coronavirus gun sales
Stephanie Miller, of Atlanta, places shotgun in her shopping cart as she checks out Adventure Outdoors Monday, March 16, 2020, in Smyrna, Ga. Miller said she had been on the fence about guns but with recent events she decided to buy guns. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

By Theresa Inacker

People desperate to make a first time gun purchase are learning that it is not so easy. They are realizing that the anti-rights cadre, like Moms Demand Action and Everytown for Gun Safety, have been spewing dangerous lies, which might very well have deadly consequences.

There is a sense of insecurity bubbling up in people. Many have come to the realization that government does not have all the answers, nor can it protect you. In fact, it has been held by our Supreme Court that the police do not have a constitutional duty to protect you (see Castle Rock v. Gonzales). This certainly deflates the idea floated by some that only the police should have guns. 

In the current state of emergency, the likelihood of civil unrest increases as supplies and medical care are in higher demand. Police departments around the country are no longer enforcing the law, and prisoners are being released into neighborhoods.

Good people are worried about protecting themselves and their families, as well as the much needed food and supplies they’ve been scraping together. They are realizing they are defenseless and completely vulnerable. It must be a dreadful feeling.

Gun rights supporters and advocates are those of us who take responsibility for our own security. We need to welcome these new gun owners and those who now want to be to the side of those of us who keep and bear arms. We need to help them with the application and permitting process. We need to show them that the Second Amendment rights community is the most diverse civil rights community that exists.

But we must also teach them this: With these rights come responsibility. Everyone should learn about gun safety, safe handling and the nuances of gun laws in his or her state.

Yet responsibility goes a step further.

Never again should you vote for an anti-rights politician.

Never again should you support a candidate who says “I support the Second Amendment but...”.

Never again should you support the banning of commonly used tools like modern sporting rifles and standard capacity magazines. 

You must only support candidates who stand firmly for the Second Amendment on principle. There is no room for equivocation.

Remember, welcome the newbies. This is our chance to show them how they’ve been led astray.

 

Theresa Inacker, an attorney and Second Amendment advocate, is a member of the US Supreme Court bar, the New Jersey Delegate to The DC Project, and serves as the Communications Director for the Coalition of New Jersey Firearm Owners.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

101 COMMENTS

  1. “Remember, welcome the newbies. This is our chance to show them how they’ve been led astray.”

    Hear, hear. Well said.

    • Exactly. Now’s the time to educate and encourage.

      Note that the classic TTAG trolls have been absent for a few days now. Probably stuck in line somewhere at their local gun stores, wondering why the line isn’t moving…

      • “… Note that the classic TTAG trolls have been absent for a few days now…”

        No, more likely they’ve signed up as paid trolls (Russia, China,Soros, Bloomberg….” and are busy doing as such on the political news sites.

      • The ones that choose to recognize the danger of the present situation will likely connect the dots quickly. I fear many will not in any kind of hurry. With any luck those I know around Philly will get with the program quickly as they effectively have the same “bail reform” we have been dealing with up here since January.

        • I was reading an article on the Hill earlier today. There were many comments by the die hard liberals ( socialists ) and they are calling us all “gun nuts” and wondering if we were thinking that we could shoot and kill the corona virus. You can’t fix stupid. These will be the ones that squeal the loudest for their teddy bears and hot chocolate.

        • After tomorrow if they want anything I can only tell them to search the four winds for their defense needs.

        • “…they are calling us all “gun nuts” and wondering if we were thinking that we could shoot and kill the corona virus.”

          A perfect example of the advertising techniques I’ve talked about. They’ve build a caricature and are using this to try to trip people’s built-in pattern recognition software. It’s tied into all the other bullshit they’ve said about us like that we’re racist. Now they get to call us racists without saying it and use current events to do it.

          I’ve referred to this game as “see paw, know lion”. It’s hardwired into us and the people you mention are using that to their advantage to sell a feeling of superiority among their followers. That’s to be expected at this point since people love to hold on to feelings like that when they perceive things are going to shit around them.

          They’re playing a game that’s effective and doubly so because we don’t play it back.

        • Strych9 you are spot on for the programmed responses but crisis does have a way of breaking some reality into one’s life. 9/11 showed me in no uncertain terms that it is always better to be ready to fight back and identify threats early. I was utterly confused at how security (theater) was pushed as accomplishing anything. Then Katrina hit and I began to realize having the means for personal defense is critical because many in authority would rather you die than dare to protect yourself.

