americans canadians buying guns coronavirus
(AP Photo/John Locher, File)
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Noah S. Schwartz, Carleton University

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a surge in gun sales. Estimates based on background checks show that an estimated 2.6 million guns were sold in the United States in March. That is an 85 percent increase over the same period last year.

While there are no official numbers, gun stores in Canada have also reported increased sales. This has spurred some news media to draw comparisons between the two nations’ gun-sales spikes, potentially stoking the fears of the Canadian public.

This angst has been echoed by gun control groups in Canada that have expressed concerns regarding the impact of “increased access to guns” on public health.

But few have noted the three key differences between the American and Canadian COVID-19 gun-sales spike.

No. 1: Why are they buying?

Canadians and Americans buy guns for different reasons. Over the past few decades, the United States has witnessed a transformation in its civilian gun culture. While in the past, gun ownership was mainly related to hunting and sports shooting, changes in laws and gun advertising have led to a rise in gun ownership for self-defense.

bear hunter woods rifle hunting
Gun ownership in the United States used to be mostly related to hunting and sports shooting. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

In the 1970s, only 20 percent of gun owners indicated self-defense as their primary reason for gun ownership. In the 1990s, following the explosion of laws that allowed Americans to carry guns outside the home, 46 percent listed self-protection.

More recent studies have shown that 76 percent of gun owners now report protection as their primary motivation for gun ownership.

The surge in first-time buyers suggests that many Americans buying guns during the pandemic are doing so due to concerns about self-defense, given fears of looting, violence and the government’s capacity to deal with the crisis.

With the absence of a gun-carry movement in Canada, this same shift has not taken place. The conditions under which guns can be used for self-defense in Canada are narrow, and the government stringently regulates not only firearms ownership, but the discourse surrounding guns.

Self-defense is not a legal reason to acquire a firearm in Canada, and cannot be listed as a reason for firearms ownership on a Possession and Acquisition License (PAL) application.

Though no research exists at this time, owners of gun stores who were interviewed by the media noted that Canadians are likely panic-buying due to a fear of shortages rather than a fear of violence, since the Canadian supply chain is heavily dependent on the United States.

That means gun owners who might have waited to buy firearms and ammunition for target shooting over the summer or hunting this fall are buying them now.

No. 2: How are they buying them?

Another key difference between the bump in sales in Canada versus the U.S. is the requirements to purchase guns and ammunition. South of the border, most firearms legislation is made at the state level, with big differences in gun laws across the country.

In many states, the only requirement to purchase a firearm from a licensed dealer is a federal background check, though states like California and Massachusetts have much stricter laws.

In Canada, the bump in sales is limited to those who have already passed through the RCMP’s extensive licensing regime. This process often takes up to six months and includes a weekend-long course, passing a written and practical test and reference checks. Canadian gun owners are subject to continuous automatic background checks as long as they hold the licence.

So if somebody is legally purchasing a gun in Canada, it means the RCMP could find “no reasons why, in the interest of public safety, they should not possess a firearm.”

No. 3: Who is buying what?

Many of the people buying guns in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic reported that it was their first time purchasing a gun. Furthermore, the majority of guns sold during the current boom have been handguns rather than long guns.

Though it’s a bit early to speculate, this could very well lead to even less support for gun control in the U.S., given that gun owners are unsurprisingly the least likely group to support gun control.

Gun With Bullets. Handgun Box With New Ammunition.
Most first-time gun buyers in the United States during the pandemic have purchased handguns. Bigstock

In Canada, on the other hand, it is likely that only a small minority of gun purchases during the Canadian spike were first-time buyers given the time frame required to acquire a firearm licence in Canada.

Statistics on the breakdown of handguns versus long gun purchases during the Canadian pandemic spike don’t exist, but we can guess that most of the new guns purchased in Canada were long guns being used for hunting or sports shooting.

That’s because gun owners wishing to own handguns must have a special Restricted Possession and Acquisition License (RPAL) and maintain a membership at a shooting club, which can cost hundreds of dollars per year and limits handgun ownership to serious target shooters.

