Holiday Gun Sales are Smashing Records
December 14, 2011, Submitted by: Ken Tweet
Gun sales are surging off the charts this year as more and more people are ‘locked and loaded’. Holiday gun sales are setting records this year, according to firearm dealers, with shoppers snapping up Colts, Glocks, Smith & Wesson’s and more, with a fever usually reserved for Elmo and Transformers.
Apparently, people are doing what they need to do to protect themselves and their families. The category of firearm that has continued to sell very well is something one would have if they were concerned about their personal safety. There’s a lot of things going on in the world that are getting people thinking – like desperate criminals breaking into homes while people are sleeping…
During ‘Black Friday’ this year, gun dealers flooded the FBI with background check requests for prospective buyers, smashing the single-day, all-time high by 32%, according to bureau records. Deputy Assistant FBI Director Jerry Pender said the checks, required by federal law, surged to 129,166 during the day.
Larry Keane, a spokesman for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, said 25% of the purchases typically involve first-time buyers, many of them women. “I think there also is a burgeoning awakening of the American public that they do have a constitutional right to own guns,” Keane said. “It’s really pretty amazing,”
Another hot stocking stuffer: Personal defense items like pepper sprays and stun guns, with one of the country’s biggest manufacturers saying sales are up significantly over last year.
Have you recently purchased a gun? Leave a comment and tell us what you purchased, and why…
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This is turning out to be a slow motion depression and unlike historical depressions there is a lot of information available to us. People are storing food, buying precious metals, guns and necessities. Not everyone of course and not everyone has a job and are able to buy anything. But people are waking up to the threat in time to prepare.
I have not purchased any firearms recently. Have enough, I hope. Not interested in more form 4473 and the like. Anything I get in the future will be private sales. Not concerned about background checks (I’d pass, easily). Very concerned about where I think the government is going. Have a great day!
Purchased last week,
Remington 870 and a Ruger Gunsite Scout, I also sold a Mossberg 500. The Remington was an upgrade on the Mossberg and as for the Ruger it is simply the nicest 308 I have ever handled. I will enjoy hunting with it and will be keeping it clean and loaded in the safe in case the SHTF. If you’re a fan of rifles you should go to your local gunshop and at least hold one of these, maybe you will learn to love it as much as I have. I wonder if there will be any armament under the christmas tree this year. Santa left a Glock last year
Merry Christmas all and be ready.
In addition to giving the gift of safety in the form of a firearm, I also recommend giving a gift certificate to a firearms training class and or a year’s membership to a shooting range. The more you can get your hand, muscle, and eye coordination in line with your firearm, the better you will be able to spot a target that means to harm you from a break-in during the night.
I’ve sold every weapon I’ve ever bought at gun shows, even the one I bought last weekend….REALLY!
Hurrah for the news of a good trend. Give the gift of empowerment and independence to one you love. A firearm can be merely a tool or some can be status symbols. To a new shooter, it can be the source of a lot of fun as well as peace of mind and independence.
As a husband, I worried about my wife being alone at home when I am at work. As a retired peace officer, I taught her how to handle shotguns, revolvers, autoloading pistols and rifles. (Handling refers to loading, firing, unloading, speed reloading, clearing jams,double feeds and dud rounds in the dark)
My wife is a smart lady so there comes a time when I have to sit back and shut up. Give the gift of ammo along with the new firearm. A Field and Stream writer once said that the best instructor in the world is a case of shells and a ticket to a Sporting Clays course.
I am a shooter rather than a collector so I tend to purchase good working firearms at moderate cost and buy a lot of ammo (for shotgun) or lots of reloading components (rifle or pistol). I am getting old enough that many of my guns now have stories behind them. I hope that all of you have as much fun with your firearms as much as my wife and I do. Happy Holidays.
@All; I’ve noticed a lot of “apparent” first time buyers of mainstream ilk. I don’t read minds but upon overhearing conversations between customers and sales people in the big box stores it seems that there are a lot of people buying that would not otherwise be buying. I’m a certified GN in the general sense of it and keep up with the politics as well. I don’t have a good feel on why this is so. I don’t believe it is solely because people are scared. It may be that the long drawn out fight by the gun rights people and their orgs. (NRA, SAF, GOAL, etc., love’em or hate’em) over the past 30+ years has come to fruition through all the concealed carry laws that have passed/been upgraded by grass root efforts during this time. Owning a gun has become slightly more “respectable” nowadays. Also with the introduction of the Remington AR hunting platform (and others) a lot of “Bubbas” (I can say that as I am one, although I’ve loved ARs forever) are now hunting with AR based rifles giving them a mainstream “respectability” in the general hunting community that it had not enjoyed before. Now, the lame stream media can’t say “they aren’t hunting rifles” anymore. Exercise your rights and be a good example. Survive well. Enjoy.
I second “Ted K”s thoughts and am glad to see law abiding citizens exercising their 2nd amendment rights. But as he alluded to and “Be Informed” said, if you are not already trained in safely handling fire arms, please sign up for some training, it is in your and your family’s best interest.
