Firearms Neophytes Panic Buying

WrongHanded said:

From what I've been hearing via a LGS or two, it seems the rush on guns is largely due to first time owners panic buying. I find that concerning.

I suppose my main concern is the mentality of these people. I got the feeling they aren't terribly pro gun individuals, and are just really scared someone is going to try and steal their groceries. Which makes me wonder how much (or rather how little) they know about the guns they're buying, the legalities involved, or how dangerous they may be with a new firearm and a whole bucket of ignorance.

I'm all for people - who previously haven't owned guns - taking their personal safety upon their own shoulders. But I do find the motives and speed with which people are procuring weapons a little unsettling. I feel like becoming a gun owner is not something that should be rushed. The thought process of "I just bought a gun and some ammo. I'm good to go!" is concerning to me.

How do you feel about it?

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You may very well be describing attributes of many here when they purchased their first firearm all those years ago.

Unless many here have yet to buy their 2nd firearm since that first buy

WrongHanded said:

From what I've been hearing via a LGS or two, it seems the rush on guns is largely due to first time owners panic buying. I find that concerning.

I suppose my main concern is the mentality of these people. I got the feeling they aren't terribly pro gun individuals, and are just really scared someone is going to try and steal their groceries. Which makes me wonder how much (or rather how little) they know about the guns they're buying, the legalities involved, or how dangerous they may be with a new firearm and a whole bucket of ignorance.

I'm all for people - who previously haven't owned guns - taking their personal safety upon their own shoulders. But I do find the motives and speed with which people are procuring weapons a little unsettling. I feel like becoming a gun owner is not something that should be rushed. The thought process of "I just bought a gun and some ammo. I'm good to go!" is concerning to me.

How do you feel about it?

Click to expand...

I think your concerns are legitimate. I have heard of three decidedly anti Second Amendment, Ctrl-Left, enemies of Liberty types at the periphery of our social circle acquiring hand guns in the past week or so. While their unpreparedness doesn't particularly bother me, I am more than a little miffed at the Leftist hypocrisy.

Faced with the perception of a threat to their security finally seeping through their addled brains as a result of media driven panic, they want guns. When that perceived threat recedes, they will return to towing the Party line that "government will take care of us" and "nobody needs a gun" despite their own experience. It boggles the mind.

I recall an academy instructor who tired of “What if?” questions all class finally getting fed up and asking one kid, “What if? What if? What if my aunt had balls, would she be my uncle?!?”

That ended the “What ifs” for the rest of the academy sessions!

Stay safe.

From zerohedge which is usually pretty negative but there are quotes from one firearms dealer.

edit: honestly after reading closer I can’t tell who the hell is being quoted! Lots of “friends said.” Might be more alarmist BS.

So we are gun people who are freaked out by people buying guns. We fight for shall issue or Constitutional carry? Hope Joe Biden reads some of this thread.

BTW, don't care about your views of the virus and aspects of that if they are not directly related to gun usage. Plenty of other places to emote about the virus.

... Because it's just not possible for newbies at something to learn how to do it safely, is it?

They figure they can shoot their way out of the croney??? Even NASCAR fans figured out that they can’t shoot OR drink their way out of this one. What are the gun-haters going to do with themselves when they realize that they have become that which they hate??? I can help them to figure out with cash on the spot (to be used for counseling) for about half or two thirds purchase price...

Clearly many are panicking, because they don't know better. I don't think the conversation hurts because the average THR member has more common sense and can share that view. If anything we can help others relax and not get run over by the crazy amount of fatalism going on.
We will all probably need to make changes in the short run to protect our elders. Love your neighbor, don't be greedy and what ever you do relax, it's not the plauge it's truly a cold virus, we can beat this.
I was at 3 gun stores today trying to buy SPP and the panic was real. The newbies were down to abused revolvers for literally twice what they were worth. The local grocery stores were HEAVILY picked over but people were calm and polite. Gotta admit I was not impressed by the vibes at the gun shops. I went home and ordered the primers from Brownells. If I gotta stay home why not reload more?

The vast majority of gun owners have little to no training in using their guns in a defensive situation. They get NO gun education. I am totally into training and perhaps in the 99th percentile of the civilian population. I have friends who own many guns and never do anything but shoot a box once a year at the square range.

So what else is new if we have a wave of newbies buying guns. The best we can hope for is that some of them try to get some of that learning.

The obvious solution is for LGS establishments to offer some training. Many do or advertise some of the local trainers.

Otherwise, I'm not going to panic. Yes, there will be some NDs but we have them already. There is no solution except mandated training and who is for that?

Once again, it's been studied - in normal times, the average gun owner gets NO training. In fact, a study demonstrated that about 98 % of LTC folks have nothing beyond the mandated course on the law in TX.

https://forums.gunboards.com/showth...rs-fuel-spike-in-sales-of-guns-and-ammunition

Gun counter lines 7, 8 people deep, in Los Angeles?

GEM: Has research indicated, in a general sense, that during normal times (probably more so now), a majority of Men who buy a specific handgun shoot one box of ammo, take it home and seldom if ever touch the gun again?

The answer is yes. An interesting side issue is that when tested with the typical small handgun - let's buy a snubby or compact semi - the neophyte is not the great a shot. I'll dig up the references tomorrow sometime.

Hartkopf said:

View attachment 899895
From zerohedge which is usually pretty negative but there are quotes from one firearms dealer.

edit: honestly after reading closer I can’t tell who the hell is being quoted! Lots of “friends said.” Might be more alarmist BS.

Click to expand...