Of Canada’s 2.2 million licensed gun owners, only about a quarter have licences that allow them to purchase handguns.

And so it’s clear there are major differences between the gun purchase spikes in Canada and the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic. This will hopefully set anxious Canadian minds at ease and let everyone get back to focusing on more pressing problems.The Conversation

 

Noah S. Schwartz, PhD Candidate, Political Science, Carleton University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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105 COMMENTS

  1. They are buying for defense too. They just can’t list it as such due to their regime.

    They are buying what they can get which doesn’t include a myriad of handgun and MSR options available in the US.

    Don’t correlate the whats with the whys falsely.

    • I like the top pic in the article. It looks like the young gal is aiming to relieve the FFL of one of his knuckles, lol.

    • Questionable self-reporting is often the most confounding factor in social studies.
      Like cold calling a gun nut and asking if they own guns and if so how many…
      1) they lie and say no
      2) they say yes and lie about the number
      3) they just hang up and so your data is biased by not including privacy minded folks
      4) they couldn’t tell you how many they have because every time they look in the safe I find something else I got a great deal on way back when and forgot about… um… “they”, not “i”. i meant “they”.

      • Just before the kung flu panic I was rooting through the stuff on top of my safes and found 2 pounds of powder and a bunch of primers that I didn’t know I had. By “I”, I also mean “they” 😉

        • There is the number I tell people when they ask. There is the number I tell my wife when she asks. There is the number I know I own. Then there is the number I actually own.

          Want to put any bets on if they are all the same number? Because my money is on none of them match 🙂

      • MA – yep I caught that ‘candidate’ piece as well. I wondered all thru the article if this is a piece of his ‘research’. Much of it was sheer opinion and/or speculation (IMHO but hey I only have an MS).. He missed a main point in that something like 40% (at least) of the ‘panic’ buyers are first time purchasers and much to their chagrin in many states it is not nearly as easy to buy a gun as they have been lied to about for decades. Wait what – ya can’t buy a gun off the intrawebz and ship it to my house, waiting periods, background checks – what are you talking about. They were told (repeatedly) that it was easier to buy a gun than a book or vegetables. SMH.

  2. They aren’t buying to stock up for shortages. They are buying for self defense. They just can’t use that terminology. Wonder how many Canucks are first time buyers?

    • This line from the article would tend to indicate not many could be first time buyers

      “This process often takes up to six months and includes a weekend-long course, passing a written and practical test and reference checks.

        • As a Canadian resident American Indian, with a Restricted PAL (ie the enhanced license so I can own pistols, AR15’s and SBR-semi autos), I can tell you that there is no spike of new applicants slightly before or during the CCPVirus panic. Mainly because to even begin the licensing process you need to attend there 1-2 day long, in person classes. Combine the Non-availability of classes to even start the process with the the virtual shutdown of Firearms-licensing related police services means there is pretty much no first-time buyers, outside of the already licensed, but non-owners which I again suspect is minuscule.

          The good news however is that many people are telling me that when this over, they are definitely getting their license so as not to be caught out again. So we will see a surge of some sort, just later.

    • Per the article, it takes up to 6 months for a Canadian to get permission to purchase a firearm for the first time, so it follows that very few of those purchasing guns in Canada during this sales surge are first time buyers, since they would have had to begin the process almost half a year ago.

      • Then the interesting part is going to be to ask this question in say 6 months when the paperwork catches up.

  3. The *real* reason, as we all know (but no one has the integrity to admit), is that we’re actively planning the invasion of Canadia.
    Deny, deny, deny, blah, blah, blah.
    We’re coming for you, Canadia. We both know it.
    /snark

    • The U.S./Canadian border is the longest unguarded national border in the world. Since I live in Florida, I feel that is a policy that has, by far, outlived it’s usefulness.

