The more you are dependent on your worst enemy the more he will abuse you” – some guy

  23. Soft on crime…

    I find it amazing that the number one folks who can identify why the 2A is important, never see tyranny when it’s happening to someone else.

    We have volumes of laws that criminalize everything that isn’t a Life, Liberty, or Property crime, then listen while those same folks who know what the 2A is for, promoting enforcement of all those not-crimes.

    Brilliant logic, Tory.

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