Kenosha gun store sales
(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
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TMZ – yes, really, TMZ – reported a significant surge in gun sales in Kenosha, Wisconsin and surrounding areas. That shouldn’t be surprising, really, although considering the gun sales spikes we’ve been seeing nationwide it’s a little startling that they can go up even more. But riots and burning buildings are tend to motivate people.

The first gun store they talked to said their sales have been up since Jacob Blake’s death:

Then, after the Kyle Rittenhouse shootings:

Also worth noting: since this increase in sales is going through FFLs these are all people who can pass a background check. I only mention this because we know there were felons carrying guns illegally during the Kenosha riots.

If you haven’t purchased a firearm and ammo yet, you’re awfully late to the party. It’s still possible, but will likely take you longer to find what you want and cost you considerably more than it would have months earlier. It’s good to see new gun owners, though, and hopefully more than a tiny fraction of the noobs remain gun owners and become Second Amendment advocates over time.

Do you think that more or fewer guns will be sold now that Joe Biden has announced that he’ll leave his basement in order to visit Kenosha tomorrow?

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63 COMMENTS

  1. I hope the sellers are giving the 2-3 minute ‘informational’ about the necessity of the second amendment and what it means to them RIGHT NOW. Go Joe….Uh maybe not.

  2. Don’t one the option of a shotgun. A 12 gauge shotgun loaded with #4 buckshot unleashes nearly as many projectiles as a full magazine from an AR-15. While the AR-15 has a definite advantage at longer range, the shotgun is excellent for closer range. The term “scatter gun” is a gross exaggeration, but if you ain’t for the pavement about half way between yourself an angry mob, that relatively compact pattern will spread out to send a lot of people to the hospital or morgue.

      • Many years ago on the farm we often experienced stray dogs attacking and killing our chickens. Which generally resulted in dead dog. One option that allowed for the dog to possibly survive was to shoot (12 or 20 gauge) about 10 feet behind them as they ran up the blacktop. It didn’t always kill them, but it would send them Ass over Appetite. No sarcasm intended.

    • A shotgun wouldn’t be my first choice for outdoor defense against humans, but it’s far better than a pistol. Up close, I prefer #1 buckshot over #4 due to more consistent penetration, and at longer ranges, definitely switch to slugs. Of course, Federal FliteControl #1 buckshot would provide a lot more flexibility, if they still sold it. I need to load some of my own.

      • That Federal Flite Control 00 buck works real well out of an improved cylinder shotgun.
        Shotgun is not my first choice outside the home either. But at close quarters it’s hard to argue with a shotgun.

      • I’ve been making 7.5 shot wax slugs, it’s like a 12ga Glazer. And they fly really well out of my mossy 835. It wouldn’t be my first choice for defense, I’ll grab my ar and g19 for backup. Just my $.02

    • Keep in mind the other benefits of a rifle as well. Kyle fired a few shots from very unconventional positions and grappled to retain control of his own rifle. Many of those awkward shots would likely have jammed a semi auto shotgun and needing two hands to positively work a pump gun would have been very difficult. And it goes without saying, ammo capacity is important. Kyle fired no fewer than 8 round during the night without coming close to needing a reload.

      • I haven’t seen any reports on whether or not Kyle had a handgun to back up his rifle. That close in stuff demands a reliable weapon and a backup, imho.

        • A 17 year old with a handgun? An IL 17 year old with a handgun? I’m sure he knew better than to chance the charges if he had a handgun. Not sure about WI handgun laws, but the ridiculous here in IL is that he has to be 21 to have one of those unless in vicinity of its owner.

          As he was in WI and didn’t take any firearms with him, I’m sure the individual who supplied the long gun knew about issues with him having a handgun. My memory is not great right now, but didn’t they push nationwide the 21 year old handgun thing? Too long in IL, also late at night, to remember the rest of the laws in the country right now.

