Gun Owners “Panic Buy” Ammo Making It Scarce
CNN reports today that gun shops across the country are running low on ammunition because gun owners are buying bullets in a panic over a potential tax on bullets and new gun control law fears.
“In the last two months it’s gotten very, very difficult to find ammunition,” says Richard Taylor, manager of The Firing Line, a gun shop and shooting range in the Denver, Colorado, suburbs.
“There are a lot of rumors floating around that the present government would like to increase taxes on ammunition. I think [there is] just a lot of panicked buying going on.”
While campaigning for the White House, Obama supported re-enacting the now-expired ban on assault weapons. But there is no indication that the administration will take up that measure — or any other gun-control initiative –anytime soon.
One gun shop was forced to limit bullet sales to 4 boxes per customer. In the wake of the leection, gun sales surged as well, but to date the President has taken no step toward gun control.
“People are buying cases or whatever they can get their hands on and putting it away, absolutely,” he says. “The only way that this shortage can have to do with it is that people are buying and hoarding.”
Karl Roos, a physician, stopped by the range to do some shooting with his Smith and Wesson .357-caliber Magnum, using some rounds from his personal stock of ammo.
“I have yet to see .38 special or .357 Magnum ammunition on the shelf. The stuff I’m shooting I’ve had for several years. I just haven’t seen it for the last several months,” says Roos, who adds he is always on the lookout for fresh sources of ammo. “As I’m doing the rounds of the local stores that carry ammunition, if I see something on the shelf I’ll buy it.”
“I’m not too worried about things being banned or anything like that,” he says. But he notes that many of his fellow gun enthusiasts are scared: “There’s definitely a lot of fear.”
Jim Minardi, a gun dealer in Lakewood, Colorado, says only a few people are actually hoarding. But they are buying up so much ammo that there isn’t much left on the shelves.
“The minority of our customers are stockpiling ammunition,” Minardi says. “The majority are standard shooters buying what they can.”
Someone I know belongs to the NRA an he believes that the NRA is largely responsible for this guns and ammo hysteria gripping the country right now because there is no rational reason for it as yet. There is a mention of a reinstituting the assaullt weapons ban on the White House website, but that would not justify the mass hysteria that has been seen across the country. Iften times when you ask people about their fears, , they will acknowledge that the real fear is that if gun owners acquiesce on ANY gun control laws, lawmakers will not stop unless guns are completely banned. This is completely irrational, but this is a fear-driven argument that my friend says has benefited the NRA, bullet and gun manufacturers and gun show merchants.
While most gun owners are responsible individuals, the Faux News talking heads and the NRA’s fear mongering may result in further unnecessary deaths. Just last month Rich Poplawski went on a shooting spree and ambushed 3 policemen, killing all three and wounding others.
Do we really need more of that just so that gun and ammo manufafcturers and Faux News can make more money?
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I hope Fox and Beck and Hannity are happy. Their wild accusations and doomsday rhetoric are resulting in men killing their families almost daily. The NRA needs to get some common sense and stop telling their uneducated masses to buy more guns and ammo. The 2nd amendment does not give them the right to own unlimited semi-automatic rifles, nor high powered handguns that are for killing people, period. They are turning this country into a war zone, just because they are afraid of a black President. Grow up!
Reply: Welcome Susan. I could not agree more!
Susan
May 4, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Susan, are you a racist? The hoarding of ammo has NOTHING to do with the color of his skin. It has to do with his policies towards firearms. Grow up!
ange
May 14, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Susan, you are wrong. The 2nd amendment does give all Americans the right to own unlimited semi-automatic rifles. “Shall not be infringed upon” I believe is the wording.
Thad Schiele
May 19, 2009 at 3:56 pm
No, these men are killing their families for three reasons:
a) they are desperate, usually because of their financial situation,
b) they are insane,
c) they appear to think of women and children as property whose lives they have control over. (That’s closely tied to ‘b’)
I wish there was a way to stop these specific people from owning guns, but also that there was a way to arm their families. Every woman with a protection order against her husband should own a handgun, because it’s not like the cops are gonna save her.
Hazel
May 4, 2009 at 8:31 pm
This is a tough one. On the one hand I completely support the second amendment, but on the other hand this stuff scares the crap out of me. Fox News is definitely pushing for open rebellion and their nut job followers might give them their wish.
Hopefully, the Fox News staff will be held accountable for their actions (firing squad has a nice sound to it)….
Peace.
Rick Beagle
Reply: I agree with you Rick. Faux News is over the top. Thank you for your comment and welcome!
Rick Beagle
May 4, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Many of the people who are killing others are not acquiring their guns through legal means. And even if they were getting them legally, the problem is not with the guns.
When someone gets killed with a knife, nobody blames the knife. When somebody drives his car through a crowd of people, nobody blames the car. When somebody builds a bomb and blows up a building, nobody blames the bomb. In each of these cases, it is not the weapon that is at fault, but the person who did it. But as soon as somebody gets killed with a gun, everyone points their finger at the gun as being the cause.
