I think at the end of the day, a lot of people know the clown car that’s this year’s primary season isn’t going to be taking us to a good place. As the article notes, this is the 11th straight record setting month. Do the folks like Bloomberg and his paid lackeys still want to argue that gun ownership is really in decline?
I’ve been labeled a “pro-gun extremist” in the past by some of these groups, but I haven’t bought a gun since 2012. I just haven’t participated in the madness. So do they still believe these are the same good ol’ boys stockpiling? I’m not buying it. With every record month, they are losing the culture.
Hey, you need to get on a monthly gun buying plan! I’m on the every two months plan, so I need to go buy something this month, since I purchased something earlier this year.
I got two more in november, and just got a ruger american pistol this month. Somebody has to do the buying. Brass, lead and guns are going to be worth more than silver and gold in a short period of time.
Don’t forget that the NICS numbers are low – IIRC, according to BATFE’s web site there are 24 states which have partial or complete exemption from a NICS check if the purchaser possesses a valid CCW issued by that state. I haven’t gone through a NICS check since I moved, nor have I missed a BAG day.
So, that 2,523,265 figure may be as much as 10-12% low; add in the multiple guns per one NICS check and it may be as much as 15-17% low.
Not to mention applications for CWPs are setting records everywhere. People aren’t getting those permits to carry a toaster….
Since 2013 the wife has bought one pistol and I haven’t bought anything but ammo.
We do know a bunch of people who asked us to help them select their first gun, though. At least from our view, the gun world expands about every month or so.
I haven’t bought since 2012.
It’s been years since I bought a gun as well, but I read about people buying a gun a month (clearly not single-paycheck families with 2 active kids). But yeah — current gun owners don’t account for all this.
The seriously anti-gun people I know generally haven’t gotten guns themselves, but many have mellowed their view in the last few years because gun owners have become more vocal about gun owning. i.e. a good friend of ours, anti-gun her whole life, now has 2 son in laws who are very pro-gun and her daughters have accepted it. So she has mellowed out. She had a gun in her house for awhile, even.
But I think the gun culture has grown larger and more powerful than I’ve ever seen it — which is ironic, because strictly because of money and people who don’t vote on the gun issue (worst case is the very readers here I’ve seen who say they’ll vote for Sanders against Trump) the anti-gun groups are also the strongest I’ve ever seen them.
Before the anti-gunners could make a big noise with certain highly liberal politicians supporting them them, but couldn’t play at the NRA level. Now they have diminishing supporters but a lot of money and professional lobbyists to keep the democrats in line and push agendas without a grass roots effort.
I guess I am making up for others. In the past year I’ve averaged probably one gun a month. It started with the CMP the week I got my US citizenship and been steady since.
And since I have four different purchase options (state regulated, NICS cash-and-carry, private sales and C&R), good luck figuring actual numbers. Especially with C&R transfers since those never show up in the NICS numbers. And my purchases aren’t even so one NICS check often represents several firearms (last 3 out of 4 for me).
So while I fit the stereotype of existing owner buying more guns, I’ve advised others on their first purchases as well or witness a lot of first time buyers at the counter.
One of the better things I’ve written on this topic is here: https://uncommonsense.quora.com/Are-There-300-Million-Guns-in-the-USA
probably very dependent on circumstance. i have bought… many a gun since 2012. but i also did most of that shopping in the face of coming legislation. others likely did not.