      • The real 1st defense weapon is, of course, yourself. It’s important to cut through the on-line bravado and look seriously at what you should do if attacked. I’ve looked at various Kyle videos a number of times and the one thing thats constant about him is how he kept his head, didn’t panic, or start firing “warning” shots (highly illegal, to say nothing of being dangerous) to scare his attackers off. Instead, even from a prone position and being physically attacked by multiple assailants, he kept control of both himself and his weapon and only fired at people directly attacking him. All this from a 17 year old. I think we all have something to learn from him.
        Oh, and it’s a damn good thing he had that AR and a full magazine.

        • the main video, on the street where he whacks 3 assailants, notice the green laser from whoever has the cam. kyle was going to get lased in the eyeballs before the dude changed his mind due to shots fired.

          go back and take another look. green laser in plain view.

      • It is worth noting that Rittenhouse’s AR appears to suffer a short stroke failure between neutralizing the first attacker, and disarming the second. There is an extremely brief pause after he shoots the man who was trying to beat him with a skateboard (Sk8Boi) where the second attacker (I believe the internet has dubbed him “lefty”) stopped and put his arms up. Kyle realized the failure and racked his AR in that moment, it’s hard to see but you can HEAR him rack it. Thinking his opponent was vulnerable, Lefty tried to move in for the kill and was disarmed.

        All of which to say; semiautos fail. Do failure drills guys. It could save your life.

    • Who cares about gun sales? When is that new Fiocci factory in Arkansas gonna be online? I need 9mm, 9mak and 40. The online stores aee out?

  3. “We’re told folks were frantic and scared coming into Red Dot, and many became upset when they learned there’s a 72-hour waiting period to obtain a firearm in Illinois.”

    I really hope the store told them that’s what “common-sense” gun control means, and why voting conservative is important…

    • I’m slightly surprised that they would have a IL FOID card and not know about the 72 hour waiting period. Or they didn’t listen or study that part while waiting the month plus to get that FOID in the first place.

      • WI residents going to IL to buy long guns would not be subject to a FOiD, but they would still have to wait the 3 days because that is an IL law for sale of any firearms.
        It may be tolerable if you’re near the border, but driving hours to buy, then driving hours again 3 days later to receive is all sorts of terrible. But hey, it doesn’t really infringe on any rights, does it?

  4. Given the connection between riots, etc. and the panic buying by unarmed citizens we need a meme. How about “The Great Epiphany”?

  5. So how are the new IL buyers getting FOIDs so quickly? Wait times for FOIDs are far longer than the 30 day period that the IL State Police is required, by law, to process them. Did the new buyers already have FOIDs? I doubt it. Something is missing from the news story.

    • It says in the story that many of the new buyers are coming from WI to a store in IL.
      They can buy long guns that way, but they still have to wait the 72hrs per IL law.
      Laws protect us, don’t forget…

      • I thought all the illegal guns in IL were coming from out of state. Out of staters buying in IL? I’ve been told that’s not possible

  6. As has been said many times, gun sales do not equate to pro gun votes. I think that is more so true under normal circumstances. But under these circumstances they are buying a gun specifically because they don’t like what’s going on around them. Now who they blame for what’s going on around them is uncertain but it’s likely that quite a few of these new gun buyers won’t look favorably on those enabling the mobs.

  7. Gun sales go by residence, only IL buyers are required to have a FOID. Only IL has a foid requirement. A WI resident can walk into a IL store and buy ammo. An IL resident can not.

    • Yeah you’d assume that BK…I live a mile from Indiana. I can EASILY buy ammo in Indiana without whipping out the ole FOID. No cop’s at the border try to stop me. Except for Cabelas in Hammond(haven’t been there since March)no one asks…as crappy as ILL is several states are far worse. IE NJ,Commiefornia,NY…

    • I was just checking out Turners website, we have 29 of these stores in CA, and they have a lot of used and consignment guns listed at high prices. But most are 22LR, bolts, and levers some 40 and 45 semi autos. There was a lonely Glock 21FS for $1000, a Colt M4 (with some mods) for $2,100, a Ruger PCC (several mods) for $1,200. The revolvers listed seem to be the best buys of the bunch. Sounds like desperate folks are paying top dollar for used.

  8. Jacob Blake still has not been charged with the crimes he committed before being shot. Resisting arrest and numerous other crimes are still waiting for him to be charged with in Wisconsin. I still wonder if any of the rioters will ever get charged for their actions.

