An influx of new gun owners has the potential to permanently alter the politics surrounding guns in the United States. If industry estimates are correct, millions of Americans across the country have become first-time gun buyers since March. If the experience changes their minds about the ongoing debate over gun control it could tip the balance of political power toward pro-gun activists and politicians.
It is not that the new buyers were unaware of the politics of gun control. Several new gun owners who spoke to the Free Beacon—some of whom requested anonymity citing safety concerns—generally leaned toward enhanced restrictions, their positions informed mostly by major news stories. But as they have become more personally invested in the debate, they find themselves more skeptical of gun control. Brian, a 40-year-old Floridian, used his savings to buy a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield in March after being laid off—the experience changed his entire approach to Second Amendment issues.
“In the past, I wasn’t against owning a gun. However, I did think that we had suffered enough as a country from school shootings, and something needed to be done. I was for stricter gun laws—no ARs, close the gun-show loophole, better mental health regulations, etc.,” he said. “I would now oppose stricter gun laws.”
– Stephen Gutowski in First-Time Gun Buyers Explain How Coronavirus Changed Their Politics
Yeah, well I suppose we can hope it all plays out that way.
I do not have to suppose anything. When you have nitwits talking guns and habitually calling the POTUS “excrement” (ring a bell?) it is counter productive and it puts a sht grin on Gun Control Zealots. So for trolls talking out both sides of their pieholes (ring a bell?) they need to name exactly who they support for POTUS or if none then stay home in Nov. and in the meantime stfu.
Poor little ignorant Debbie. How can you not recognize the anti-Americanism of a would-be authoritarian ruler in the Oval House? Of course Trump is excrement, a lying, con job man-child pretender. His entire life revolves around protecting his own self-image, his own brand. All events domestic or international are framed for how they effect him personally, and to hell with everyone else.
I’d favor any other member of the party Trump claims to be a member of (Trump’s a RINO, always has been, always will be). With the obvious poor state of his health, the potential of Pence taking over for him could be the one improvement in his rule. Not that Pence is any prize, but at least he is not as mentally dysfunctional as Trump.
If Trump is a RINO, which I agree btw, then the Republican party needs more of his type in there. It might get me to actually consider joining, something no milk toast Republican party member has the success of doing.
My inbox is getting so bombed by this I may have to unsubscribe, it took me nearly 15 minutes twice a day to get through them all, eek, I don’t want to spend my time doing this. I changed my notifications and see what happens, if it doesn’t get better I’ll unsubscribe.
One major problem with the “real” republicans is that they’re a bunch of cowards and war mongers. That might sound contradictory, but they’re safe and sound while their voters are out fighting their wars for them. Not to mention they sold out this country, in lock step with democrats, long ago. Keep in mind, the “real” republicans wanted !Jeb! Bush in office.
well, can’t support Joe…largely because of his comments…but still a bit leery of trump…
I’m sure a lot of Democrats view Biden as a senile old fool/rapist. But guess what? They’re still gonna vote for him in November (gotta be Trump dontchaknow). In much the same way, these “new gun owners” will still agree with Team Democrat on most issues and will still vote for Democrats pitching “reasonable, common sense restrictions” because they’re “right” about the other issues. Maybe a few will wake up but anyone who voted for Hillary is almost certainly lacking the rationality to change their voting patterns based upon acquiring a gun (that the majority will NEVER train with).
The key I believe is to always vote for divided government. Prevent either party from having control of the executive and the two legislative houses of government. The worse case scenario is always when one party achieves full control with a filibuster-proof majority.
Both parties bring a mix of good and bad ideas. Keeping them off-balance with a never ending power struggle has been our truest and most effective safe-guard against a tyranny of a super-majority. Not intended that way, but it works out that way.
Won’t buy it till I see however people going “holy shit the government is failable” is a very very interesting epiphany on a broader level.
Goody goody…Thank you virus. More Gun Owners means I have a better chance to keep my guns? Virus or no virus, more gun owners or no more gun owners…No American whether they own a Gun or Not should ever drop to their knees and imply their Second Amendment Right is for sale, trade or rent. To do so in the slightest way gives Gun Control Zealots hope. The Second Amendment is the foundation of the entire US Constitution and if it goes the entire US Constitution is worthless.