      Every fucking winter, here they come. Even though they are retired, they still clog the weekday commute early in the morning. Where they are going – who the hell knows.

      • Canadians are going to Florida for 2 reasons:

        1) They can actually get tickets to attend NHL games and watch their teams live. Everyone knows that “Lightning Fans’ and ‘Panther Fans’ are made-up, imaginary, mythical creatures.

        2) They are smuggling in uncut 100% pure Canadian poutine to peddle to school children. Thank gawd schools are closed and children are safe at home…or who knows how many more kids would be addicted.

        🙂

        • I have no idea about the Panthers but Lightning attendance is pretty good and they are die hard fans. I’m not a hockey guy myself but I have gone to games for work get-togethers and the like.

        • OMG – I just looked up Poutine. That’s a crime against potatoes and nature. And gravy. And green peppercorns apparently.

        • “I have no idea about the Panthers but Lightning attendance is pretty good and they are die hard fans.”

          Dunno where he got that from, but Bolt fans are real, based on what’s hanging in my closet.

          2004 was a very good year… 😉

        • Geoff & Klaus: Yes, my facetious statement in regards to Lightning fans is definitely over-stated. They are quite real. I learned that first-hand in 2004 while working in the surrounding Detroit areas for some automobile related businesses when the Stanley Cup was going on. To see tons of people cheering on a Florida team in the Red Wings home town was….definitely different. Though I’m guessing a lot of that had to do with Bill Davidson owning the Lightning at the time.

      • Many visit doctors and hospitals and have procedures done in Florida. We are the safety valve for their crappy public system

      • Modern conditions are a bit different now. We had a shit show for a military then. Not that we should beat up on Canada or anything. They have been pretty good people from all of the interactions I’ve had.

        • they have better manners than people that come down here from states like Mich., NY, NJ, and a bunch of other states

      • As bad as California is, I don’t think that’s the case.

        Waiting time for first firearm: Cali: 10 days. Canada: Up to 6 months.
        Handguns: Cali: Has to be on their (shrinking) list of approved guns. Canada: Barrel must be over 4″, need a special license.
        CCW: Cali: Probably not, depends where you are. Canada: Fuggedaboutit.
        Rifles: Cali: 10 round magazine limit. Canada: 5 round magazine limit.
        Guns in general: Cali: allowed to be stored loaded and accessible for self defense. Canada: Must be stored unloaded and either locked away or rendered inoperable (rare exceptions).

  4. Apples and oranges. There is no valid correlation of US gun ownership with any other country since the US is the only country, ever, with citizens and not subjects. We are unique and plan to stay that way.

    • Czech republic and a few others have incorporated gun rights into their constitutions and legal documents. Its a bit limited though.

      Now if we could bring back weapon of the day for the USA.

    • Some countries have come and gone with the idea,
      “In 1910 King Nicholas I of Montenegro proclaimed that all male citizens were the Militia and had a right and a duty to own a Gasser Pattern revolver..” Though it definitely was not included in a legal foundation document like us.

  5. “which can cost hundreds of dollars per year and limits handgun ownership to serious target shooters.”

    That should definitely read “which can cost hundreds of dollars a year and limits handgun ownership to the richer portion of the population.” Maybe they give out vouchers to help offset the cost of maintaining membership for the people who want to join a club but can’t afford it? Or maybe if you’re poor you can’t actually be serious about target shooting? That original wording, and the reasoning behind it, just sounds silly and pompous.

  6. In early March many people concluded that COVID-19 (both the virus itself as well as government and societal mitigation strategies) could seriously disrupt society in the short term and possibly even leave it in ruins for years.

    Many of those people therefore acquired firearms and ammunition as a hedge in the unlikely event that COVID-19 disrupted society (causing a short term spike in looting, rioting, theft, and robbery) or left society in ruins for years.

    Since practical handguns and shotguns are available for about $350 and will last almost indefinitely if not left to rust, that is a shrewd expenditure to hedge your bets against a short term or even long term disruption to society.

