Posted on 08/07/2007 5:45:57 AM PDT by epow
GUN, AMMO SALES UP 14 PERCENT; $70 MILLION FOR CONSERVATION . . .
Sales by gun and ammunition manufacturers grew by 14 percent in the first quarter of 2007 compared to the same period a year earlier, according to one of the firearm industry's best economic indicators. The statistics are taken from the latest Pittman-Robertson federal excise tax collection report. Excise taxes are calculated as a percentage of wholesale receipts, paid quarterly by firearm and ammunition manufacturers, and earmarked for state wildlife conservation and habitat restoration programs.
From January through March, $70 million was generated for conservation, compared to $61 million in 2006. The latest tax collections suggest overall sales of $653.9 million during the quarter, not including retail markup or final retail sales. The increase was seen across the board in sales of handguns, long guns and ammunition.
And why not?
Cherthoff cannot FIND the border w/Mexico, much less protect it.
We have a Remington 870 pump, it hangs with buckshot rounds in the magazine in a gun rack over the bedside nightstand where my S&W .38 revolver lies. If I have time enough in an emergency situation I would grab the pumpgun and rack a shell into the chamber, but if not I would grab the .38 loaded with Gold Saber hollow points while my wife gets to her Stevens .410 standing in the corner on her side of the bed.
If all else fails there is still the Winchester .30-30 and two other long guns in the gun rack, more centerfire rifles standing in the bedroom closet including an SKS, and 6 other handguns that are stashed out of sight around the house.
Unless an intruder can find a way to get into my log home without tripping an alarm and setting off a few floodlights, I think we could handle most hostile situations ourselves before the deputy can drive the 17 miles out here from town if I call 911. And that's providing my hard phone line hasn't been cut, because my cellphone doesn't work out here where we live.
All that may sound like overkill and/or paranoia on my part, but we have had a rash of home invasions in this general area since the illegal immigrants have moved in a few years ago and are doing most of the home maintenance and yard work around here. Their work gives them an opportunity to size up a place and it's occupants, and if they see a plum ripe for the taking they will take it or tell another crew about it and they take it. Ten years ago the local bi-weekly paper reported a half dozen arrests for DUI or other traffic violations in each edition along with perhaps a breaking and entering or assault and battery arrest now and then. Now almost every edition carries a big headline about the latest armed robbery, meth lab find, attempted murder, sexual assault, etc, etc. A local single lady was recently molested and murdered in her home not too far from here by an intruder, and an older couple's home was invaded and they were robbed and badly beaten by two Hispanic men and an anglo girl in that same general area. They haven't been caught yet AFAIK, and I don't want to be the next victim on their hit list.
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!
I know what you’re saying about the home maintenance guys. I have the same concerns about them scouting the place.
Whenever I have work done, I make sure there are a few conspicuous shot-up targets that just happen to be laying around. I just had some tree work done and, even though the owner assured me when I hired him that he didn’t use illegals, a few guys showed up who didn’t speak English (or pretended they didn’t).
I had on my “Right Wing Gun Nut” t-shirt, some blown up IDPA targets on the garage floor, and a Gun Owners of New Hampshire sticker on the inside of my garage door. Plus some .40 brass laying around. I think they understood what all that stuff meant. ;-)
Good idea. I save my old shot-up targets whenever I get a few decent groups in a row on one. I could leave some of those lying around next time a Hispanic crew comes around asking if I need any yard work done. I don't hire anything done around here that I can do myself, and that includes almost everything I have needed up to now except a re-staining job on the logs. But who knows if they are really looking for work or just casing the joint.
A neighbor down the road left his expensive custom built utility trailer unchained one day and when he got home that evening it was gone. Another neighbor told him a Hispanic man had gone by his house earlier that day pulling his trailer behind a pickup. At least the thief was a friendly sort, he waved and gave a big smile to the neighbor as he drove by with the other neighbor's trailer in tow.
I guess I come off sounding like I'm picking on Hispanics, but I'm not. My BIL is a builder and he uses a lot of Hispanic subcontractors and their Hispanic workers. I have met and talked with a lot of those guys and they are not all bad people by any means. It's just that a lot of the bad stuff going on around here lately seems to be being done by Hispanics who often turn out to be illegals when they are caught.
I have done the same thing. I have an Ithica Model 37 riot shotgun loaded w/ #4 buckshot near the bed. I also have a .357 mag close at hand. I live in NE Bernalillo county, NM where a 911 call is a waste of time.
One of my neighbors has a sign at the edge of his property. It reads “if you can read this, you are in range” in both English and Spanish.
Winchester mod 12 fans would argue that point but I'll stick by my statement, that Ithaca 37 with bottom ejection was a one of a kind pump gun. I'm not sure if Ithaca ever made a comeback or not. I seem to remember that it was sold to somebody after it was shut down the last time but I haven't heard anything else about it.
OK, now stop that kind of talk. You're making me so jealous that I may have to talk to the bank about a loan so I can buy my own Ithaca, if I can find one that is.
I have always thought that a 20 gauge mod 37 with a 26" barrel and Improved Cylinder choke like the one my great-uncle had would be the ideal quail gun for Florida's thick palmetto patch woods, but I have never actually fired one myself. I don't bird hunt anymore due to a debilitating muscle disease so it's just hypothetical anyway.
Nice sign.
How big is his property? The other day I was at my local range and watching some of the rifle guys (mostly ex-Army) shooting from 600 yards. Pretty damned impressive.
The lot sizes in my area are around 4 acres. My neighbor is former Marine Recon. He can take care of the long range shots nicely.
My hat is off to your neighbor. I am still working on my handgun accuracy at 50 yards. The ex-marine I shoot with at the range, an older gentleman, is an inspiration to me.
I hope to learn to shoot as well as he does one day, but probably never will...
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