GULF COAST CRISIS: GUN PURCHASES Fearful Southerners buy firearms at torrid pace

Chicago Tribune ^ | September 8, 2005 | Lisa Anderson, Michael Martinez and Ray Quintanilla

[ConservativeStatement]

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Gun sales across the South boomed after the first reports surfaced of armed looters roaming the streets of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. And images of shots being fired at relief workers only elevated fears in some communities.

Now, as hundreds of thousands of people displaced from their homes are being resettled, gun store owners say they're being flooded by a demand for guns--particularly in Southern states and others where many of the hurricane victims are being relocated.

Mostly, they say, the demand is being fueled by "good people" wanting to protect their families and property. That includes some who might not otherwise purchase such weapons, they add.

[SittinYonder]

Weapons and ammo are the sort of thing you want PRIOR to actually NEEDING them.

Exactly. When you say to yourself, "Man, I could really use a gun right now," chances are you won't have the opportunity to learn from your mistake.

[hiredhand]

Sorry to hear about Pudge. I've owned the Remington but had to have the stock replaced twice due to rain damage. The A Bolt seems smoother to me and the Composite stock is a dream. I used to have a 7 mm Mauser Sportsterized but it got stolen. That was before I started using gun safes.

Yeah...thanks. :-) We miss Pudge too! We're still HOPING he comes back, but so far there's no sign of him.

I'm not a huge fan of wooden stocks on my bolt guns anymore either. I guess wood is O.K. if you take it out once a year and hunt with it, and keep it dry. But if you really USE it, and get it SOAKED, wood is definitely a problem! I suppose the exception to this with the Yugo SKSs we bought...the stocks still WEEP grease if you leave them in the sunlight for just a little while! We could have degreased them better. I DO know how. But I left them that way intentionally just in case we had to be out with them under "less than favorable conditions" for an indefinite time. :-)

My Rem M-700 has a synthetic (factory) stock. It's "sufficient" I don't like the way it's weighted, but that sucker shoots .3" groups at 300 yards, so I can deal with the strange balance.

That Mauser with Pudge on my about page has a stock that "looks" like wood, but it's got far more epoxy in it than wood. We counted the sheets and it's manufactured from 85 sheets of wood laminate which is impregnated with some sort of epoxy plastic, or polymer. I'm not sure which. The smith who built it for me said that stock was "same as synthetic...but just looks like wood!".

I've heard the A-Bolt has a "smoother" bolt than the 700 too!

Arg...sorry to hear the 7mm Mauser "got gone". That's enough to set yer jaw tight.

[Jasper]

"Hence the old adage: "No foot is faster than a .38!"

Or: "You can't rape a thirty-eight!" ;>)

My favorite: "Don't call 911, use 1911."

/jasper

[Fred911]

George:

Go get yourself a reliable gun now.

[hiredhand]

Exactly. When you say to yourself, "Man, I could really use a gun right now," chances are you won't have the opportunity to learn from your mistake.

It's NOT even the sort of thing I like thinking about! If one is in a situation where a firearm is required, that is INDEED a bad situation and certainly NO time to go shopping for guns and ammo!

By that time, the opportunity would have been long gone. Whew..like I said...that's a bad thing to think about! :-)

[AFreeBird]

Unfortunately, I am intimidated by rifles and shotguns. I want to learn, but I can barely lift my Husband's 12G and rifles, so I am afraid to shoot them. Any recs on good weapons for a petite woman?

Get a 20GA and have hubby take you out to the skeet/clay range. I had a buddy (recently died), Army Lt. Col. (ret) who started out clays with a 12 but latter on got a Baretta 20 and he loved it. Light weight and recoil. Most of the ladies at the club at least start out with 20's before trying out the 12's. I think you'll like it.

[doggieboy]

Well...I've decided to get one. I don't really have an interest in them and my formerly liberal (now converted) wife, didn't like the idea. After watching the news at New Venice these last few days I told her I was going to get one and she didn't object. I'd like to get an old Walther P38. At least I would be interested in it, if I owned it.

