So, realistically speaking, the best likely outcome for gun owners in the upcoming presidential election is we get the ex-governor of the state with some of the worst, most restrictive gun laws in the nation as president. That would be the good outcome... well, okay, the less bad outcome. The even worse outcome is a Barry O. with no re-election worries; sure, he'd have a Congress with oppositional-defiant disorder, but all our regulatory agencies are belong to him.
Thus begins what appears to now be a quadrennial event, much like the Olympics: The Election Year Hoarding Festival! Fearing that a re-elected Obama is going to sign an executive order repealing the Second Amendment on November 7th, people who slept through civics class are snapping up guns and ammo like it's 1999.
Folks, I'm disappointed. If you're doing this and you've just turned 18, you get a pass. If you just got into guns in the last year or two, you're excused, too. Go on. Y'all can go on; go get a Coke or something. Just shut the door behind you, because this is for people who've been into guns and shooting for four years or more.
Okay, is it just those of us who've been shooting since '08 or earlier? Yeah? Good...
Then why in the name of Mars Pater did you wait 'til now to stock up?!?
You were around during the circus that was gun shows after Election '08 and you're just now waiting to stock up on magazines and buy that extra AR? You experienced the Big Ammo Drought and you've allowed your reserves to drop so low that you feel compelled to go make a panic purchase? We all know what this does to prices and availability. We've been here before.
The stuff does not go bad. It's like canned goods: It keeps for a long time, so when it's on sale, buy it cheap and stack it deep and use it on a First-In, First-Out basis. (Usually the best time to buy it cheap is a few car payments after one of these hoarding binges, when people get eager to unload a few cases of 7.62x39 that they splurged on, in order to pay bills.)
BONUS!: S&W adds another production shift at the plant. But, you know, Americans are turning away from guns. The Antis told me so.
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Great advice. People should know better but those will be the ones who cry the loudest.
ReplyDeleteI especially like the people over on Micheal Bane's blog who have been blaming him for driving up prices for the ammunition companies with scare tactics because he had the gall to say "ammo prices are rising."
ReplyDeleteI started in 92 when wild Bill got elected. I add too when the price is right, and otherwise just maintain what I have.
ReplyDeleteOf course now is not a bad time to unload "Safe Queens"
It does feel good to still have several cases of 223 that costs $120 each.
I suspect you're right, but the real buying panic probably won't set in until Cletus and Mavis hear that WalMart is jerking the guns out again.
ReplyDeleteNothing more pathetic than the guy trying to sell that case of 9mm he bought at the height of the "scare" for the same price he paid for it a few months after everything is back to more or less normal.
ReplyDeleteYeah, good luck with that chief.
I still don't get how the people who believe a new ban is coming down also believe mr. constitutional law professor will respect the bit about no ex post facto laws any more than the bit about shall not be infringed.
ReplyDeletePersonally, my budgets a bit tight for hording, as usual, so I'll stick to slowly increasing my modest armory.
Yeah, I'm feeling bad about it... but I've been wanting to send in a bulk order for a while, and I just started reloading this year...
ReplyDeleteThen I went to the local gun store and their reloading supplies were mostly gone, and midway is on unknown backorder for half of their stuff...
Crap...
All I've been stocking lately is reloading supplies. Particularly powder and primers. The fun show this weekend will be a great time for components. We always have a guy there right across from me that has some of the best prices in the state.
ReplyDeleteI still need to add a couple pieces to my collection but I'm not in panic mode. Barry is going to try what he will and there's not a lot we can do about it.
Let's be real Tam, it's always a good excuse to buy more guns and ammo.
ReplyDeleteBHO is going to be reelected, Mittens as POTUS, Michael Bane isn't wearing his earings any more, price of gas, race wars, Flyers in the playoffs, three crows flew to the west.
Every time I think I have enough magazines or ammo a bit of doubt creeps in and says, "Gerry, more is better, more is better, MORE IS BETTTER!"
I'm sorry but if that makes me wrong I don't want to be right.
Gerry
Last time I checked I had seven thousand rounds socked away, earning interest.
ReplyDeleteIt's not that I've not wanted to stock up more, it's just the lack of moola to do it with. I still feel pretty good at getting up to a thousand rounds of each rifle caliber that I have. I really need to get more 12 GA ammo though.
