An Arms Race in America: Gun Buying Spiked During the Pandemic. It’s Still Up.

MTAtech · May 30, 2021

An Arms Race in America: Gun Buying Spiked During the Pandemic. It’s Still Up.

Preliminary research data show that about a fifth of all Americans who bought guns last year were first-time gun owners.
...
But beneath the timeworn political cycle on guns in the United States, the country’s appetite for firearms has only been increasing, with more being bought by more Americans than ever before.
While gun sales have been climbing for decades — they often spike in election years and after high-profile crimes — Americans have been on an unusual, prolonged buying spree fueled by the coronavirus pandemic, the protests last summer and the fears they both stoked.
...
Many gun store workers reported that last year set records for sales and also that they noticed different types of buyers walking in the door. Thomas Harris, a former law enforcement officer who works at the gun counter at Sportsman’s Warehouse in Roanoke, Va., said that around March last year, the customers he would speak with began to include more white-collar workers, such as people from insurance firms and software companies. He said many of the buyers were not conservative and most had never handled a gun.

Is this where Americans are spending their stimulus checks?
I just can’t explain why there is an uptick in gun sales. Americans just don’t have enough of them?

washunut · May 30, 2021

MTAtech said:
An Arms Race in America: Gun Buying Spiked During the Pandemic. It’s Still Up.
Preliminary research data show that about a fifth of all Americans who bought guns last year were first-time gun owners.
...
But beneath the timeworn political cycle on guns in the United States, the country’s appetite for firearms has only been increasing, with more being bought by more Americans than ever before.
While gun sales have been climbing for decades — they often spike in election years and after high-profile crimes — Americans have been on an unusual, prolonged buying spree fueled by the coronavirus pandemic, the protests last summer and the fears they both stoked.
...
Many gun store workers reported that last year set records for sales and also that they noticed different types of buyers walking in the door. Thomas Harris, a former law enforcement officer who works at the gun counter at Sportsman’s Warehouse in Roanoke, Va., said that around March last year, the customers he would speak with began to include more white-collar workers, such as people from insurance firms and software companies. He said many of the buyers were not conservative and most had never handled a gun.

Is this where Americans are spending their stimulus checks?
I just can’t explain why there is an uptick in gun sales. Americans just don’t have enough of them?

Well I have none. That being said with the unrest over the summer and knowing that I live in a suburban town where the police will not be able to help quickly I thought about having one for home safety.

MTAtech · May 30, 2021

washunut said:
Well I have none. That being said with the unrest over the summer and knowing that I live in a suburban town where the police will not be able to help quickly I thought about having one for home safety.

When I lived in NYC in the 80s, I had a registered Glock 17 with two 18 round magazines. I got rid of it when I had children.

washunut · May 30, 2021

MTAtech said:
When I lived in NYC in the 80s, I had a registered Glock 17 with two 18 round magazines. I got rid of it when I had children.

Smart not to have guns in a house with kids, unless you keep it in a safe.

TurtleDude · May 30, 2021

MTAtech said:
When I lived in NYC in the 80s, I had a registered Glock 17 with two 18 round magazines. I got rid of it when I had children.

18 round Glock magazines. Those would be interesting to see.

TurtleDude · May 30, 2021

washunut said:
Smart not to have guns in a house with kids, unless you keep it in a safe.

or in a way a child cannot use it. Of course if you train your children well, the window of time where you need to keep it locked up diminishes.

MTAtech · May 30, 2021

TurtleDude said:
18 round Glock magazines. Those would be interesting to see.

