I'll have to agree with the OP, to some degree. The panic seems to have
rolled along unabated since October of last year, and shows no appreciable
signs of slowing down, at least in my neck of the woods. I can no longer
go to my two local dealers for a pleasant hour or two of perusing (and possibly
purchasing) a decently priced firearm. Both stores are packed to the walls
80% of the time, and the guys who work there no longer have the time
to wait on loyal customers properly. They're the first to admit that, and most
of them don't like it one bit. The owner of one of the shops told me that
he's almost at the point where he no longer enjoys being in the business,
and says that the extra money his business is making is almost not worth
the hassle. Like most of us here, I have a great love for the shooting sports,
and that will never change, but personally my patience is being sorely tested.
And range sessions are a whole other can of worms. These panic buyers
of course want to try out their new purchases. The lines and the wait at
the public ranges in my area are unbearable. I have a membership at a
private club, but it's almost an hour's drive from my home, so shooting
at a local public range used to be a viable alternative. Not anymore.
I just quit going, at least until this craziness subsides. I try to make
the trip to the private range once a week just to keep my skills honed,
but with a busy schedule, that's not always possible.
I try to remain semi-optimistic. As others have pointed out, this too
shall pass. At least I hope so. For now, I find it to be nothing but
an irritating, major pain in the arse.
Ok...I'm done venting. I'll probably catch some flak regarding my
"whining", but c'est la vie.