    Note: an additional $200 to $300 for ammunition means a firearm owner can hunt for wild game for a LONG time as well — a significant hedge in the event that someone is unable to acquire meat at their grocery stores for a multitude of reasons.

    • “In early March…”

      “Many of those people therefore acquired firearms and ammunition…”

      ****
      And then there were those who started such acquisitions way back in late 2012 when Obummer was re-elected, and ramped up the ammo purchases when Governor Jerry “Moonbeam” Brown signed AB 63 (ammo BGC) into law. These people were subsequently amply prepared by the time March 2020 and the Great Toilet Paper & Ammo Panics hit. 🙂

      • And then there are those of us who started acquiring guns and ammo when Dad got us our first .22 rifle back in 1975 or so.

        • Cloud – yer about a decade and a half behind some of us nearly old timers – and I’m likely a ‘kid’ to some on this blog – at least you are headed in the right direction. 😉

        • CloudBuster,

          I am a little bit later to the game, although I am pretty sure that I did a respectable job making up for lost time.

          Firearms were never taboo in my home: my dad kept a pump-action rifle chambered in .22 LR in the home since I was a baby and purchased a .38 Special revolver when I was in third or fourth grade. (He still owns it today.) If I remember correctly, I purchased my first firearm — a Marlin Model 60 rifle chambered in .22LR — myself with my own money at a big box store when I was 15 or 16 years old. And I think I also purchased a cheap pump-action 12 gauge shotgun myself as well at a big box store at about the same age.

          What was the first year after which I would not have been legally able to purchase a rifle or shotgun all by myself at a big box store at the age of 15 or 16 years old?

        • Uncommon. When I was 13 I bought 2 rifles at separate garage sales and rode them home on my bike. Same summer, different days. A .22 and a ‘bubba’d’ 1903 Springfield.

          America was America then. Not a socialist paradise where people remain children until they die.

    • Many of the new handgun owners either, never cared about politics, or a spouse would not have one in the house, or just never believed that gun grabbers could win. I think that the almost martial law “shelter in place” rules changed their minds.
      These “rules” surprised me, I don’t know how many are breaking them, but I am certain that the illegal drug users in our society are doing so daily, just to maintain their habits. I am sure these newbys thought of that also, so they armed up to protect what is theirs.
      Good for them!

    • Care to hazard a guess as to how many people have been killed at the hands of their fellow men over the last few thousand years?

        • Well, that depends on the multiplier for that answer of “3”. Is the multiplier:
          (a) 10 million
          (b) 100 million
          (c) 1,000 million (1 billion)
          (d) 10 billion

          Sadly, I think the correct multiplier is closer to (c), one billion.

          What an awful thought: the actual number of humans that other humans have killed throughout human existence is probably close to one billion people.

          And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why we have Easter — why we need Easter.

  7. If the Canadians are a different, more Fuddish type of gun owner, stocking up fearing a shortage doesn’t make sense. If hunting is all you do a box of 20 will last 5+ seasons.

    My guess is they want to be ready to welcome a potential sea of diverse refugees from Chicago and Detroit.

  8. It’s finally hit some Leftards,with a few remaining functional brain cells that they are the final defense of themselves and their loved ones.
    The government and or law enforcement can not, may not be there at all times and it’s up to them not the nanny state, will wonders never cease.

  9. I have 3 Canadian FB “friend’s”. Body building related guy’s. They are all seriously pro-USA , pro-Trump & conservative. And anti-Trudeau. It’s almost a crime to mention GUNS on their page. Canada is devolving into a socialist dictatorship. I wish them well and wish I could ship them gats!

    • Western (a la British Columbia and environs) or Eastern (Quebec)? Canada is almost like two totally different countries, geographically split.

    • You haz a question, I think it can be day and night west of the country. Vancouver seems to be their version of Portland or Seattle, while Calgary and Edmonton are probably a lot more conservative. Quebec and Ontario (at least Toronto) don’t seem to have much in common either, probably due to the fact many Québécois have a secessionist mindset, possibly motivated by the way the red coats treated their French ancestors in the French territories after the French and Indian war. I don’t know about Ontario but in rural Quebec it seems people might be conservative, they enjoy the outdoors and want to live like free men.