        • SAFE:

          It will be less effective at this point in terms of winning people over but it still serves the purpose of solidifying the “tribe” in terms of feelings of superiority and shaming some people from “leaving the fold”. Essentially what they’re saying is “Gun owners are dumbass, racist, redneck rubes that lack culture, education and sophistication. Look at these morons buying bullets to shoot a virus. You’re not an idiot like that… are you?”.

          Currently most people will probably ignore that but we’re always playing a margins game to some extent just like GM and Ford. So anyone they can “shame” into not “acting like an uneducated dumbass redneck” is a marginal win for them because it lessens the chance that the person in question comes over to our side. That strategy can be myopic at times like this but over the long run it’s a damned effective form of attrition.

        • I find it slightly worrying that some of the HMMV’s have what look like CROWS turrets. Also slightly envious their unit has those for stateside.

          • There is a lot of reasons to be nervous about what is going on in Baltimore AND NYC where the fucking Commie Mayor is calling for Nationalizing everything AND California, Illinois…. Liberals and RINOs are grabbing for the brass ring with this one. big bills in Congress with all sorts of secret shit burried in them, a little Nazi acting Doctor who badmouths a “proven” treatment because he doesn’t approve of the testing methods, fuck him chloroquine is already in use for off label shit and Zpacs are common as aspirin no body needs his permission to treat with that combo… I took chloroquine for over 3 yrs in South East Asia, took a million or so mosquitos to finally get me with malaria on my third tour….. IT’S party time for the left, beware….

        • “a little Nazi acting Doctor who badmouths a “proven” treatment because he doesn’t approve of the testing methods”

          Good Lord, the incredible ignorance of many on this forum.

          Perhaps you would care to enlighten us with the details of the ”proven” treatment.

  2. Man how are they even buying? NICS is crashed here in Western Kentucky.

    • Friday afternoon over 8,000 in the queue in Colorado. System keeps crashing. What use to take five minutes is now days and days.

      • Which is why I will never give up my paper. Make copies of every form you fill out on-line. Things get ‘lost’ in cyberspace. Even if it doesn’t crash.

      • Colorado is now up to 5 days, 10K checks in the queue. I went to a Big R in Colorado Springs this AM just to scope things out and surprising they had .22LR, on sale no less and available. Everything else but standard hunting calibers were gone .

        I was in Alamoso last week and checked the big R there. They had a lot of Ammo probably because they were limiting sales to 2 boxes per caliber per customer. Grabbed some .223 and 9MM cause they had it on sale at a good price. I did talk to a first time buyer, he was waiting for a shotgun and asked me what type of shells he should get. Hopefully he is a convert.

        • I laughed at Jax last week. They were basically sold out on pistol ammo. They still had .44 Rem Mag and a bazillion rounds of 10mm.

          What made me laugh was the rifle and shotgun sections. Untouched like the “vegitable based meat substitute” section at the grocery stores and no restrictions on buying quantity. What’s that about?

    • I have a CCDW so all I do is present it in Western Kentucky, fill out the 4473, pay and out the door I go.
      A CCDW allows you to to that since there is a background check done on your once a month.

      • ATF just took that away from Michigan CPL holders. Glad I don’t need anything at the moment.

    • Update y’all I went back to the store this morning about 11 and NICS gave a proceed in 5 minutes. Guess traffic is finally dying down.

  3. This is great. We need more gun owners and people who know to stand up for their rights.

    The government needs to be taken down

    • I disagree. I love gin and tonics BUT not the crappy bottom shelf or well gins the kids are so wild about nowadays. See what I mean?

        • If you aren’t looking for top shelf cost wise Prohibition (localish distillery) makes one you would probably enjoy although it is not a really traditional tasting gin.

        • I’ll check out Prohibition of its available nearby. My go to is Empress 1908, unmistakable as it ‘s purple.

  5. Panic favors the PREPARED.

    THIS is the take home message regarding ALL essentials, especially firearms and ammunition.

    “If someone comes to kill you, rise up and kill him first.”
    — Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Sanhedrin

    • My wife kind of gave me grief when I had extra food at the house. Not a ton, but enough I could get by for a few weeks. She asked me what I had all the canned peaches for. I was like “what are you going to eat while I’m eating canned peaches?” After this I think it’s more of an “ohhh” moment.