Gun Control Zealots and their media cohorts are carrying on what was and is an agenda Rooted in Racism and Genocide. No one owes Gun Control Zealots any apology whatsoever. Gun Control Zealots owe America a reason that justifies their Racist and Nazi Based Gun Control Agenda.
Turn California, New York, Illinois, and Washington state red and I wont say another negative word of skepticism.
Yup. Democrats are nothing if not hypocrites. Just because they own a gun doesn’t mean they support your right to own one too.
Absolutely true. Guns for me, but not for thee.
Agreed. I know plenty of leftist, elitist that own guns and shit themselves thinking of the common rabble being able to buy deadly weapon.
Remember when that anti-gun nut, and washed up B-movie actress admitted to owning guns? We can only hope that gun ownership will lead them to discover the actual facts underlying the debate. Maybe some will have a change of heart when they realize that they’ve been lied to, and the Left is completely FOS. But for some (many) on the Left, facts don’t matter. Remember #Believeallwomen (unless a pivotal democrat candidate is up for election)?
That’s the part there may be truth to. “What do you mean I can’t have one today, they told me that I could just buy it off the Internet and have it delivered like it was Grubhub or Uber Eats or a book.”
When I first glanced at picture I was thinking…..
“Why is that guy playing with his gun while standing in line at a flower shop?”
Then I looked closer and saw in fact that it was a gun store and then I asked…
“Why is there a botanical garden in a gun store?”
Then I read the blurb detailing the picture….
Oh…..California gun store.
I wonder if they sell organic bullets?
Probably Gluten free as well
No Lead allowed
It isn’t just the failure. It’s also about the lies.
Precisely….. And they will invent new lies….
His statement in the article “”This has taken me, a law-abiding citizen with nary an unpaid parking ticket to my name, over a month,” he told the Washington Free Beacon. “Meanwhile Joe Bad Guy has probably purchased several fully automatic AK-47s out of the back of an El Camino in a shady part of town with zero background checks.”” explains why most anti-guns and former non-gun owners hate gun owners. These morons believe the media and leftist politicians BS about availability of machine guns, that you can just find them laying about anywhere. I would like to see any criminal come up with the $18,000-$45,000 a “fully automatic AK-47” sells for even if you could find “several” for sale at any one time or place. I guess it also explains the public reaction to the pandemic BS also.
Maybe he was thinking of Leland Yee?
The reality is very few people are killed by assault style rifles, and NONE have ever been killed by a fully automatic one in the US that I could find on the internet.
The other thing that the media and the left morons is that the media will spout off about 52,000 people die per year from guns, while that is true, problem is the numbers are misleading, intentionally mind you, because 60% of those killed by guns were suicides! Of course one could argue that if guns were outlawed suicide would drop…sorry, wrong, those that want to kill themselves will simply find another way, in fact a lot of people do find other ways besides guns. They also don’t tell you is that a lot of those shootings they cite are homeowners protecting themselves from an attack. Statists are showing that about 1.2 million times a year a gun is used defensively, this means that the majority of the time the person causing the offense takes off and no shots are fired; so what does all that mean? it means quite simply is that if you ban guns then crime would go up to over a million people being killed or raped each year. Now the last time I checked, 1.2 million is a larger number than 31,000 (taking suicides out of the equation).
If the leftist and media morons want to ban guns, I will go along with it…IF…they also FIRST ban all knives, because knives kill more people than rifles of any sort including shotguns! And they also must ban all hammers because hammers kill more people than rifles of any sort including shotguns! How do those numbers look inquiring minds ask? 297 people a year die by rifles including shotguns, 1,515 die from knives, 443 die from hammers. So the left needs to ban knives and hammers first and then after those are banned the left can ban guns. But there is another number not told by the media or the leftists, we know that about 297 people die from rifles and shotguns a year, but roughly half of those were killed accidently.
“The reality is very few people are killed by assault style rifles, and NONE have ever been killed by a fully automatic one in the US that I could find on the internet.”
Speaking of lies…
Assault rifles ARE fully automatic. These are rifles meant for soldiers. The AR15 is NOT an assault rifle. The AR15 is a civilian semi-automatic rifle. Too many people have bought into this craziness. Even the parts needed to make AR15’s into full auto are NFA. But there is more to assault rifles than just a full auto seer.
Maybe you knew this and maybe you didn’t. But people need to understand the difference.
They were advertised for years as assault rifles or assault-style rifles…even though they were/are not.
Like sports cars…plenty are advertised as such…but what foes the term REALLY mean?