[SevenDaysInMay]

Always do your own research.

This is a first glance. Water weighs 8.33#/gallon.

Water: Chlorine ~ 6ppm in good old CLEAN H2O. (I can't remember in which water engineering source I found while at Texas A&M) Check Red Cross: I have used ~1-2 teaspoons to 3 tablespoons per gallon depending on source (lake/stream/puddle) which is why your own filtration systems can be valuable. Take time to let muddy/cloudy water settle (sedimentation rates = f(solids' size and organics). Always let shake/stir vigorously over hours up to 2 days for chlorine outgas before you drink "pool" water.

Per 55 gallons (drums)of tap water - 2 tablespoons of unscented household bleech( comprised of sodium, oxygen, hydrogen and chlorine). Six times the concentration of bleach is "muriatic acid) = hydrochloric acid (hydrogen and chlorine). A 55 gal. Drum on 5-wheel dolly with water is nearly 500#; my 75 y.o. mother could easily enough roll my test drum around the house over oak floors and kitchen tiles.

Common Sense ALERT: In attic, with enough insulation, a 55 gallon drum might survive icing during most Southern cold blasts, but think this one through. The larger the mass the less chance of freeze-up, depending...

Storage: bungs sealed tight with black 55 gallon trash bag(s) with elastic strap at bottom of bag to minimize any algae growth - This shoulkd keep for years because the chlorine has no where else to go other than attach to tap water's impurities - it should not go bad, but keep a gallon or four of bleech for when SHTF. Drum pumps cost ~$20-$30.

For drinking, pump/pour into half filled quality jugs to shake vigorously several times over 24 hours to outgas the excess chlorine. To keep the process going, I recommend several Rubber Maid one gallon refer jugs because of their quality and durability. Aeration always makes water taste better than when "flat". Powdered Gator-Aid helps make any off flavors and it contains sugars and "minerals" to improve blood chemistry.

Filtration: I use a 6' 2" copper pipe with reducer fittings to 1/2" with ball valving holding usually ~12" fine pre-washed sand over 6 layers of coffee filters over 4 oz. activated charcoal from any aquarium supply pet store, over 6 layers of coffee filters which drips through double coffees from an old coffee makers grounds cup into a two gallon plastic insulated cooler. The tall the pipe stand, the more pressure to push down through the filtration system. The dirtier the water, the more sand. PVC works just as well and a bit lighter, if not as stout. My next filter will start with a 4" main pipe, but it for a permanent homestead installation.

Research and best of luck and act today.

[hiredhand]

Get a 20GA and have hubby take you out to the skeet/clay range. I had a buddy (recently died), Army Lt. Col. (ret) who started out clays with a 12 but latter on got a Baretta 20 and he loved it. Light weight and recoil. Most of the ladies at the club at least start out with 20's before trying out the 12's. I think you'll like it.

I went through having to buy my wife a suitable weapon for the house just a few years ago.

I'm an incurable 7.62 NATO bigot, and try as I might, I could NOT find any 7.62s that she liked. I was going for the DSA SA-58 carbine, but she said, "TOO HEAVY"! The specs on the SA-58 .243 weren't enough to make a difference in weight, so we didn't even look at that one.

We looked at some Egyptian, and Romanian AKs, but she took one look and turned her nose up because of the OBVIOUS flaws in workmanship.

We borrowed a Remington 870 from a friend, and took it out with a couple of boxes of low brass 7 1/2s and she had a BLAST!....thought it was terrific!

I was going to get the 870...put a shorty stock on it...pistol grip...shorter bbl... and she asked me about hitting targets a 300 yards as she had done with my .243.

Errr...I said, "Sweetie...this thing is good for about 100 feet with the right ammo." She replied, "HUMPH! Well that's NOT much good is it?!" She was also put out that it only held a "tube full" of shells....and that it was time consuming to reload IF you ran out.