      • I’m sure that’s probably the case, as there are usually pockets of differing groups within a region.

        What most non-Californians don’t realize is that the majority of the areas within our state are conservative, and the Republican candidate in the last gubernatorial election received 40% of the votes (that’s literally millions of people). The metro areas (Los Angeles, San Francisco, coastal cities) are concentrated liberal enclaves. Outsiders tend to write off the entire state as a “blue Leftist cesspool”, but that’s certainly not the case, as we’ve been waging an internal political civil war here for the past twenty years.

        • I Haz a Question,

          I don’t know about other people. I can tell you that I have known for decades that Progressives DOMINATE the densely populated coastal regions of California, from San Diego north to the Bay area, including San Jose and Sacramento. As is always the case, headcount rather than square miles determines the outcome of elections.

          Not that long ago, the greater San Diego area was conservative — the only exception that I know of to the rule that Progressives have dominated the densely populated coastal regions for decades. Even the greater San Diego area now appears to be Progressive. I am not sure when that flip occurred.

        • Funny thing about Sacramento…

          I’ve been passing thru Sac at least twice per year for two decades visiting family, and it always makes me smile at just how drastically the political scene changes only ten miles north of downtown. Whether you split off to the Hwy 99 or Interstate 5, you cross an obvious political line into solid conservative territory. The beginning of the “State of Jefferson” movement. And all within sight of the Sacramento cityscape in the distant horizon, lol.

      • …and then there’s Bruce…and all those buried school buses…the ultimate prepper…never talks much about guns,though…but the mounties still raided him anyway….

  10. I’d like some stats on how many of those new canadian gun purchases could serve as dual purpose weapons. Hunting and self defense. Shotguns with interchangeable barrels. Handy lever guns in pistol caliber or even .30-30.

    And what is canadian law concerning cap and ball pistols?

    • Just did some Googling on cap & ball revolvers in Canada. Long story short, if they’re genuine antiques, they’re not restricted as regardsd ownership (although you still can’t carry one around). If they’re post-1898 manufacture, they’re treated as any other handgun.

  11. Even though it seems to be a painful process, at least (some) Canadians can get something. I am sure thousands of Hondurans, Salvadorians, Mexicans wished they could do it. Sadly, I think there is a greater chance to see the entire United States plagued with stricter “gun control” laws within a couple of decades than seeing more nations making it easier for their citizen to buy firearms and ammo.

    • M,

      You are probably correct.

      And the explanation is simple: while basic living consumes nearly all of the resources of the Working Class, basic living only consumes a tiny fraction of the resources of the Ruling Class which then has the luxury (pun intended) of expending the majority of their resources consolidating/expanding their power.

      It is a classic David versus Goliath situation. Unless the Working Class has a sudden burst of courage and a heretofore unforeseen advantage, the Ruling Class always prevails in the end.

      Look at it this way. The Working Class has to somehow carve out very limited time and money to fight the Ruling Class, whereas the very work of the Ruling Class is fighting the Working Class!

  12. I myself can not understand what the “I hate gunms* now I need a gunm humans are thinking. Self defense is more then owning a gunm. The other night I walked my girlfiend home, we were both armed, she’s been having trouble with meth wackos, broken in cars and jimmied windows. As we approached her place I lagged back and got in the shadows as she unlocked her door. I figured if she got fxjed with I could jump them from behind,, surprise is good. Self defense is more then just having a gunm

  13. I believe there’s also a recognition that while the health concerns were a part the fear derives from what government will do. And it has shown us it will take freedoms disregard the constitution and claim they were looking out for our health. And that’s what happens when you let Gov’t take control of a part of your life. You now must comply with what the Gov’t has decided is in it’s interest. Doesn’t matter what YOUR rights are.