      While I wouldn’t see her having a gun at base value I think she realizes that there’s a decent amount of outfitting already done should it be required.

      • Same boat brother my wife gave me grief because three weeks ago I brought home 50lbs of flour and other things to add to the stash as well as tp. Last night shes like let’s buy a generator and some propane and extra gas I’m like hallelujah she saw the light! She still doesnt want a gun though ):

        • I have endless amounts of flour. Wife went out to get some yeast. No shortage there. I don’t want to rub this in, but the fragility of our society has been evident for some tme.

        • I was laying in a supply of SHTF food. My snoopy spoiled wife said I can’t eat any of that….. Why not? She said, “I don’t like it. I told her you’ll eat it if you get hungry enough. She say’s “No I won’t” I told her, “No problem, that’ll just mean more for me!”

        • Glutes, I went with 22 pounds of flour and some yeast. My wife is a pro baker, which just does wonders for my triglycerides.

  6. They are realizing that the anti-rights cadre, like Moms Demand Action and Everytown for Gun Safety, have been spewing dangerous lies,

    The lie will ALWAYS come back to bite you in the ass… The bigger the lie the bigger the bite… Bloomers “Commietown for Gun Confiscation” and his “Moms Disarming America” harem have spent the past few years spreading the same bullshit talking points and scaring the hell ouy of people who know and understand even less about guns and gun laws than they do (hard to imagine, but true) and now the people that bought into the bullshit are realizing the truth…. In the REAL world everybody does NOT get a trophy….

  7. Earlier today, I drove through the parking lot of the Army/Navy store in Whitehall, PA. That is where I purchased my very first gun. The line of customers stretched across the front of the building and up along the east side. I have never seen a line at that store, not even on Black Friday. These folk were probably not queuing up for camo t-shirts and thermal socks. They looked frustrated. Maybe the store was limiting the number of people who could enter at one time. That, combined with NICS checks and that many of them likely needed assistance with their selections, it seemed like the wait on that line would be long. The line did not move while we drove slowly by.

    For these folk, it is a strong lesson in preparedness as well as in infringement. I hope they spent their time on line memorizing the 2A, and thinking about how they are going to train.

  8. I hosted a video conference last night for individuals that are seeking to buy their first gun and wanted to know how to do this in California. 30 people showed up!!! The interest is truly intense. I totally agree that this is an educational opportunity to remove the “evil taint” from firearms and firearm owners.

  9. Took a family member to an indoor range just before everything went crazy. He seemed to enjoy it. But now I’m holding on to what ammo I have. This situation is cutting into my range time.

    • I wish I could post a photo. I had my PA 2.5x prisim come in right before the panic. I sighted it in at a busy indoor rifle range. I was the only one shooting. The other 40 people there were trying to buy guns.

  10. Great idea in theory, but as we all know, more than half these people are type who when the “crisis” is over, they’ll go back to their usual thoughts and actions. They just cant help themselves!

    • “…more than half these people are type who when the “crisis” is over, they’ll go back to their usual thoughts and actions.”

      Yes. “It is only for just this one time” is a powerful thought process.

        • Exactly! Most of the gun stores here in the SF Bay Area have already been ordered to close, as “non-essential businesses”. But surprisingly, there’s a scant few that are open. Until they run dry.

        • B:

          Closed business are easier to get supplies from. When you need them bad enough.

    • It’ll be more than half. And now, they’ll be able to say “I’m a gun owner and there’s no reason why anyone should have a………..”

      They’ll be worse than before and the smug and self-riotousness will be foul.

    • And, there’ll be some good gun deals as a lot of these people will be dumping their newly acquired firearms off thinking this kind of situation will NEVER happen again {sarc}.

  11. Here in the Fort Campbell Kentucky area there are plenty of guns still on display and lots of ammunition. For rifles. Not so much for the popular handgun ammo. I bought a rifle just two weeks before this Rush all started. No issues then though.

  12. Too bad all some people know about firearms is what they’ve “heard” for slanderous anti gun zealots. To them gun owners are racists and nazis. The fact is the Roots Of Gun Control are in racism and genocide. Now exactly who is what and who is who?

