Obama win triggers increase in gun sales

[Michael]

PHOENIX (Reuters) - Sales of rifles, pistols and ammo are surging in parts of the United States, as many gun owners fear President-elect Barack Obama's administration may seek to tighten ownership of certain weapons.


Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE4A71LQ20081108?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews)

Does anyone think that the Obama Administration is going to be able or willing to move any kind of gun-control legislation?

[partofme]

I don't think so. It isn't even close on his list of top priorities. But gun owners are by far the most paranoid group of people in this country. The assault weapons ban made people think they wouldn't be able to own hand guns and rifles which just wasn't the case.

[Americano]

Gun sales are definitely booming with Obama's election, especially assault type weapons and handguns that take high-capacity clips. I've been liquidating a portion of my collection over the past couple of years and received five inquiries on Thursday and Friday, normally what I'd get in a month.

You can bet money Pelosi will eventually push the gun control issue. Not that I care one way or another, other than being able to move some tactical shotguns I've been sitting on for a few years.

[partofme]

Gun sales are definitely booming with Obama's election, especially assault type weapons and handguns that take high-capacity clips. I've been liquidating a portion of my collection over the past couple of years and received five inquiries on Thursday and Friday, normally what I'd get in a month.

You can bet money Pelosi will eventually push the gun control issue. Not that I care one way or another, other than being able to move some tactical shotguns I've been sitting on for a few years.

I've been thinking that many gun shop owners are pushing the talk of new legislation as a way to boost sales. They probably look scared as hell in the shop and happy as hell when they are taking the deposits to the bank.

[Americano]

I've been thinking that many gun shop owners are pushing the talk of new legislation as a way to boost sales. They probably look scared as hell in the shop and happy as hell when they are taking the deposits to the bank.

Gun shop owners don't have to do anything to promote sales when gun people feel their ability to purchase whatever they want might be threatened. California has by far the greatest number of restrictions on types and configurations of firearms of any state in the union (I don't sell any firearm to people in CA to avoid potential pitfalls) and it goes without saying Pelosi will desire expansion of those restrictions to a national level.

The smaller conversion shops, those entrepreneurs who remake mostly imported AK style weapons into objects that appear as something carried by special forces for the testosterone crowd, are already reporting six-month conversion backlogs. They do push public sentiment to generate business.

[Donkey]

Perhaps if Obama were Dictator-in-Chief he could push something like a comprehensive weapons ban through. I wouldn't speculate as to whether or not he would. However, with the "swing" to the left in Congress, there are enough rural democrats who have to pay the piper at home that I don't think banning a whole lot of guns would go over too well.

[Americano]

Perhaps if Obama were Dictator-in-Chief he could push something like a comprehensive weapons ban through. I wouldn't speculate as to whether or not he would. However, with the "swing" to the left in Congress, there are enough rural democrats who have to pay the piper at home that I don't think banning a whole lot of guns would go over too well.

Wouldn't be much good for the conventional US gun industry which is declining due to decreased interest in hunting as metropolitan sprawl continues.

[Korimyr the Rat]

There's a bright side. If they push the AWB through again, I'll be able to find an SKS without the bayonet mount-- which should save me about seventy bucks for an accessory I have little use for.

There's no doubt in my mind that Congressional Democrats are going to take another stab at disarming the American public. The only question is, how much more ridiculous nonsense are they going to be able to add to the Assault Weapons Ban this time around?

[Americano]

There's a bright side. If they push the AWB through again, I'll be able to find an SKS without the bayonet mount-- which should save me about seventy bucks for an accessory I have little use for.

There's no doubt in my mind that Congressional Democrats are going to take another stab at disarming the American public. The only question is, how much more ridiculous nonsense are they going to be able to add to the Assault Weapons Ban this time around?

California has long been the bellwether for weapons legislation. Pelosi now has powerful federal trading cards to make deals and I have no doubt she'll use them to twist congressional arms (no pun intended). Imports will be hit the hardest, with imported pseudo assault rifles taking a significant hit. The US has long been a strong market for military obsolete bolt-action and semi-auto pieces. The good stuff was heavily regulated in '68 and nationally limited to existing, registered pieces, so that won't be an issue. Many states already bar full auto ownership without a pedigree.