    I know I’m glad I already owned a few firearms and if the Governors of the states don’t back off pretty soon, there will be people who will take to the streets to make them.

    We have no choice if we do not stop them now, they will never BE stopped.

  14. Um, the clerk should tell the girl in the picture “you might want to keep your thumb off the slide” or, not. Slide bite is a good way to learn. At the same time, maybe she shouldn’t be pointing that thing at the clerk…. Just sayin’. I’d be inclined to mention it.

    • After working at a gun store for about 3 weeks I came up with this. When newbies pointed guns at me I would shift my position and a lot of times they would just follow me with the muzzle with their head down. So that’s when I taught them the four rules. Keep your booger Hook off the bang switch and don’t point it at anything you don’t want to see a hole in. Especially your gun salesman! The embarrassed laughter and apologies we’re always enjoyed. And then we got back to discussing the gun.

      • If the customer points a weapon at a human in the local gun store/indoor range ,they are politely asked to leave and never return. As it should be!

        • If it’s a gun I’ve personally chamber checked before handing to them and I can tell they’re a newbie I follow the procedure I outlined above. If they’ve expressed some familiarity with guns and they muzzle me I ask for the gun back and discuss the 4 rules. I’m still trying to sell a gun and win hearts and minds to the 2A way. On the range I would be much less polite! And if they’re a jerk they get shown the door. Never had anyone be a jerk around me at the gun store.

  15. Haven’t bought a firearm in over 2 years. pretty much have all I need. There are a couple of wants out there. AR pistol in 556. Another long gun in 308 and possible a revolver in 357. Most all of my investment have been in ammo and a a few extra parts to have on hand. I’m glad to see new buyers. Hopefully they will become permanent members of the 2A society. One of the biggest obstacles to that is, Never getting to actually spend any time learning how to operate their new purchase and enjoy the act of shooting. With firearms classes and ranges closed in so many places. Many of these people may never fire the firearm they purchased. It will sit in a drawer or on a shelf in the closet. Never to see the light of day. This will be the real tragedy. Losing a large group of people. Who could have become the supporters the firearms community needs. To fight back the onslaught of Anti 2A Activists. Be safe out there.

  16. The Canadian government stringently controls the discourse regarding guns…WTF? Discourse control sounds a lot like totalitarianism. Yikes.

    • Glad I’m not the only one who noticed that. Maybe that falls under whatever “hate speech” laws they probably have

  17. The second pic looks like a Browning BAR Mk III. There’s a new one in .308, in the box on GunBroker with a BuyItNow of $1100.

    Never have understood bright and shiny on a hunting gun.

    Some masking tape to keep the action clear and a spray can of Rustoleum in matte black would fix that right up!

  18. This article is bunk.

    I know someone who lives in Canada and is a firearm owner, of both long guns and handguns. He has been SWAMPED by people asking him what is the best firearm for home defense. This may be anecdotal, but I believe it is far more accurate than this B.S. article.

  19. A few years ago, I had a cousin from Ottawa visiting us. I was working on one of my cars in my driveway while we chatted. I had to crawl under the dashboard to test something and pulled my S&W J-frame out of the holster and set it on the dashboard. His eyes opened wide as saucers and he asked “Is that a real gun!??” I replied “No, grown men around here always carry toy guns around” with heavy sarcasm. He asked “And you can have that!??”
    I smiled and said “Look, this is America not Canada. We own guns and we carry them around.” He just couldn’t imagine that it was “allowed”. I just shook my head in disgust and went back to what I was doing. Then I yelled from under the dashboard “Don’t touch it!!”

  20. One thing that seems to be ignored in all this is the upcoming presidential election. When democrats talk gun bans and new taxes, sales increase. When Biden said he’d make Beto O’Rourke his :”gun control czar”, after his super Tuesday win, gun sales started to increase.

  21. Canadians are easy to spot in a crowd- the top of their heads are not attached to the Lower half , and their cars have square wheels . So when we invade canuckida we will easily be able to tell the good guys from the Canucks eh !

