Why the great gun rush of 2013 could be a good thing.

[SSN Vet]

If you're like me, you might be a wee bit frustrated with the availability of all things firearms related since December. Haven't noticed? Just try to buy an AR LPK or small rifle primers.

I thought the '08 rush was madness, but this time around it's even extended to reloading equipment, with people paying 4X MSRP for .223 Rem die sets on gunbroker.com and Dillon Precision with a back order list for presses over 1,000 names long.

A lot of guys are venting on the boards, but I would like to suggest that this may actually prove to be a very good thing. Here's my short list of reasons why:

1. Many people that were on the fence wrt. EBRs for years have suddenly jumped in with both feet. These cats now have "skin in the game" and will be very unlikely to support politicos who want to register and ban their latest investment.

2. Many regular Joe hunters have had their eyes opened to just what exactly the Democratic parties gun agenda really is. One way this has been manifest is in the huge number of new NRA members signing up every week. BHO sure likes to use the term "double down", but I'm beginning to wonder if he's never actually lost a really big hand.... and the mid-term elections have the potential to hand the DNC a royal drubbing and send them back to the policy drawing board with their tails between their legs.

3. The economic boon to companies engaged in the manufacturing, distributing and sales of the firearms only adds to their clout, as state level politicos, still trying to dig out from 8% unemployment, may not relish losing viable jobs in their district.

4. As the media shines the bat-light on every discharge of a firearm they catch wind of, more and more stories that illustrate ordinary citizens defending themselves with legally owned firearms are finding their way from pg. 22 to pg. 1.

So as much as having BHO win the All Time Gun Salesman of the Milena award may have put a crimp on your latest AR build plans, this has the potential to turn into a very positive development for the pro 2A movement.

 

[Phatty]

1. Many people that were on the fence wrt. EBRs for years have suddenly jumped in with both feet. These cats now have "skin in the game" and will be very unlikely to support politicos who want to register and ban their latest investment.

I'm not sure I agree. I think that anyone who suddenly jumped in with both feet would not have supported a ban before December. If you are predisposed to buying an EBR, you are also predisposed to not supporting a ban on them.

2. Many regular Joe hunters have had their eyes opened to just what exactly the Democratic parties gun agenda really is. One way this has been manifest is in the huge number of new NRA members signing up every week. BHO sure likes to use the term "double down", but I'm beginning to wonder if he's never actually lost a really big hand.... and the mid-term elections have the potential to hand the DNC a royal drubbing and send them back to the policy drawing board with their tails between their legs.

I'm skeptical about this claim too. I just have a hard time believing that the average Joe Hunter voted for Obama last election. The simple, unpleasant truth is that in a lot of places there are simply too many anti-gun or gun-ambivalent voters that outnumber the pro-gun voters.

3. The economic boon to companies engaged in the manufacturing, distributing and sales of the firearms only adds to their clout, as state level politicos, still trying to dig out from 8% unemployment, may not relish losing viable jobs in their district.

This isn't an "economic boon" to gun manufacturers. They probably see it as a short-term bubble. Unless they expand their production facilities (unlikely because of them viewing it as a short-term bubble), this won't make any difference to their bottom line because they have a fixed level of production and no matter how high the demand they will still sell the same number of guns. Also, gun manufacturers do not make up enough of an economic presence in any state to really influence the votes of legislators other than the legislators from the districts where the gun facilities are located.

4. As the media shines the bat-light on every discharge of a firearm they catch wind of, more and more stories that illustrate ordinary citizens defending themselves with legally owned firearms are finding their way from pg. 22 to pg. 1.

I have definitely seen a much higher reporting rate for stories involving the criminal use of firearms, but I haven't seen a corresponding increase in stories involving defensive use of guns. Those stories are still buried (if reported at all) by the MSM.

 

[Solo]

3. The economic boon to companies engaged in the manufacturing, distributing and sales of the firearms only adds to their clout, as state level politicos, still trying to dig out from 8% unemployment, may not relish losing viable jobs in their district.

I don't think they've actually expanded production facilities or employment, and even if they did, the firearms industry is too small to have a significant effect.

4. As the media shines the bat-light on every discharge of a firearm they catch wind of, more and more stories that illustrate ordinary citizens defending themselves with legally owned firearms are finding their way from pg. 22 to pg. 1.

The bat-light was intended for signalling, not an illumination.

 

[David E]

Many people before the last election, including some on this board, chastised those who said BO was anti-gun and would pursue gun legislation in his second term.

The defenders of BO ignored his past votes, etc, and may well have voted for this destroyer of the Constitution.

THESE people have now been rudely awakened to the stark reality of the rabid anti-gun agenda this administration, who had just been waiting for the right time (after the election, perfect shooting incident) to ram thru.

To those folks surprised by BO's all out assault on the 2A, I say "Well, duh."

"And welcome aboard!"

 

[Phatty]

Many people before the last election, including some on this board, chastised those who said BO was anti-gun and would pursue gun legislation in his second term.

The defenders of BO ignored his past votes, etc, and may well have voted for this destroyer of the Constitution.

THESE people have now been rudely awakened to the stark reality of the rabid anti-gun agenda this administration, who had just been waiting for the right time (after the election, perfect shooting incident) to ram thru.

To those folks surprised by BO's all out assault on the 2A, I say "Well, duh."

"And welcome aboard!"

If you want a fun read, check out this thread from the day after Obama was elected to his second term. Numerous members here proclaiming that Obama/Congress was not going to take any action on gun control. To their credit, there's also a lot of posts from members predicting exactly what has occured.