The term can be researched all the way back to Hitler.
If you want to compare to cars, I know of no sports car that civilians have a right to have that so many high ranking democrats try to malign and ban. Motor vehicles are not explicitly part of our constitutionally protected rights. Many people enjoy Shelby stripes on their car or maybe even the words “Pace Car”. But that does not make their vehicle worthy of professional competition racing.
This is an apples to oranges comparison.
The ONLY places I have ever seen these things getting ‘advertised’ like that were from anti-gun politicians and major media. Otherwise it’s all about people in general using that term in ignorance.
When I said assault, I was using a term that the rest of the us understand, because most people refer to them as assault rifles, though you are correct. I don’t think most know the difference, most people own handguns and have no clue what the true meaning of assault rifle is, this is even evident from the left and the media.
I’ve come to the point of dropping the word from my vocabulary. Whether in conversation or writing, I avoid using the “A” word as much as possible. Perception is everything, and we’ve fallen into the trap of using the media’s obfuscations when refuting their lies, in my humble opinion. To me, the only way forward is not to dignify the misuse of the “A” word with a reply.
Just as the new buzzword is “military grade” which is so misleading and disingenuous, simply because every firearm out there, from Flintlocks to Bolt Actions and Semi-Automatics descended from Military weapons at some point in their history.
The only way to fight their lies is with superior and irrefutable knowledge on the subject.
Normally average about 35,000 total gun deaths in the USA…not sure where you got 52K.
About 60-65% are suicides…choices…their body-their right… (except murder-suicides).
Of the remainder…12-15,000 …mostly drug/gang related. But that is racist these days.
This year may vary…with 2 months of quarantine. Suicide numbers may go up. We’ll see.
And the politicians usually just mention the rare high profile mass shootings. It’s all about harnessing emotion, not using logic.
with 2 months of quarantine. Suicide numbers may go up.
No, they’ll be chalked up as Covid deaths.
Don’t forget that police shootings are also part of that number.
You are talking about doing it the LEGAL way…out of the existing legal machine guns available
I am sure there are plenty of ILLEGAL machine guns out there (rifles AND pistols)…modified after purchase…not registered…that people would not readily admit to, of course
and some people may modify for others…or sell to others….ILLEGALLY, of course….
If they were/are so common…why do we RARELY…ULTRA RARELY…see or hear about them used in crimes…or even confiscated?
Like bump stocks…they are like toys for most…neat to own but not very practical in the real world…you can only shoot them in private or risk getting caught or turned in
I get your point though…people think some of this stuff is really easy to get…until they try in the real world
Some people will NEVER be convinced..no matter how much evidence you provide them.
used to be pretty easy to do a conversion….probably a lot of them squirreled-away out there that people are not eager to talk about….
“…and NONE have ever been killed by a fully automatic one in the US that I could find on the internet.”
It’s happened, but it’s very rare (meaning, a legally-transferred machine gun used to murder).
The one I recall was done years back by a cop, if memory serves…
even shootings with illegal automatic weapons seems quite rare…despite what hollywood would have you think…most criminals either don’t have access to them…or would rather avoid having another federal agency prosecute them….
Then it would seem the ban on full auto is working. Not really a good argument to put out there.
About as tough to find an Ak47 as a running El Camino.
Why do socks come in a ziplock bag and chips don’t? Now that’s debatable….. now gun control ? They need to fire a bunch of cops and politicians that have nothing better to do and knowing crime rate has hit an all-time low ? Please
Steve,
Your socks come in a zip-lock bag??? What? Do you buy them used? 😃
Just purchased socks from All America Clothing; they arrived in an envelop.
Just some good-natured ribbing.
Have fun!
Don’t let up the heat, train and educate all the new people coming in. They have skin in the game now.
Not really. This is about “guns” to us…gun rights. All these new gun owners don’t yet understand the entire Bill of Rights are stake. To the gun grabbers is has always been about the “grabbing”…treating rights like revocable privileges. “Guns” are just an easy target.
Government doesn’t like it’s economic producers to have guns. As soon as the little guy buys a device that launches lead using gunpowder they treat that person as a problem. Now and in the future.
The question is how and WILL people vote for change against a system designed to protect itself, grow stronger, and feed off those it works against.
Wishful thinking…… the government machine will crush all dissent….
Or….. We The People crush the governments dissent….