Recently purchased: Springfield XDM .45…..as a famous Texas Ranger said when asked why he carried a “45″? ~ “Because they don’t make a 46″.
Planning to purchase: Spike Tactical ST-15 LE carbine (think civilian M-16) or Arsenal SGL21 (think civilian AK-47)….whichever I can get best deal on.
Also considering a small 9mm for the Mrs…maybe the very concealable subcompact Glock 26.
In addition to the Springfield 45, also own: 12 guage Remington 870 and Titka T3 Light Stainless 30-.06
Why? Unfortunately, I think things will get worse before they get better. Another famous quote, “I would rather have a gun and not need it, than need a gun and not have it.” The first three minutes of any home invasion you and your family must fend for themselves (maybe longer depending on your local law enforcements typical response time).
Praying for another awakening in 2012 presidential elections,
Merry Christmas
Carbine: Ended going with the Spike’s Tactical LE-15. Handled a couple AKs and a Smith & Wesson M&P M4 but liked the Spike’s the best for overall value compared to the S&W and being prior military it felt very natural compared to the foreign feeling AK. Also didn’t like the safety on the AK…very clunky and overall the AK just felt “loose” giving me an odd reliability worry even though they are famous for reliability. Anyway, Spike’s uses all mil spec (or better) components according to “The Chart”…do a google search for “AR-15 The Chart” if you’d like more info.
The old lesson stands the test of time / multiple purchases….make sure you handle the pistol/rifle/carbine BEFORE purchasing….personal preference plays a large part in overall satisfaction….meaning, what works awesome for the store clerk (or the Internet reviewer) may not work well for you.
Merry Christmas
To: US citizen: I have 2- 45 cal 1911s one was a rebuild from 5 gunshop junkbins plus new custom parts from King Gun works. The other is a new purchase Kimber Custom 2 (hereby refered to as the hanger queen). I like the 45s and I reload for them and used to compete with them.
My wife enjoyed shooting my old Smith and Wesson revolvers in both 38 spec. and 357 mag. Shooting the 45 acp was just a bit too much recoil for her. I wanted her to have more friends on her side than 6 in the cylinder so I bought her a 9 mm with several high capacity magazines.
I had to wait until I moved out of the peoples republic of Kalifornia before purchasing this pistol. I reload the 9 mm because it is difficult to find hollow point ammunition and what you do find is expensive. When I travel back to Kalifornia, I do not pack the high cap pistols. While I do not plan to cause trouble, if trouble finds me, the very least I can expect is to have my pistols confiscated.
Hollow point ammunition or any ammunition that is “controlled expansion” is NOT purchased in order to cause more harm to target. It is there to prevent overpenetration into the property next door. I keep HP ammo on hand at home to be responsible to my neighbors.
I used to joke with my gunsmith friend that Governator Arnie of Kalifornia and Pres. Obama were the best gun salesmen to come along in a long time. I recall another buying frenzy that took place after the 2008 elections in Kalifornia.
Ted K – Thanks for your service and congrats on moving out of the PRK Comrade! Kalifornia is a great and beautiful place, except for one thing…..Kalifornians. Although no blanket statement is true, there are still some good constitutionally oriented patriots living in Kalifornia, it seems they get fewer and further between with every year and every insane legislation passed by the communists, er…socialists…er…whatever.
Merry Christmas
p.s. I like your reasoning behind hollow points, I had not heard that before but it makes sense…I do have to admit though, I like the extra stopping power.
@TedK and USC; Hollow point ammo doesn’t have to cause so much stress. The simplest thing to do is call your local law enforcement office (city or county, maybe even state) and have the Public Relations officer explain to you what ammunition they use and why. Tell them you are a law enforcement major and you are doing a paper on departments and ammunition selection OR you can tell them the truth, that you would like to know what they use so that you can use it in your carry gun to avoid any issues with the DA in case of necessary use of said ammo. It should be public knowledge, in any case. If you could get them to send you a letter with that info on it would be golden. It will depend on where you live and how much SA support there is from your local LE personnel. Either way, or some other way I didn’t think of, use the same ammo as they do and it will be way easier to defend against in the event that you have to use deadly force. No DA in their right mind would try to castigate you on the stand if you use the same ammo as the local LE personnel. Secondly, is the fact that over penetration, while valid, is only half of the legal argument. Stopping power (not killing power), that is the least number of shots needed to stop a confrontation, is a valid legal argument. For instance; if you had a .22LR handgun and in a confrontation you had to shoot an individual 4,5,6,7 times or more with COM hits to “stop” him, then you probably killed him, anyway. However, if you had 9mm Black Talon hollow points (that your local LEs carry) and you had to shoot the individual 2 times to stop him, he has a better chance of surviving in those circumstances, than in the previous circumstances. Any bullet can kill you, it is just a matter of how fast it kills you, if it is a lethal hit. The speed of stopping a fight will, perhaps, determine if you live or die if confronted with an armed assailant. The type of ammo used is a bogus legal argument at best, in a logical argument. Of course, you would be tried by 12 reasonable people. The idea is to be as mean and nasty as possible to the assailant, and survive and appear as reasonable and ordinary as everyone else. I don’t mean to sound deceitful or manipulative, but you have to survive in the legal environment you find yourself in. Massad Ayoob, a gun writer, has written several books related to the use of deadly force. One of them, “In the Gravest Extreme”, is very well written and covers a lot of DF use issues. I would suggest reading it, it may give you some insight and comfort. Again, use what the cops use, that should cover you. Survive well. Enjoy.
to: TripodXL:
Thanks for the info. I never read Mas Ayoob’s book but I have been in at least 1 gunfight in my prior career. I also survived the criminal and civil proceedings afterwards. Unfortunately, you can be in a righteous shoot and still lose your job as a peace officer. esp. in Kalifornia.
