Did the Left Just Win a Gun Battle?
Written Spring 2021
Hardcore gun control advocates on the left would like to see a ban on gun sales and total confiscation of guns from current gun owners. Most, less hardcore, would at least like to see a reduction in availability of guns and ammo.
Well, the less hardcore got their wish!
With riots and mayhem on their TV’s, people who had never owned a gun, or previously had no opinion on gun control or were even very much for more gun control, began showing up at their local gun store wanting to purchase a firearm for personal protection.
The rush was on and the shelves began to empty. Defensive firearms became hard to find. Not just the ubiquitous 9mm semi-auto, AR-15’s and police type revolvers but even single-action revolvers and lever action rifles (think “cowboy” guns).
The result? Less availability of guns and ammo!
Why?
Because of government’s inability, or dare I say . . . refusal, to fulfill its obligation to protect their citizens from rioting, arson and murder.
An obligation for which the citizens pay the government to fulfill.
The stupidity of the Left’s answer to violent crime, “Just call the police!” became starkly obvious. Citizens began to understand in a real way the meaning of the saying:
“When seconds count the police are minutes away.”
Or, in some cases it was just . . .
“They ain’t comin’!”
However, the situation with gun availability is improving slowly. Gun manufactures seem to be catching up. I’m seeing less totally empty shelves at gun stores. And long time gun owners are finding a ready market for guns gathering dust in their safe.
But . . .
There’s still a problem. A big problem . . . ammo.
Without ammunition a firearm is just an oddly shaped club . . . or paper weight.
I remember when I could walk into my local sporting goods store and buy discount 9 mm practice ammo for around $10 for a box of 50. A hundred rounds at twenty cents each was an affordable afternoon at the range.
Now? The ammo shelves are usually empty at my local gun stores. Even the big box stores are having trouble.
Of course, there’s always the internet. Checking AmmoSeek.com today I find minimum pricing for 9 mm practice cartridges at 50 cents per round! Personal defense ammo like Federal 147 grain Hydra-Shock runs a buck eighty each. So, the cheapest I could get a hundred practice rounds would be $50. Well, actually no. I’d have to add taxes, shipping and in some cases a $5 handling fee bringing the cost closer to over $60.
From $20 to over $60? “Lot less shootn’ goin’ on by them truck driving rednecks!”
Actually, the effects aren’t felt by just poor ol’ rednecks with a rural backyard as their shooting range. It has affected the urban shooting ranges, too.
In my neck of the woods, from Jacksonville to Tallahassee, use of shooting ranges has seen a decrease. Some a little, some more. My local range has seen a dramatic decrease in daily use. Furthermore, there’s been a drop in membership renewal.
Even law enforcement has been affected. I know of one county sheriff’s office (SO) who in the past has let the city police department use their firing range. The SO is totally out of practice rounds and is demanding the city provide ammo for the SO’s deputies in exchange for use of the range.
So, did the Left get what they want?
If the left wanted to see availability and use of firearms decrease then, “Uncle”! They won!
But . . .
Of the 128,000,000 households in the US, according to Pew Research, 41% of them have a firearm available. For the pandemic year 2020 it is estimated that 21,000,000 guns were purchased. Up 60% from 2019 due to mayors and governors not protecting their citizens. And it is estimated that 8,400,000 of those were first time gun owners.
So, I’m thinking . . .
It was just a battle. Not the war.