Too bad that industry doesn't have big time lobbyist access as there are now US cottage industries producing those products, but I'm afraid they'll crumple under a federal ban based solely on product descriptions. If Pelosi wasn't a pure political animal that didn't bite, her advisers could suggest she use an isolationist tariff to screw the foreign manufacturers and keep jobs in the US while appeasing the NRA crowd.

As mentioned I periodically sell guns to private parties, shipped to an FFL dealer, but I now exclude CA. New regulations and it's not dependent on CA for a market. If I made my living selling guns, and the pseudo assault rifle is a respectable market sector for many gun retailers, I'd make the decision to concentrate on how to replace that revenue.

[Greendruid]

Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE4A71LQ20081108?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews)

Does anyone think that the Obama Administration is going to be able or willing to move any kind of gun-control legislation?


I think this is a case of spurious association folks - Look at the economy. If anything is going to spur gun owners into a state of paranoia it's not the election of a specific administration, it's the fact that there's a general feeling of panic in the nation about what one's neighbour might do when times get tough. To me this seems like a larger issue and influence than Obama's election to office.

[Americano]

I think this is a case of spurious association folks - Look at the economy. If anything is going to spur gun owners into a state of paranoia it's not the election of a specific administration, it's the fact that there's a general feeling of panic in the nation about what one's neighbour might do when times get tough. To me this seems like a larger issue and influence than Obama's election to office.

I'd have to disagree. The Clinton administration imposed many restrictions on US gun ownership, some outright stupid, and gun owners are anticipating more of the same with Democrats, Pelosi in particular, in power. I can assure you the majority of US gun 'nuts' already have enough firepower to quell any neighborhood (or two) disturbance from civil unrest related to economics.

[Greendruid]

I'd have to disagree. The Clinton administration imposed many restrictions on US gun ownership, some outright stupid, and gun owners are anticipating more of the same with Democrats, Pelosi in particular, in power. I can assure you the majority of US gun 'nuts' already have enough firepower to quell any neighborhood (or two) disturbance from civil unrest related to economics.

Then you have to be able to show an increase in gun sales during the Clinton administration to set reasonable association between election and gun sales in the same manner. Otherwise, there are too many other factors out there to consider.


The fact of whether or not gun 'nuts' have enough firepower is irrelevant. Their perception of such is an entirely different matter. Especially if they perceive there being an association between widespread economic chaos and the inability to purchase guns for little cash at the moment.

[Americano]

Then you have to be able to show an increase in gun sales during the Clinton administration to set reasonable association between election and gun sales in the same manner. Otherwise, there are too many other factors out there to consider.

I don't have that data, but all imports and domestic manufacturing of assault weapons were banned with the Clinton Administration legislation, which would be a reduction in sales of those weapons and accessories.

With one exception, the assault weapon ban from the Clinton administration didn't affect conventional pistols, rifles and shotguns, the common household guns. That one restriction was the number of rounds a clip or magazine could hold, which was a maximum of ten rounds.

The fact of whether or not gun 'nuts' have enough firepower is irrelevant. Their perception of such is an entirely different matter. Especially if they perceive there being an association between widespread economic chaos and the inability to purchase guns for little cash at the moment.Anyone familiar with guns knows a semi-automatic assault rifle is not the weapon of choice for self-defense, in the home or otherwise. That duty falls to pistols and short-barreled shotguns. The semi-auto 'assault weapon' is normally sold to the testosterone crowd that thrives on image.
The increase in gun sales is currently concentrated in imported assault weapons and high-capacity handguns, which will surely again be the victims of new legislation. Guns are and always have been relatively inexpensive in the US and I seriously doubt any legislation will hinder Remington, Ruger, Winchester, DuPont and other conventional domestic manufacturers with serious lobbyist clout at their beck and call.

If we do experience economic chaos prompting an increase in sales of self-defense (and offense) weapons it'll be the cheap, low-end pistols and shotguns, not assault weapons.