  13. Most of the people who are trying to buy their first gun now out of panic will turn into the worst kind of enemy, the kind that says “I’m not anti-gun. I own a gun! But nobody needs a weapon of war.”

    Guaranteed. They will turn on us at the first moment they can. And there’s not a thing you can do to change that.

  15. It’s not just guns. People are going to be more open minded to a whole mindset of independence. It might start at a gun store, or an amateur radio club, or a first aid class, or many other places.

    Regardless, it will be good for freedom. Even if the person still never likes guns, they are more likely to view your rights with respect.

    Now it’s more OK to say that you have a gun, or a radio license, or whatever. Use that ability. The media can’t look at gun owners like a bizarre zoo animal any more.

    • “The media can’t look at gun owners like a bizarre zoo animal any more.” Yes they can because they are out of touch with reality now.

    • no they won’t. They will turn around and blame the government for not acting fast enough and not protecting them. These are people that need to be told what to do, and when to do it. No sympathy. Fuck em. Only thing they are doing is scattering supplies through panic buying and hoarding. Fine by me. Much easier to take from them than an agency.

  16. Not to be a negative nancy but I’ve seen a boatload of “gunowners” who vote for gun-grabbing pols. Dumbocrats. In ILLinois. The vast majority are black(but not my wife!) I ceased ‘splaining why it’s counterintuitive. Folks want free chit…

      • When are these people going to let that stuff go and focus on what’s important now?

        When the MSM stops glorifying that kind of bullshit and elevating assholes like Pritzker to heroic status… In other words not until sometime in the distant future when the Oval Office is once again occupied by a Left Wing “Super Star”….

      • PRICKSTER did NOT close gunshops! Stunning I know as he’s a billionaire POS. Makes him “slightly” better than little Gavin(how TH was he ever married to Kimberly Guilfoyle!?!). Our broke azz state is going to get a lot broker. Honestly outside of Cook Illinois is mostly conservative and pro-gun. Central & southern ILL is a different world(and they’re pizzed). Good luck in Commiefornia!

  17. Let’s hear from you, new owners. What have you learned that was different from what you thought prior to this event? Have you changed your perspective or is this just an expedient solution to a short term problem?

    • Most, if not all, new owners prolly haven’t progressed far enough yet to have even heard of TTAG.

      • I just hope they read the manual and clean it before they bring it to the range and end up asking me how to load it or make it safe during a cease fire.

        • I have no sympathy for them now same as before. They panicked and bought something they have no understanding of with little to no intention of mentally preparing themselves to ever use. When push comes to shove, they will still side on the same side they did before. Most these “new” gun owners are long time non owning FUDD’s and NOT people who voted or will vote for anti freedom measures. Fuck em. These are the ones that when our supply runs out, we come and take theirs, because it collects dust and serves us better.

  19. To all experienced firearms owners,

    May I suggest finding a newbie and take them under your wing. Teach them foremost, safety and safe handling skills.

    We gain strength by converting the skeptical by showing truth. Teach them how to shoot. We win by actions.

    Then advise of the political lies.

    Stay safe everyone!

    • “May I suggest finding a newbie and take them under your wing.”

      I think finding a FUDD and turning them into a 2A defender would be more effective. With a supposed 100,000,000+ legal gun owners in this country, gun control regulations should not occupy a single brain cell in the minds of anti-gunners. Convert a FUDD, forget the unicorns.

      • unicorns.

        More like panic buyers. Even the FUDDs can fuck right off along with them.

    • @ Marlin
      Honestly, that’s easier said than done. For one, people have to be receptive to change. It’s like telling a hard core bible-thumper the guy in the sky Santa Claus is nonsense. It’s not that easy. Society has been programming wet-noodle dependent drones. That programming isn’t as easy to delete as it sounds.
      Of the non-gun folks I knew, the ones that bought guns did so because they thought Hildabeast was going to get elected.
      Here’s the big joke, one called me up yesterday wondering where he could get ammo for his Ruger 556 and his LC9. He had NO AMMO at all for either. Not a single round in 9mm or .223 I made him sorry for calling me up panic buying ammo. I told him online….but he didn’t listen. Good luck finding any but it’s a bit late anyway, he should have had SOME ammo for Christ sake, he didn’t have a single round!!
      Surely those Rugers will jump out of the closet, load themselves and protect him in a time of need!