The best thing we can do is find those new gun owners, take them out to the range, and help them learn to handle and shoot their new gun in a safe manner. Shooting is not only a critical skill, it is lots of fun as well.
Amen Brother!
Ran into a former neighbor who I would classify as Left leaning, he said hey I just picked up a rifle,I asked him What did you get he said a AK,told him to give me a call and we will go shooting.
Perhaps there is a chance we can turn gun control on it’s head and down the drain.
Have you seen the new ATF Blue Igloo bulletin?
https://forum.full30.com/t/atf-boogaloo-bulletin/15225
Took them long enough. The Army was circulating warnings about incels a year or two ago, and that’s just dudes mad they can’t get laid.
I mean, when people run around talking revolution is it a shocker that some agents of the government might take note?
So, what’s the igloo supposed to represent?
Boogaloo -> “big igloo”
Similar to the modification of “allah ahkbar” to “aloha snack bar” but without the intent to insult.
Eh.
Meh.
I guess everyone forgot the decade old memo that you might be a domestic terrorist if you support the 2nd amendment, talk about the constitution, or have a Gadsden flag or a Ron Paul bumper sticker.
Or the one that essentially said to be suspicious of anyone who had pipe, end caps, wire nails or household products.
Essentially a BOLO for handymen and anyone in the trades.
Daaaamn, guess I need to tone down some of my rhetoric. Personally I liked Allah at the Bar over Aloha Snack Bar😋
Once the government starts turning the screws most of y’all pretend patriots (who are Also four star keyboard commandos) be the first to surrender, comply and narc on the real patriots.
Says a keyboard commando.
Does your mom bring meals down to your basement CP?
Once I get promoted to Keyboard Colonel I’m going to retire and take a sweet contractor job in the Department of Keyboard Defense.
You’ll become a chairborn ranger.
The Army calls them PowerPoint Rangers.
Yesterday we had a major storm event here in Cook County,ILL. 3″ of rain in 30minutes,hail and high winds. We’re OK but friend’s & neighbor’s aren’t…will it change anyone’s polical views?!? I doubt it! I got “yelled” at(on a local crime watch page) by a demanding Karen because I dared state “I wish you all could tell the difference between a gunshot & fireworks!!!” We got both…I see whiny be-otches. And “why” did the city fail? It didn’t. Millions are in the same boat. Gun or not they’ll still vote dumbocrat😕
FWW,
Glad you and family are OK.
Thanks! We live in a sorta “goldilocks” place. Major street and the same grid as fire,po-leece and court. No power outage or even cable. And our brick slab house is quite sturdy. Our good friend’s car was flooded as well as their basement. GOD protected us…have a wonderful day Lifesavor!
Skin, meet game.
No the change won’t be instant but shortly these people will be classified as dangerous nutjob criminals and most of them will take that as a serious insult.
Those negative feelings are a major opening for us. Deliciously ironic to get the antis to work for us as well.
Millions of new gun owners, and tens of millions who never even thought of buying a gun.
No, the debate hasn’t changed.
At all.
Sigh.
You’re mistaken. Because it’s not a debate. It never was. It’s feelings. The “debate” is just the rationalization that comes after they decide based on their feelings, and if you try to target THAT you’ve already lost. It doesn’t matter how well you can disprove their argument in a debate, they won’t change their minds because it was never about the facts. It’s about the feelings they got from the news.
The debate changes all the time, but the outcome is a given. The “debate” (i.e. the feelings of the permanent-condition-white masses) most definitely has changed, and in a way that actually matters. Those millions no longer blindly and casually agree with the tens of millions who haven’t changed their feelings. They’ll be uncomfortable when their usual refrain of “why can’t we just ban those nasty things” is met not with banal agreement but with awkward silence, or even (especially) an attempt at a well-reasoned response. What’s most important to these people is agreeing with, and being agreed with by others. The simple fact that these new gun owners no longer casually and consistently agree with them is the same as if we’d run a billion dollar targeted Facebook ad campaign featuring their favorite celebrities talking about how gun ownership and the militia are part of our national heritage and should be supported and respected.
But what is James Campbell‘a opinión on this important matter?
I’ve been doing my share. Getting first time gun owners out to the range (in both Texas and Florida). Also dispelling the lamestream media spin against responsible firearm ownership.
What have you been doing?
Oh, and BTW, thanks for asking.
Thanks man. I’ve been doing pretty much the same thing.