Sheesh! She's already got a Walther PPK/S that she's VERY proficient with, and she has an older S&W .38 as well. So we were in the process of looking at AR carbines. She REALLY liked the "shorty" ARs. They're small, easy to use....LOTS of ammo in a 30 round mag, and QUICK to reload! PLUS, you can pop targets at a couple of hundred yards!

We were getting ready to buy TWO of the shorties when my buddy at the shop talked us into the regular A-2s. She tried it out, and decided it's weight and balance was acceptable. Although since that time, my 10 year old now owns one, and he put a stubby stock on his, and my wife REALLY likes that! It takes a full 4 inches off the pull length. I've read that a LOT of women, and smaller people use these stubby stocks on ARs.

I'm not sure where you live. We're fairly rural, so the ARs were "sufficient". I'm not a big 5.56mm fan, but to quote my buddy down at the shop... "If 18 yr old Army girls can use it, ANYBODY can use it.".

...ah well....just my .02. :-)

[freepatriot32]

Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here

[AFreeBird]

That's all very well and good, But I believe she was talking about scatter guns which is why I suggested the 20.

BTW usmom, while I mentioned that my friend had a Baretta 20, I failed to mention that it was an auto loader. Double barrels are fine and all, but considering that you describe yourself as "petite", go with the auto. over/unders typically have heavier barrels which requires a longer reach and upper body strength to hold on target, especially repeatedly on the range where you'll tire quicker. With the auto, the center of gravity is moved rearward towards your upper body, and helps mitigate that problem.

On more thing regarding the Baretta, it's a beautiful weapon, but like most things from Italy or Germany, it's over engineered. My friend loved shooting it but hated cleaning it. Complicated, intricate design.

My Browning "Golden Clay's" auto on the other hand is; beautiful in its simplicity, and that design makes it easy to clean too.

Can't go wrong with a Browning (IMHO)

[Spktyr]

Mossberg makes a Home Defense 20ga and a Home Defense .410 specifically for small people who cannot physically handle a larger gun. Yeah, they're not as effective as a 12ga, but they work.

As for rifles, try the AR-15 series.

[hiredhand]

You said it! You can NOT go wrong with a Browning!

Hey..I was just thinking about what you said about balance and semi-autos...that's a good point. ...and it jogged my memory.

There's a company in Russia now marketing shotguns in the U.S.A. by the name of Saiga. At least I "think" that's what the name is. I was reading a gun magazine one of my boys bought a couple of months ago, and these Saiga shotguns got a good review.

They're box magazine fed, and are basically AKs, re-worked to shoot .410. I'm not certain if they make a 20ga model though.

However...I've never shot a sweeter shotgun than the Browning semi-autos. :-) They're NICE.

[Spktyr]

Not only are they in .410, they're in 20 and 12ga. They are *detachable* box magazine fed, and are AKs with all that that implies (though the workmanship is pretty good for an AK). They come in many variants. The cheapest 12ga version is about $250. I love mine. 5 and 8 round stick mags, 20 round drums available "any day now".

[hiredhand]

Ah yes! That's the critter. Thanks!

20 rd drums...Ooooh....yeah. :-) What's the box magazine capacity and how much are mags?

[Liberty Valance]

This is good news. I would suggest an NRA safety class for all who are new to firearm handling as well. We should all spend a bit more time at the range honing our skills. Collect more ammo.

[Spktyr]

The detachable mags for the 12ga (can't say on the others) are 5 or 8 rounds, and yes, it will take 3" rounds.

[Conspiracy Guy]

You must have a bigger house than me.

[George Smiley]

I bet the predominant opinion here is that the term ".22 Magnum" is an oxymoron.

: ^ )

[Spktyr]

Mags used to be about $20 each, but the importer went out of biz and now they're coming in sporadically. They're now about $40 for a 5rd, $80 for an 8rd.

There is a US production line starting for the mags, and there is a new importer taking over, so mag prices should drop again.