Reply: This is a really, really old argument that the NRA has promoted. Cars are regulated. The use of bombs has been criminalized for good reason. It is not a question of the means, but the impact on society, which is why there are many, many regulations and rules relating to cars and bombs. Guns have far less although the impact on society is nevertheless great.
Truth is, 99.9% of all the guns in the United States are used for completely legal and ethical purposes. Hunting, self-defense, competition, pest control, target shooting, and more. Very few are used in crimes. If the only purpose of guns is to kill people, as many say, then mine must be defective and I really need to send them in for service, because they haven’t killed anyone!
Reply: You state a truism that most gun owners use guns lawfully. Even worse, you attempt to trivialize a real problem. Not funny.
And Susan, your comment about “high powered handguns” is hilarious! There is no such thing as a high powered handgun. All handguns are underpowered by design.
Reply: Some of your statements, sir, are equally “hilarious.” It would be so refreshing to see a pro-gun comment that was not completely based on NRA talking points.
Kevin
May 4, 2009 at 10:43 pm
I will say that guns have one purpose and that is to kill. Though we do have recreational uses for them. I shoot my guns at paper targets so when the day comes that i have to shoot at living targets i can be proficient. I haven’t killed anyone with my 6000+ rounds. You will never be able to stop people from killing people. If we didn’t have guns people would still be stabbing each other and other various was to kill would increase. Everyone needs something to blame, some kind of closure. Just saying “guns are the problem” is just something easy to say and an effortless attempt to solve a very complex problem involving human behavior. Ill keep my guns and ammo and ill be safe from all. YOU cant rely on the government to keep you safe. You can call 911, and they will arrive at the scene and take a picture of your dead body. 2nd amendment was put there for a reason. Dont throw it away
rich
May 5, 2009 at 10:04 am
“Cars are regulated.”
How are cars regulated? I didn’t need to get a background check to buy my car.
“The use of bombs has been criminalized for good reason.”
Ditto guns. Why not enforce the laws we already have in place?
Get a clue. It’s funny, you blame Fox News for creating fear and instigating gun ownership, yet you also fall for the same fear being spewed by the left-wing “guns are evil” crowd.
ange
May 14, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Comparing a drivers license to a gun license is about as accurate as comparing a fishing license to a marriage license.
Further, if you think cars aren’t regulated, check with the federal government safety standards and state and local government regulations for emissions.
Guns are lethal weapons by their very nature. They are designed to kill, not to fertilize or to solve quadratic equations. The only use for a gun is to kill, harm, hurt (regardless of a shooter’s motivation be it self-defense or to protect her/himself from the evil central government that is going to turn our country into a Socialist State). That is a moot point. Guns only intended functions are to hurt people (or animals) or to threaten others with their use.
Yes, I think responsibly owning guns is protected by our constitution. But not for the purposes and reasons completely invented by the NRA.
And to mirror you own rudeness, ange, learn to read. This post is about runs on ammunition in retail stores and right-wing media sedition, not “guns are evil.”
You tell non-aggressive people here to get a clue or to grow up? Seems like you are the one in desperate need of a clue and some maturity, dear.
Reply: W00t!!!!!
skyewriter
May 14, 2009 at 6:52 pm
The rise in ammo sales are not being bought up by people who are crazy and shooting their family’s. What an unsupported assumption, zero points. I am one of the people stocking up. I personally am simply preparing for the worst. I want to know i have what i want when i need it. Its not “If” its “When” the Obama administration restricts our firearm desires further. If Obama supporters actually payed attention to what his administration has said and the individual members prior to his presidency, you can easily see where they will go in the future regarding this matter. I haven’t killed anyone, i own a couple ridiculous weapons, and am exercising my constitutional rights responsibly. I saw no limit to what i can own in the constitution, nor did i see a limit on ammo. It does however say that the people who bear such arms, can and should have such arms to be able to form and fight in a militia. Most hunting rifles don’t quite give the American people the edge they would need in such a militia. So technically if I want a tank….I should be able to own one and not be hassled about it as long as im responsible.
rich
May 5, 2009 at 12:02 am
Also where does it say in the second amendment, anything dealing with hunting??? It was put in place with Foreign invaders and tyrannical governments in mind. High powered handguns for killing people will be needed.
rich
May 5, 2009 at 12:16 am
Better buy em & hide em if when this law goes into effect, Blair Holt’s firearm licensing and record of sale act of 2009, here is the bill from library of congress:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.45:
Sailingwindward
May 5, 2009 at 8:11 am
In reality the Blair Holt bill HR 45 is being used for political purposes by the NRA to scare ignorant gun owner to vote against Democrats. The Blair Holt’s bill has no supporters and is for all practical purposes dead in congress. It was being introduced by one congressman from Ill. who could not even get a co-sponsor for the bill to go anywhere. I guess he can tell his voters that he tried which might make them happy or not.
http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/hunting/news/story?id=3899236
Larry
May 26, 2009 at 1:38 am