I am not for registration…but when they changed the 4473 maybe they should have added a new question.
Something like: Have you ever purchased a gun before? Or…have you ever owned a gun before? Or…do you currently own any firearms?
Yes…people can/do lie…but it would be interesting to see the numbers.
It is wrong to assume the new, first time gun owners will act logically and now see the necessity to protect 2nd amendment rights. ” Liberals ” are not logical, reasonable people. That is why they are ” liberals “. They will continue to see themselves as enlightened, special people. Now they have their firearms they will attack our right to own firearms with renewed vigor and work even harder to deny the smelly Wallmart folks their God given right to self defense.
What makes you think that any significant number of them really are “liberals”?
It should change the debate in a number of ways.
How many states were %$^&ing around with gun control in January, February, and March when they should have been doing basic, state-like stuff, such as ensuring pandemic preparedness? Northam and the Virginia legislature should have to carry this around like a dead, stinking albatross. Their sugardaddies (mini mike) should have this permanently affixed to them–“drove a partisan agenda while Rome burned.”
the left continues to push their agenda all through this pandemic…constantly trying to load-up relief bills with unrelated items from their wish-list…unconscionable,..but typical….
My guess is that the majority of anti gun types who just now bought a gun probably didn’t change the way they think at all and a lot of them probably can’t wait to get rid of the guns they bought. The reason they bought a gun now is because they watch trash media… they thought us knuckle dragging rednecks would be going to town to hunt Asian Americans, and they thought the USA (and the rest of the world) was about to descend into a civil war. If they think that can be avoided, they’ll gladly melt their new weapons.
yeah they bought a gun to protect themselves from US. They watch the evening news to get their unbiased information.
they just used their common sense….when it became apparent the government might not be able to protect them from an emerging threat…doubt you need to read any more into it
If that mangina that whined about how it’s so to tough concealed carry is any indication, I’ll remain skeptical
While I’m sure plenty of these new owners are and will continue to be “it’s okay for me because I’m special” hypocrites maybe a not so insignificant portion of them who were once apolitical will become at the very least single issue pro-gun voters.
That’s essentially what happened to me 40 years ago. Tank the economy, print money, abort everyone up to the age of 25, let trannies marry alpacas, legalize meth, whatever, people will do it anyway and I don’t give a shit. If it weren’t for guns being an issue I’d never vote.
Shire-man, I’ve been a single issue 2A voter for 40+ years. I like it here in 2A only land. It cuts out a lot of BS. 🤩
The quote from the article that caught my eye was “I was for stricter gun laws—no ARs, close the gun-show loophole…”. The fact that anyone still cites a “Gun Show Loophole” shows how much education still needs to be done. Hint: There’s no such thing. If now owning a gun gets more people engaged to figure out fact from fiction that’s a good thing. Like most issues (political or otherwise) there are those on either end that won’t be swayed no matter what. It is the folks in the middle that are important. Hopefully they represent a good number of those that recently purchased guns, perhaps for the first time. Welcome them all with open arms (pun intended), offer training and education. Someone spending several hundred dollars obviously now has a vested interest. Okay, maybe it was a hi-point so not quite as invested, but it’s a start.
the “gun show loophole” refers to private sales…or any other transaction that doesn’t involve a background check…while this happens.. it is not nearly the threat that they perceive…criminals tend to acquire their weapons in other ways…..gun shows are generally populated by hobbyists, collectors and assorted gun-buffs…a rather benign group…..
I think the main benefit from this is that a lot of people have now experienced what is actually required to buy a gun. So when someone says “background checks” or some other nonsense they will say “We already have that.” instead of “Yeah! Right on!”
I did love the line about buying AKs out of the back of an El Camino.
Yeah, the sunshine soldiers and summer patriots are going to come over to our side. Don’t make me laugh.
It’s a small start, and there are valid arguments about it trending either direction. The best we can do is help push the trend our direction. Whether it makes a difference or not, only time will tell.
When this covid crap is over (meaning after the election), those new gun owners will probably revert to their old ways,……. I could be wrong.
6 months, maybe a year from new all these new gun owners will revert to their old ways. Most of these guns will be sold or stashed in the closet, never to be looked at again. It was a panic buy and when the panic is over they will go back to wanting gun control “for the children”
I have zero believe they will make any impact on anything.
that largely depends on the difficulty they had in obtaining a firearm…..