direction of the Country - and what I'm hearing...

[07pats]

Not sure if this is the right place to post this, if not I apologize, please feel free to move it - I looked at all locations this looked like the most appropraite-

(posting in a number of web forums, as I would like to get peoples experiences with this)

Got to tell tell you: - the more people I talk to lately in my daily life, and I'm talking about people who you and I would normally call liberal minded the more I'm hearing this: "I'm really worried about the way things are going in this Country, worried about possible anarchy, and I want to look into buying a gun".

Again, and let me be clear, these are people that would never dream of owning any kind of weapon, handgun, rifle, whatever...

Also, they are afraid that the latest rumblings of gun bans etc, etc, are scaring them, in that they are afraid they will not be able to get a weapon if they wait any longer.

Throwing this out there to see if anyone else has experienced the same?

[ClayInTx]

I’ve noticed the same thing. There is a groundswell of persons wanting a gun who weren’t all that enthused about guns before. It seems everyone is sensing something not right about this country and wanting to be prepared for it.

Some give the reason as being self defense because crime is getting worse but as I talk with them I sense that self defense has little to do with it.

[ScottRiqui]

I think there are a lot of people selling fear, and a lot of people buying.

[kraigwy]

Yeap, things are changing, but I see it differant.

More people are getting into High Power Matches, reason, the AR, they are easier to shoot then the M1 & M14s, drawing younger people and more ladies.

Cowboy Action Shooting, fun, full of history, growing like made.

Kids: Shooting sports is the fastest growing field in 4H.

Action shooting, more fun then the strick Bullseye Shooting.

ICORE: Giving civilians an avenue to shoot revolvers, being PPC is ristricted to LE.

F Class, an avenue where people can shoot their hunting and sporting rifles without spending thousands on guns to be competitive.

Add that to more states allowing CC permits, it stands to reason there is going to be more guns sold.

Not just one issue, but serveral.

As far as revolution, I see that at the voting booth.

I figured I'd get this in before this post turns political and gets closed.

[DZcarry]

Also, they are afraid that the latest rumblings of gun bans etc, etc, are scaring them, in that they are afraid they will not be able to get a weapon if they wait any longer.

I haven't heard that one except from pro 2A democrats that just hadn't bothered getting a gun yet.

What I hear from friends and colleagues is that they want to get a gun or 5 to counteract a perceived threat from "the right wing militia movement." They watch the news and read the papers. They see news report after news report about militia members with AK-47s and they think "I''d better get a gun just in case."

Perhaps they won't admit it to you, but because I'm "one of them" (pro 2A conservative Democrat) I hear it all the time...

[sonick808]

Definitely. This is a large part of the huge swell in purchases lately. Not just the need perceived by politics, but things in general.

I've also noticed that people back in 2000 who relied on Rosie O'Donnell and talk shows for their opinions on guns, now have largely turned to common sense and belief in liberty, autonomy and the right to protect home, family and self.

In 2000 i would talk to "soccer moms" and they would be aghast that i had a gun. These days, they either want to shoot, or at a minimum support the right from afar.

Gun rights and pragmatism regarding guns in on the rise

[TSR80]

lol Who is worried about anarchy in the US? We are so far in the other direction from that it's laughable.

[kenno]

There is an adage in the behaviorial community "The more one persists, the more one resists.' That means when there is no pressure, physical, emotional or political there is no resistance. As pressure rises so does resistance, the people that elected our current leader did not intend to elect what they got, call it buyers remorse, as a result they turned on talk radio and cable news and now (after electing the first 'black pres.') are being called names by that same pres. The population is watching the border, the economy, the non-war on terror, the non-war on drugs, the personality quirks of the leadership, and see the writing on the wall. They are frightened.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Guns sales are definitely up and the largest portion of the gun community now seems to be the self-defense market as compared to the hunting realm

However, let's not go too end of the world, political, etc. here.

Sigh - glad I'm going to be off the board for a bit. Going to do some high end shooting!

[SVO]

I have to agree with ClayinTX, a lot of people seem to be gearing up for something other than deer hunting. It is my opinion that we, as a country, are at a political cross roads. We have social and political issues facing us. And those issues scares people. Buying a gun won't fix those issues.

[TSR80]

I think the idea that people are buying because they are building up to something or planning something is mostly perpetuated by paranoid people who were already gun owners and already paranoid. Now, they see the gun run leading up to the 2008 election and after it and they can say "See, people have had enough, they're building up to something, something is coming, you wait and see" as a justification for their actions and attitudes for most of their lives. Unfortunately this kind of logic really doesn't work.

More likely than not, people are buying now because they don't want to wait for another 1994 and then wait another decade before they can get what they want or have to pay outrageous prices.

[indykappa]

"People are selling fear, and others are buying it" - couldn't agree more

Someone else mentioned a rise in shooting sports - I believe this has had a (positive) result on gun ownership.

Anytime there is a Democrat in office, gun/ammo sales go up. All of the gun websites/forums go bonkers. I don't forsee armageddon taking place anytime during my lifetime.

Hell, I just wanna see the GOP get back in the white house so prices will go back down. I can't afford to shoot anything but 9mm!!

[TSR80]

I can't afford to shoot anything but 9mm!!

Ain't that the sad truth! I'm not a reloader, too much other stuff to spend my time on.