Pretty much normal clip.

j brown's body · May 30, 2021

Gun deaths are going up too.

j-mac · May 30, 2021

MTAtech said:
An Arms Race in America: Gun Buying Spiked During the Pandemic. It’s Still Up.
Preliminary research data show that about a fifth of all Americans who bought guns last year were first-time gun owners.
...
But beneath the timeworn political cycle on guns in the United States, the country’s appetite for firearms has only been increasing, with more being bought by more Americans than ever before.
While gun sales have been climbing for decades — they often spike in election years and after high-profile crimes — Americans have been on an unusual, prolonged buying spree fueled by the coronavirus pandemic, the protests last summer and the fears they both stoked.
...
Many gun store workers reported that last year set records for sales and also that they noticed different types of buyers walking in the door. Thomas Harris, a former law enforcement officer who works at the gun counter at Sportsman’s Warehouse in Roanoke, Va., said that around March last year, the customers he would speak with began to include more white-collar workers, such as people from insurance firms and software companies. He said many of the buyers were not conservative and most had never handled a gun.

Is this where Americans are spending their stimulus checks?
I just can’t explain why there is an uptick in gun sales. Americans just don’t have enough of them?

Not for you to decide how many weapons I own....

jaeger19 · May 30, 2021

MTAtech said:
An Arms Race in America: Gun Buying Spiked During the Pandemic. It’s Still Up.
Preliminary research data show that about a fifth of all Americans who bought guns last year were first-time gun owners.
...
But beneath the timeworn political cycle on guns in the United States, the country’s appetite for firearms has only been increasing, with more being bought by more Americans than ever before.
While gun sales have been climbing for decades — they often spike in election years and after high-profile crimes — Americans have been on an unusual, prolonged buying spree fueled by the coronavirus pandemic, the protests last summer and the fears they both stoked.
...
Many gun store workers reported that last year set records for sales and also that they noticed different types of buyers walking in the door. Thomas Harris, a former law enforcement officer who works at the gun counter at Sportsman’s Warehouse in Roanoke, Va., said that around March last year, the customers he would speak with began to include more white-collar workers, such as people from insurance firms and software companies. He said many of the buyers were not conservative and most had never handled a gun.

Is this where Americans are spending their stimulus checks?
I just can’t explain why there is an uptick in gun sales. Americans just don’t have enough of them?

There are multiple factors.
One is the increase in disposable income from stimulus checks.
Guns are very popular items. Not just now but for the last 20 years gun sales were strong so if you were eyeing that new rifle or thought about buying a firearm for the first time..now you have the cash.
Two: target shooting and hunting are outdoor activities usually. The pandemic stopped a lot of people's normal recreation..but outdoor activities exploded during the pandemic. Camping..fishing..shooting and hunting a exploded. By june...of last year you could not find a rod and reel combo in a store.
Three : civil unrest.. confidence in the police and government probably at an all
time low
Four: antigun rhetoric and the likely and then actual election of Biden. If you ever were thinking you might like a firearm..now is the time to buy before there are more hassles.

TurtleDude · May 30, 2021

MTAtech said:
Pretty much normal clip.

OK-not a big deal-the Glock Magazines are 17 rounds. that is why the initial pistol was called a GLOCK 17 (though their next offering-the 19 only was issued with 15 round magazines) You had an 18 round handgun, not a 18 round magazine. I have never seen a GLOCK made 18 round magazine in 9mm so that was what I was questioning

PeacefulWarrior · May 30, 2021

MTAtech said:
and most had never handled a gun.

AWESOME!!!!

Even more unqualified people strutting around everywhere with firearms.

Man, those are some Gnarlee FrEeDuMbZ$™!!!!!!

PRAISE GUN!!!!!

(and pass the ammunition......)

jaeger19 · May 30, 2021

MTAtech said:
Pretty much normal clip.

If you had it in years 80s it would be a gen 1 and I don't believe they offered an 18 round magazine...
Turtledude would be the authority however ..but thats why I suspect he made his comment.

j-mac · May 30, 2021

PeacefulWarrior said:
AWESOME!!!!

Even more unqualified people strutting around everywhere with firearms.

Man, those are some Gnarlee FrEeDuMbZ$™!!!!!!

PRAISE GUN!!!!!

(and pass the ammunition......)

Crime rates for legal gun owners are extremely low....

TurtleDude · May 30, 2021

PeacefulWarrior said:
AWESOME!!!!

Even more unqualified people strutting around everywhere with firearms.

