In the fall, my father started a conversation that went something like the following:
Dad: You know, Dunham’s has one of those AK’s on sale here. (he’s not really a gun guy, he just likes guns, but never owned anything other than a pistol and a hunting gun. For the longest time he didn’t even like the idea of people having guns for SD).
Me: Oh yeah, are you thinking about getting one.
Dad: Well, do you think it’s a good price?
Me: Yes it is.
Dad: Do you think we should get it.
Me: Just out of curiosity Dad, but you’ve never showed any interest in those types of guns before. Why the interest now.
Dad: Well, I’m just thinking it might be a good thing to get, just in case we can’t get them a year from now.
Me: What are you going to do with it?
Dad: I want something to fall back on in case they come to take them, or it just becomes harder to get them when they are needed.
Me: Look Dad, I’m not saying it’s a bad idea. I think it’s a great idea. It’s just that your asking me, and I’m not sure where your going with this. Say you buy the gun. Then what?
Dad: Well, if they are going to come for them, then it might be a good idea to burry them. (I have no idea where he got that one from.).
Me: and when you dig it up, what are you going to do with it?
Dad: Well, I could give it to you, or maybe somebody else could use it. (He may not get around too well, but he should be able to run an AK. He just doesn’t like them. Too much of a traditionalist for them.)
Me: What about ammunition.
Dad: I’d want to get some for it also.
Me: Well, ammo for that caliber is going for around $125/500.
Dad: I don’t think I’d need that much, maybe 100 rounds, and whoever gets it could get their own.
Me: Well, by the time you dig it up, ammo might be hard to come by. Then again, it might not be so hard to find.
I’m curious Dad, where do you think you would bury it. If you knew of a place, I’d love to do it, but there are a lot of things you need to think of (I latter sent him Gabe Suarez’s article on caching weapons) like how accessible will it be to you, how will you keep other’s from finding it, etc… (They just moved into a condo)
Dad: (in an argumentative tone. Almost like I was trying to talk him into buying it, and he didn’t want to) I don’t need to get one of those things. If you want me to get you one I will.
Me: Dad, I’m not trying to talk you out of getting one. I think it’s a great idea (everyone could use an AK). I just think that if your going to buy it, then you should have a plan. Otherwise it’s just panic buying, and you may later regret it. To be honest, if you think you’ve got the budget to spend that kind of money on guns, you might think about getting ammo for the ones you already have. OTOH Dad, if you just want the gun to have it, then get it. It's your money, and you should do what you want. I'm only saying because you asked my opinion.
Dad: I just bought some last year.
Me: Dad, I know you don’t shoot that much, but if your thinking of preparing for an environment where you think it’s time to start digging up guns, then your going to need more than the 40 rounds you bought last year. I know you probably haven’t shot 40 rounds out of your combined long guns in the past ten years cumulative, but if your thinking of stocking up, then that’s where you should start.
Dad: That’s a good idea. Why don’t you keep an eye out for some deals, and let me know.
Me: Okay Dad. That’s sounds good
He called me up just before last deer season (about two months after the above conversation) to tell me that he’d just bought 100 rounds. He was pretty proud of that, and so was I. I don’t think he’s ever owned that much ammo at one time in his life (at least, not before I got into reloading handgun ammo). He’s the type who buys only one box at a time, and only when he runs out, and he doesn’t target shoot. Combine that with his age, and he’ll probably never go through that ammo he bought last year.
The point is people are going to panic buy, but like Boston said, “have a plan”. A lot of people are buying in panic as a knee jerk reaction. Some of them don’t even know what they are buying, or looking for (right after the election a man walked into my local gun shop and asked for an SK-47). All they know is that they are scared, and have to do something to gain some peace of mind. There will come a time when they turn around and realize that they don’t know what to do with the gun they bought in that fit of fear. That’s okay, I’ll be waiting for when that day arrives.
Truth is, if I'd had enough money two years ago to stock up, I'd have spent a lot more than I did. When I think about all the target shooting I'd like to do, Boston's 10K/gun count just doesn't seem to suffice (yeah, I know that he only meant it as the "rainy decade" stash, but I can't even afford that much for all my guns).