  22. So, self-defense is not an acceptable reason to be licensed for a firearm in Canada? Gee, I wonder if some random professor asked me why I bought a firearm if I’d tell him that the reason I gave on my firearms license was a lie?

  23. People are panic buying guns for the same reason they’re hoarding toilet paper — they’re morons. In fact, the morons hoarding TP are probably the exact same morons panic buying guns. Is there rioting in the streets? No. Is anybody trying to break into your bomb shelter? No. Is there even evidence of increased crime? No. What is there evidence of? People are morons. All this panic gun buying isn’t some kind of gun cosmodicy; it’s just more proof that people are morons.

  24. EASY PREDICTION: Massive spikes in gun and ammo sales for April and May, surpassing even March’s record breaking numbers. I just did a little online banking and saw $2400 as “pending” from the IRS (I’m married but all our kids are long since grown with children of their own and etc.), and I can easily foresee a substantial portion of that “free” money that we are collectively burdening all of our future generations with, as buying a lot of brass, powder, primers and bullets!

    Be patriotic and support the U.S. economy: Spend a significant amount of your $1200 or $2400+ on SUPERIOR FIREPOWER, particularly as would be useful for militia purposes as per the 2nd Amendment, and carry on! A well regulated militia, BEING NECESSARY to the security of a free state (of existence)… Maybe you can just elect to see this as God’s way of seeing to it we have another opportunity to be a little better prepared this time around… Praise the Lord and make SURE you have enough ammo to pass along…!

    • I will spend the majority of my 1200 dollars on precious metals ( lead , brass , and copper) and a lot of powder. THANK YOU NANCY , CHUCK, And the rest of the assholes who are trying to bankrupt our country. Thank you for bolstering my ammo supply.

  25. We still have no idea how many of the purchases are by ‘first time gun owners.’

    Citing the trace doesn’t count (they have no evidence either).

    I know it feels satisfying to think that all the people that didn’t believe in guns a month ago have suddenly seen the light but I think it’s a premature.

  26. If asked about my purchases I have always replied yes this is my first purchase. It’s fun to see what comes out of their mouths next ! Its especially fun when open carrying.

  27. With 700+ law enforcement in NY testing positive for corona virus and other states, people fear police response times will be long and not save them from the bad guys, whether at home or out and about!

    The only problem is that few NEW gun buyers will have little or no training with many ranges closed. Impossible to find any ball ammo, lots of premium defense rounds shows that many don’t realize how easy it is for the cheaper ball ammo to penetrate the bad guy and hit others. There is a lawyer attached to every bullet, hope THEY realize that!

    Glad we’re staying in for now.

  28. The big difference between USA and Canada is the British Parliamentary System that we are under. The cancerous progressives got their foothold into government a long time ago and infected the country. They got control of government, just about all public employees, unions, schools, universities and local levels of government.
    There are a great many of us that have been trying to tilt things back towards the center but it is a battle.
    I’m 62 and have lived and worked half my life in the USA and have many relatives and friends there. Don’t kid yourselves as the cancerous progressives are slowly infecting the USA as well just like here and around the world. The biggest difference is the USA Constitution which is the only country in the world that has a 2nd amendment.
    There are a great many of us that are conservatives and think Trump has been the best thing to happen not only to the USA but also to Canada and all the democracies around the world. He has not just pulled the curtains open but has ripped the whole wall down exposing what the cancerous progressives are really doing not just in the USA but everywhere.

  29. Well, if you can’t buy toilet paper or have a nice meal in a restaurant, you might as well spend your money on a gun.

  30. “gun advertising have led to a rise in gun ownership”

    BS. Advertising PERHAPS leads to selecting a particular model. Like any other consumer advertising does NOT create demand.

  31. In a time of emergency, if you don’t have the ability to retain your resources, by force if necessary, you’re merely collecting necessities for somebody else to take at their leisure.

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