Man, those are some Gnarlee FrEeDuMbZ$™!!!!!!

PRAISE GUN!!!!!

(and pass the ammunition......)

how do you know about those people? should we care about the opinions of those who have an irrational hatred of legally armed citizens? or worse, those who have a political vendetta against lawful gun owners?

nvflash · May 30, 2021

Remind me the last time any nation sent an invading force to overcome the US?

Was it the Mexican American war, or was it the war of 1812?

How did that work out for them?

An armed population is the best defense.

TurtleDude · May 30, 2021

j-mac said:
Crime rates for legal gun owners are extremely low....

gun owners with CCW licenses are more law abiding than police and safer gun users as well

j-mac · May 30, 2021

TurtleDude said:
gun owners with CCW licenses are more law abiding than police and safer gun users as well

I know...It is really disheartening to see the conflation of crime rates with legal gun owners who are NOT the problem...The moment we are disarmed, that is when we really lose the country.

TurtleDude · May 30, 2021

jaeger19 said:
If you had it in years 80s it would be a gen 1 and I don't believe they offered an 18 round magazine...
Turtledude would be the authority however ..but thats why I suspect he made his comment.

Glock first offered 17 round magazines with the GLOCK 17 which was introduced in the 1980s-I think they hit US shelves around 85 or 86. Then the 19 came out with 15 round magazines, and then the 26 which was even smaller. The 34 and Glock 17L were target versions of the G17. Next was the forty caliber 22 and 23, and a 45 (G 21) and the 10M (20) the full sized 22 and 20 used 15 round magazines, the 45 was a couple less. I cannot find evidence of an 18 round magazine by GLOCK in that time period or through 2020. What the poster did have was an 18 round weapon since with one in the spout and a full magazine, it held 18 shots.

MTAtech · May 30, 2021

jaeger19 said:
If you had it in years 80s it would be a gen 1 and I don't believe they offered an 18 round magazine...
Turtledude would be the authority however ..but thats why I suspect he made his comment.

It was bought around 1988. Federal law in the 1990s limited clip capacity to 10 rounds.

Phys251 · May 30, 2021

MTAtech said:
An Arms Race in America: Gun Buying Spiked During the Pandemic. It’s Still Up.
Preliminary research data show that about a fifth of all Americans who bought guns last year were first-time gun owners.
...
But beneath the timeworn political cycle on guns in the United States, the country’s appetite for firearms has only been increasing, with more being bought by more Americans than ever before.
While gun sales have been climbing for decades — they often spike in election years and after high-profile crimes — Americans have been on an unusual, prolonged buying spree fueled by the coronavirus pandemic, the protests last summer and the fears they both stoked.
...
Many gun store workers reported that last year set records for sales and also that they noticed different types of buyers walking in the door. Thomas Harris, a former law enforcement officer who works at the gun counter at Sportsman’s Warehouse in Roanoke, Va., said that around March last year, the customers he would speak with began to include more white-collar workers, such as people from insurance firms and software companies. He said many of the buyers were not conservative and most had never handled a gun.

Is this where Americans are spending their stimulus checks?
I just can’t explain why there is an uptick in gun sales. Americans just don’t have enough of them?

Phys251 · May 30, 2021

j-mac said:
I know...It is really disheartening to see the conflation of crime rates with legal gun owners who are NOT the problem...The moment we are disarmed, that is when we really lose the country.

Almost nobody owns guns in Singapore. What is Singapore's murder rate?

MTAtech · May 30, 2021

j-mac said:
I know...It is really disheartening to see the conflation of crime rates with legal gun owners who are NOT the problem...The moment we are disarmed, that is when we really lose the country.

Lose the country to whom?

Phys251 · May 30, 2021

MTAtech said:
Lose the country to whom?

To sanity.

PeacefulWarrior · May 30, 2021

nvflash said:
An armed population is the best defense.

LMAO. No it isnt.

An Arms Race in America: Gun Buying Spiked During the Pandemic. It’s Still Up.