This is not a critique or dig at you posting Zero Hedge. It's interesting because they will often publish material that the MSM seem to suppress, but Zero Hedge is a Russian funded and influenced operation, and they are definitely part of the "sow discord in society" operation, albeit a more sophisticated and nuanced end of the spectrum. I read it regularly and they offer particularly good insight into the incredible corruption at the heart of the government - Wall Street nexus. In fact Ivandjiski came out of that world and has very good sources. People unfamiliar with the blog need to keep its bias in mind, even if it's bias is far less extreme than the likes of CNN or MSNBC ;-)

I think it's great. Stay with me...

Can we only support our fellow citizens who do a little more pro-2A? Hows about 50% more. 76%? 110%? i.e. NRA lifer, power user GLock, defense shotgun, hunting, trap, sporting clays, IDPA, muzzle loader and while at it help the BoyScouts (they REALLY need it LoL)...

The rationale of why people exercise their constitutional rights, in whatever amount they deem necessary, is that individuals freedom, their individual prerogative. I'll take the class members to train but first, there absolutely must be...the class members.

Back to coffee, just finished breakfast sausage, toast, tomato juice. I'm getting used to this quaranteen thingie LoL

WrongHanded said:

... I got the feeling they aren't terribly pro gun individuals, and are just really scared someone is going to try and steal their groceries. ...

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Huh ... that is an interesting take on the firearms sales surge.

I just figured that these folks were following the pattern described in the old rhyming adage,

"When in danger or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout."

Just to chime in here.

For the last couple of years I've worked part-time at a local gunshop. Saturday was my last day, as I was supposed to be taking a temporary leave from society at the end of the month (which has been cancelled due to virus concerns). At any rate, when I walked in, I had flashbacks to Election Day 2016. Except it was busier! People were buying up bulk ammo, guns, everything. I can't honestly say how many of them were new, or newer gun owners. But to say people were out in force would be accurate. We set a sales record, and could've sold more if we'd had more bulk 9mm and 5.56mm ammunition on hand.

I think it's a great thing to get more firearms into the hands of private citizens, and for more people to wake up to the reality that the government is not responsible to help you, the individual. However I do have concerns over who may be mentoring some of the newbies, or whether or not they will receive some more education along the way. Think of this: imagine your average driver. Remember, most of those average drivers have had some kind of minimum training at some point in the past (driver's education).

Note: Please don't read that as me advocating for mandatory firearms training. I'm also in the camp that says suppressors should be an accessory, SBR and SBS-class guns should be Title 1 firearms, and the machine gun registry should be re-opened, to help take the mystique out of full-auto firearms.

Interesting thoughts about the antis turning pro gun in a time of panic, maybe or maybe not. I don't know, a lot of non-gun owners want guns but want other things more, doesn't make them specifically anti gun they just have twisted priorities. But for the (I assume small?) Number of anti gun folks who freak out and go get some kind of protection, I hope they remember this when politicians they support scream about banning everything. It would be great to see a spike in NRA,GOA or whatever organization memberships . the divide has been widening the past few years with very few indifferent on the gun debate. Another member mentioned folks that think it's only ok for them but all those other people are just dangerous- I know that all too well. My mother is as far left as they get, makes Bernie look far right in comparison. She has 2 guns and screams about the evil NRA and thinks a glock is an assault weapon. It's fine for her to own guns though because she could be in danger and needs to protect herself. You would cringe if you saw the 25 year old green crusty bullets in her amt 380. She'll never switch to supporting pro gun anything, her hypocrisy is standard within her political party. "Do what I say, not what I do".

Sounds like someone on here should make a "bought your first gun because of the panic? Well here are some first time safety tips and best practices" kinda thread. You know some people will Google to find info when they get curious

Well, people have to protect their TP hoards somehow.

There are people who think nobody should own guns because they're dangerous. They scoff at others who own guns for protection, but when a crisis hits, they go and buy guns for protection, supposedly from other dangerous gun-owning people. Many are the same people who hoarded supplies, knowing their actions leave their neighbors without, and instead of sharing their excess with those in need, they seek to protect their stash from other "greedy, thieving" individuals. So they buy guns, not knowing what they are, nor how to use them, nor how to be safe and responsible with them.

Often in the discussion about rights, the discussion about responsibility is omitted. The responsible gun owner understands the importance of safety, and they educate themselves. The anti-gunners project their own ignorance and lack of self-control on everyone else. And when fools panic buy guns and ammo, and some tragedy strikes due to their ignorance, the rest of us -- and our rights -- inevitably suffer for it.

How else are these newbies gonna protect their TP stash?

Same as why are people buying out all the ammo? Most online places are out of stock!

Derangement syndrome, panic buying a lot due to Speculation. Fear of the Unknown

Here in Florida I am used to panic buyers due to hurricanes but this is way different. They are NUTS!

I think it’s awesome. We all started somewhere. The more law abiding gun owners who realize they don’t want to vote for someone who wants their property made illegal, the better off we all are.

Rule3 said:

Fear of the Unknown

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You summed it all up right there.

Media hype to creeping death, we don't know. Eventually there will be a catastrophe that is real and not media hype. Judging by the gun sales lots of people think this will be really bad.

Could be that none of us are effected in the least by this Wuhan virus crisis but there are so many layers of possibilities that I don't blame people for being stressed and freaking out some. It's very possible the worst that happens is a bunch of old people die but that's not good because what's the average age of THR members again? It's up there pretty high. And anybody with sick or unhealthy family members should protect them more than your average person.
Of coarse Lysol, bleach, alky and masks will be the weapons of choice for that.

Does anyone have actual data on increased firearms sales? NICS only releases their data monthly, but through Feb there was no outstanding rise:

https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/nics_firearm_checks_-_month_year.pdf/view

Didn't even exceed the Christmas rush in Dec 2019. Also note how we buy more almost every single year so slight rises are just us being us.

So... any rush would have to be in the last 2 weeks. Anyone got solid stats from their store or so on?