  20. I’m not on the Kumbaya Bus. The Articles Spin: Now newbies are gun owners the must blindly support the 2A Banner (that most probably opposed until “Now”) is akin the the Mayor of Baltimore asking criminals to stop shooting people so beds would open up for WuFlu patients. I don’t see either one working.

    What will happen with these newbies is that every screwup they do from ND’s with or without victims, kids getting the guns to unlawful use of lethal force WILL BLAMED ON ALL FIREARMS OWNERS! They will twist the blade of kids getting shot by unsecure guns, suicides from the isolation and increased depression and of ciurse the Wild West shootouts they said would happen.

    Any of you want one of these newbies who had a short conversation on how it works at the counter and likely zero range time or other training to covering your SIX? Think they ever heard the Basic Gun Safety Rules or that they are responsible for every shot fired?

    There is more likelihood they will provide fodder for the anti-gun folks media headlines than they will ever Vote for a Pro 2A candidate. They may want to protect their new little gun but those evil black assaulty thingies with humongous clipazines still gotta go!

    You can neither Trust nor Verify when the action is one of desperation.

    • “Any of you want one of these newbies who had a short conversation on how it works at the counter and likely zero range time or other training to covering your SIX?”

      No, but I don’t want a goodly percentage of TTAG commentors covering my six either. In fact, there’s a good 5% I don’t want within a mile of me.

  21. I’m optimistic the people we can count on for support are not necessarily the new gun owners but those that tried to buy a gun and came away empty handed due to laws and restrictions.

    FOMO is a powerful motivator. Should things go TU in big cities and they will question why they were fed to the wolves.

  22. Or when they realize they cannot get a gun for themselves in the traditional leftist style formulate the opinion that NO ONE
    should ha w a gun and if they cannot get a gun everyone who owns guns the government should take them by force and kill them.

  23. People who previously had bought the Bravo Sierra that their overlords the totalitarian Marxist gun grabbers had spoon fed them,are in need of educating themselves.

    I suggest they read the Constitution and the Federalist papers weekends read but a life long study, hopefully when someone tries to sell them a heaping helping of the newest Bravo Sierra,they can say No thanks.

    https://usconstitution.net/const.html

    https://www.history.com/topics/early-us/federalist-papers

    https://www.congress.gov/resources/display/content/The Federalist Papers

  24. There is a great deal in satisfaction knowing that multitudes of times in the country since this COVID-19 panic gun buying started, first time gun buyers went to their local gun stores with a totally distorted concept of what it’s was actually going to take to purchase a firearm. They’ve been shoveled total malarkey by the lame-stream media and politicians including Obama who stated that it’s easier to buy a gun than a book or that it’s easier to get a gun than a drivers license. Besides the local gun stores who were likely cleaned out anyway, who knows how many countless attempts were made to buy a weapon online “without a background check”, LIKE THEY’VE HEARD A GAZILLION TIMES only to find out you really CAN’T buy a gun online without a background check. Of course there’s no gun shows because of social distancing, bans on gatherings and such so we can’t shove the gun show loophole factoid up there a$$es…as unfortunate as that is.

    We can only savor a minuscule portion of the available satisfaction that’s actually out there.
    If we ONLY knew!

    • who knows how many countless attempts were made to buy a weapon online “without a background check”

      Most repeated question among these newbies trying to purchase online….. “What is an FFL?”

    • An old myth started by a converted atheist that really never was an atheist but always said he was an atheist because he thought it sounded cool….

    • How did a red state like NC end up with such a complicated permit system and waiting periods.

      • It isn’t solid red. There are lots of urban areas and a few wealthy mountain towns in NC. They voted for Obama in 08, but not in 12.

  27. When moms are their family or friends, are been robbed, rape, and killed, they will wish and pray to God they had something to protect themselves with. God will protect you, YES, that’s why HE gave us common sense, like don’t walk into on comming traffic, don’t beat yourself in the head with a hammer, don’t believe u r a bird and fly from top of a tree,don’t bring a knife to a gun fight, theses are just a few examples of how God will an has protected his people, it’s best to have it and not need it,then to need it and not have it.Always think before acting, use what God has provided us with, Common Sense, AMEN

    • “When moms are their family or friends, are been robbed, rape, and killed, they will wish and pray to God they had something to protect themselves with.”

      More likely, they will complain on CNN how the government failed to protect them, and demand yet more gun control.

Comments are closed.