In the last year I am mostly shooting 9MM or .22LR. I haven't shot .357M, 10MM or .45ACP since the summer of '09! I have plenty on hand but I'd rather not get low and have to chop off one of my arms to resupply.

[BlueTrain]

I've been hearing things like this for as long as I can remember and I'm not that young. It gets to be very Chicken Little after a while. And it reminds me of a line from some movie: "If we don't fight them over there, we'll be fighting them here." The response was "As far as I'm concerned, they're welcome to it."

And another thing, I don't hear anyone I normally meet in my day to day life actually say that. It used to be more of a back fence kind or thing or around the kitchen table. Either way, I don't see anything that would suggest any such thing--these days. There was a time, over 40 years ago now, when there may have been more justification for such an attitude. Yet, even then, in my day to day life, I still didn't see it.

On the other hand, however, seeing angry crowds of armed people does sort of make you a little nervous, about crowds of armed people, that is, which may not have exactly been their intent. Sort of unintended consequences, you know.

[arcticap]

Originally Posted by 07pats

Got to tell tell you: - the more people I talk to lately in my daily life, and I'm talking about people who you and I would normally call liberal minded the more I'm hearing this: "I'm really worried about the way things are going in this Country, worried about possible anarchy, and I want to look into buying a gun".

Again, and let me be clear, these are people that would never dream of owning any kind of weapon, handgun, rifle, whatever...

Also, they are afraid that the latest rumblings of gun bans etc, etc, are scaring them, in that they are afraid they will not be able to get a weapon if they wait any longer.

Throwing this out there to see if anyone else has experienced the same?

I've never heard anyone talk about possible anarchy, not even at my gun clubs or at shooting matches. Folks talk about the economy, the price of gas or ammo, jobs, health care, but they never mention possible anarchy. Maybe that's because I live in a mostly urban industrialized New England state which are all considered to be relatively economically & socially stable.
Taxes seem to be going up at the state and local level but rarely do folks even protest such important issues that affect them, never mind any potential for there being anarchy in the streets over routine domestic issues.
The "Rule of Law" is one of the most universal characteristics of American society and a source of great pride in being an American.
We haven't even seen any major protests or demonstrations since the Civil Rights movement and the Vietnam War during the 60's and early 70's.
Even during those earliest gas crises that we've had back in the 70's, with price controls and even/odd rationing, folks were cooperative and happy to be able to wait in line for a long time just to be able to buy some gas.
I doubt that there will be any anarchy in this country over price increases or gas shortages. The silent majority of folks are quite rational and any concern about potential anarchy would appear to be pretty far fetched. The closest to any civil unrest being speculated about recently was during the last election if Obama had lost and what would happen in some cities. But America isn't known to experience social panic over any national disaster on par with the earthquake in 3rd world Haiti i.e. - Katrina in New Orleans, Andrew in Florida, CA earthquakes & power shortages or even 9/11 in NYC.
Anarchy? What anarchy? Tea Party anarchy?

[Brandy]

street corner in Munich in 1933....
#1 So the crazy man Hitler is making all kinds of anti-Jewish laws.
#2 He's just a crazy man, don't worry.
#1 But he says we are the cause of all the world's problems.
#2 It's just propaganda, stop worrying.
#1 But some say he wants to eliminate us.
#2 Are you crazy ? There are over six million Jews in Germany...you think he will kill us all?


Keep your head in the sand. When the food wars start...you can quote #2 above.

"According to the 1998 Illinois State Legislative National Political Awareness Test of July 2, 1998, Obama also supports the banning of all semi-automatic weapon sales and transfers. When most people hear "semi-automatic weapon", they think of the gun in the hand of the gang banger. That may be true, but there are a lot of other guns that are semi-automatic, which would also be included in such bans. Shotguns, for example, that are used by bird hunters would fall under the ban. The only reason to try to ban a whole class of gun, with such a wide stroke, is to start the progression of banning all guns eventually. "

Naaa, he just talking, he could never take all our guns away! (LAFFIN)

It may be 1788, it may be 1938, but it's sure not 1958!

[flight954]

WOW I'm suprised Glen didn't shut this one down yet

[Tom2]

I for one am more concerned about the wacks using the current conditions as an excuse to make for an increase in crime. I suppose unless someone is just a sociopath most of the time anyway, that there is some sort of rationalisation that goes into the decision to do some dastardly deeds and if you just keep adding on extra excuses, no matter how lame, they might come to the conclusion that they need your stuff to pay for their latest desires, etc. I am less worried by say, Michigan Militia, or the savage hoards coming ashore, or black helicopters type stuff. Maybe you also need some sort of rationalisation process to buy your first gun if it is for anything besides hunting or fun uses, too, and adding extra reasons just makes for an annoying rise in ammo and hardware costs for those of us that are already into it.

[spacecoast]

I think people who pay taxes realize that there just isn't enough money to go from the "haves" to the "have-nots" the way things are going. EVERYTHING is becoming an entitlement and not something to be earned. Someday either the "haves" are going to rebel at the ever-increasing tax rates and stop paying, or the "have-nots" are never going to have enough and will try to forcibly take what they believe they deserve from the "rich".

Either way, it might be handy to have a weapon and know how to use it. Let's pray it never comes to that.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Yeah, I'm still here - have a meeting then I'm gone.

But when we do Hitler as a comparison - nah.

Closed. But I tried for awhile.