  9. Good news…The pos who attacked Rand Paul, his wife and a security guard has been arrested. That poor poor ratbassturd is right where he belongs. Perhaps a lifer named Bubba will loosen him up a bunch.

    • I’m sure he was released without bail in less time than it took you to write that comment. Probably already back in Portland.

      • There is news that federal marshals in the Portland area have deputized Oregon state troopers as fed. marshals. So those new deputies can protect fed. courthouses and arrest rioters on fed. charges. Those so charged are then arraigned in the fed. system thereby bypassing the entire worthless Oregon system. We’ll see if this has real teeth.

  10. So Biden’s going to Kenosha… Which Democrat riot zone do you think he’ll go to next?

    He’s gonna be VERY busy if he has to visit all of them, but I bet he’s only going to this one because he gets to slander a 17-year-old Republican for defending himself. Maybe next he’ll go to Portland so he can dunk on the Trump supporter who got assassinated for minding his own business.

    • Do you have citations that Kyle is a Republican? Probably not, because he’s not quite old enough to vote.

      I’m curious, because I’m not an R. Not a D, either. When I registered to vote in 1974, I checked the box that said “Independent”. When both parties suck, there is no good reason to join either one.

      • Well, he’s a conservative-minded young fellow who knows his way around an AR-15, supports law and order, and was trying to clean up and protect his community — all of which says Republican, whether he can vote yet or not. It’s close enough for politics.

        Also, you should know that it’s not up to us. The national media has dubbed him a Republican, and that’s all most people know. (Heck, they’re mostly right for once.) Joe Biden is going to call him a murderous Trump voter, or at least a murderous teen brainwashed by Trump. So, Republican.

        If you want to get technical about it, I’m not a Republican either. Never registered with any political party, cause they all suck, but I’m okay with being called a Republican because that’s who I vote for. (Used to vote for the occasional Democrat, but no more; they’ve gone from suckage to full evil.)

    • Twitter and facebook are now banning comments and videos that put Kyle in a good light. Once Big Tech determines someone’s guilt, you aren’t allowed to take up for them.

  11. “That shouldn’t be surprising, really, although considering the gun sales spikes we’ve been seeing nationwide it’s a little startling that they can go up even more…”

    hahahahahaha 🙂

    REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeee

    • Unfortunately Dick’s is doing quite well.
      Income is WAY UP due to exercise equipment sales. Net sales increased 20.1%
      Online sales up 194%. Posted highest ever 2nd quarter sales
      They don’t need gun sales.
      They’re laughing at all who said “They’ll be sorry about dropping guns and ammo products”.

  12. Lot of Yada Yada. Don’t you people realize that all of the violent rioting is being financed by Communist/Nazis from within the United States and overseas. The name Soros ring a bell? He is both and running free in America. There is so much compromise in Washington, D.C., neither political party can be trusted 100% to defend the Constitution or America from external or internal enemies. All of you “gun experts” and wanna be patriots better learn how to use and apply what firearms you have in your house. Make sure your whole family is familiar with their operation and use. Where I live in the UP firearms have been sold at record pace. People stay away from the “big boy” calibers like 30-06, 300 Win Mag, and 7mm Mag. Rifles and ammo are available. 30-30 Win is also available. If you can’t knock down an assailant with these, You don’t know what your doing. Anything that hasn’t been glamorized the gun magazines is still around.
    We all should have been aware of the bad situation that could occur once an outsider, Donald Trump was elected President. Well here it is. I don’t have the money, but those who do, should invest in an affordable reloading outfit. The equipment is still available, along with powder, primer and brass. At last resort, let the enemy supply you with the arms and ammo you need. You need to understand that we are at war with enemies of our Country America. Having a firearm requires the ability to use it in the manner it was created to be used. To KILL. I am an Army veteran and that was ingrained in our thinking early in our training. If you haven’t noticed on the news casts, that is the intention of the anarchists. To kill you and me. I pray that law and order return to our streets and America as a whole. The opposite could be devastating for us all.

    Gary

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