Now I am working in a different career that pays more and does NOT involve me pulling over cars or breaking up marital disputes in armed households. During those years I also took MANY reports of collateral damage caused by bullets that went through multiple walls, car doors and ended up wounding 1 pregnant housewife, women, children and housepets (I love my cats and dogs) It was sad and I vowed that I never wanted to be responsible for that kind of grief.
So, on a personal level, I WILL pay attention to what I load in my firearms and I will exercise restraint in their use within my neighborhood. Not everybody on my block is a combatant. To my neighbors I’m just another fat guy trying to bar-b-que ribs in the rain/pick up my dogs doo-doo with a plastic bag. Being a good neighbor is pretty high priority for me.
Just purchased a Taurus M44 4″ 44Mag. Have wanted a $$ mag and after doing some research, this weapon seemed like the right fit for me. But, finding a carry holster for it has been a nightmare!!
@B7; Saw a post on “taurusarmed.net” where a guy had a holster made for a 4″ M44. The company he named was THS holsters in Mesa Arizona. Just IMHO, the revolver weighs around “just shy of 3#s” and an outside the waistband would seem to be the way to go if they can make you one, for concealed carry. Or you could find a shoulder holster, but they are pricey. I would wonder if an M44 would fit the same holster as an N29 4″ S&W 44 Mag.? While the model 29 doesn’t have an under lug like the M44 it does have a large “cylinder rod” shroud, that on a 4″ is almost like an under lug. You may have to try a “Premium” holster maker like Galco, DeSantis or Bianchi, to find what you want, especially for a large frame revolver, but it will polly cost 1/2 as much as the weapon. I’m not dissn’ your gat there, but large revolvers are not the de rigueur type carry weapon and you may have to have one custom made, especially if (no offense meant) your body type is a little non-standard. Hope the info helps, good luck. Survive well. Enjoy.
Bought the Khar 380 for a hide away or CC
@OneEye; I, also carry a Kahr, a P9 to be exact. They seem to be well made, although they are pricey for a “black slide” w/polymer frame. The PT9 is actually a full size auto but stretching the envelope some I consider the P9 to be as full size as you need. With the 8 round mag and one in the tube you outdo a revolver by 50%. It is the smallest full size made (high count production model) and the polymer with black stainless slide is so light I forget I have it on, sometimes, and that can be bad. Now to the naysayers out there, let me state that I am dyed-in-the-wool 1911A1 fan. And I carried mine for years, cocked and locked, condition one, in a SOB (small of the back) holster with a 10 round mag (10+1) and two spares. It’s heavy! Also, it’s heavy. The other problem with it is that it’s heavy! Now, if I could pick what I was going to be shot with, I would pick 9mm instead of .45ACP. Mostly, we don’t get that choice and it’s heavy! I don’t want to be shot with anything. In 38 years in the military and contract work, I’ve had more crap “zinging” past my head than I can remember and I didn’t get/want to get hit, with any of it. When you can feel the “bees” fly by your ears, that whiz and whir, and feel the air move on your ears and you get the taste of shit in the back of your mouth, you realize that you don’t want to get hit with any of it. So, don’t armchair commando me about the caliber, please. Been there, done that! I hate DAO pistols, period. But, if you can’t beat’em, join’em. Carrying a “condition one” pistol, that is heavy, is a pain in the ass, no question. And if you loose focus (cocked and locked) for a while, you can hurt someone. Glocks are too big. Everything else is bigger than a 1911A1 (not as flat, i.e. concealable), but if you practice enough, you can get fairly good tactical groups with the gun at 7-15 yds, i.e. 4″ or better. Carry high dollar, high performance ammo, that works in your gun, i.e. practice with it and run all your spare mags with it, to verify that they work with it. If you don’t you are foolish. Yes, it is expensive, but what is your life worth? I had an all steel E9 Kahr and thought that it was too heavy and broke down and bought the P9 “black slide” polymer framed pistol and practice with it constantly. I use if for everyday survival, but would not use it for SHTF survival and I will explain that in an upcoming article. The only thing I would change about the pistol is that I should have gotten the Tritium sights with it. If you get one, don’t scrimp, get it black (don’t get the two-toned), and get it with the night sights. It will do all you need it to do…unless your name is John Mclane!!! Just sayin. Survive well. Enjoy. Happy New Year.