ReplyDeleteThank Crom I bought that 50,000 rounds of .38 S+W for my Top Breaks when I did! ; )
ReplyDeleteSeriously, I'd also get some pouches, spare mags, ammo cans, etc. Really hard to tell the Usurpers in the middle of a Firefight to "Please wait a minute while I reload my only Spare Magazine."
Been steadily stocking, but was still dismayed to see our local big-box store was out of canned 5.56 overruns, and there wasn't a brick of rifle primers to be had. My policy had been to NEVER walk into the place with out walking out with one of either or both. Had to go to the tertiary purchase policy of two bricks of .22LR. Still, there are only two statii (?) of ammo; NOT enbough and ALMOST enough...I'm somewhere in-between
ReplyDeleteI have more ammo stockpiled in the Lair than any two of the local gunshops...and I'm still acquiring more. SUppose BHO doesn't try an outright ban. How about a "tax" of three dollars a round for every new cartridge manufactured? They have plans that they're not letting us know about.
ReplyDeleteI keep trying to stock up... but then I go to the range...
ReplyDelete"... people who slept through civics class are snapping up guns and ammo like it's 1999.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if these are the same people who base their vote on everyone from president to dog-catcher on the candidate's stance on Roe v. Wade.
But I've been paranoid longer than all y'all; I started during the Clinton years. I figure I've got enough ammo to last the rest of my life or until the end of Barry's pResidency, whichever comes first.
Remember, no matter what the size of your ammo stash, you can use your enemy as your supply sergeant.
ReplyDeleteMAJ Mike
I'd decided it was time to start stocking up, then when I went to stock my latest case as supply for this year's competitions, realized I apparently HAD been stocking up. All those one and two boxes at a time. I guess each time I took a class or bought for an event, I bought double what I needed.
ReplyDeleteIt's actually kind of funny (just not 'ha ha' funny) finding some of the REALLY old stuff (i.e. ~10 years ago) where I still had the receipt with it.
Darn. I was just making up my mind to buy more target 10mm for the 610... Eh, it's fine with forty short 'n weak.
ReplyDeleteI didn't wait until now. It's a combination of things. Money being one, the wife's unemployment hurt. Even bigger than that though is this simple fact... You can always use more.
ReplyDeleteJust because I'm buying a couple extra tens of thousands of rounds of ammo and some new toys doesn't mean I'm sitting here in the open with my pants down.
Some people would say don't buy more ammo, thing is I'm shooting it up! I need more to play with while maintaining a reserve stock.
When your safe is already packed full of queens, and you can't think of a single rational reason that could possibly justify getting that new piece of shiny... well, the irrational reasons come in handy at that point.
ReplyDeleteIf some is good, more is better, and too much is *just right*.
ReplyDeleteI shoot too much to maintain ammo stockpiles out past a month or two. When it comes to ammo, I'm a spender, not a saver.
ReplyDelete-C
The only time you have too much ammo is when your house is on fire.
ReplyDeleteInventoried my supply last week. I'm good. What's good? Like Les I've .38 S&W (and .32 S&W) for several break-tops. All my serious "social" rounds number 1,500 or more. Mags, clips and speed loaders all full and in pouches or drop bags. Should the social contract fail all I have to to is fill my canteens and roll.
I'm old enough to remember the rec.guns motto. "Buy 'em all."
ReplyDeleteHmm, maybe I should forgo the daughter's waste of a college education and get some more.
jf
It is the folks selling off the safe queens I am interested in.
ReplyDeletePicked up a 1866 Springfield short rifle (original, not Bannerman). Got my eye on a 1888 Springfield, if it is still there when I accumulate the funds, or maybe the Winchester 1897 trench gun. Decisions, decisions.
Of course all bets are off if a 1917 S&W comes along, already got the Colt.
JohnB
I got mine, but then I had a tragic boating accident. Guns are icky.
ReplyDeleteMaybe stocking up on supplies for new acquisitions? Not that I've had the money for new acquisitions, or stocking up since the democrats took congress a few years ago.
ReplyDeleteMy problem is family members that figure I'm their arsenal. I've already lent out my 9mm and .40, and another nephew wants the .45 (lend out a Colt 1911A1 pre-WWII? HAH!)
ReplyDeleteI will plead guilty to helping my uncle make a decent-sized ammo buy. He's getting better after being in the hospital, and range therapy does wonders.
And you where all worried that we would get the guy whose biggest concern was birth control.
ReplyDelete