Obama victory prompts US gun rush

BBC ^ | November 26, 2008. | Kevin Connolly

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

In a quiet side street not far from where the Texas freeway system knits the sprawling suburbs of Houston into something like a city centre, business is booming at the Top Gun shooting range.

Recession is not biting here in the oil-rich Energy Capital of the World as it is in the rest of the United States - but that is not the only reason why it is difficult to find a parking space outside Top Gun towards the end of the working day.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Another decent article from the BBC; rather fair reporting considering they [the BBC] are usually very liberal. For the pro-gun people, they start off with a woman - less threatening than a man, or less pinnable(?) as a 'redneck hick', and all the people are presented as levelheaded and clear-thinking. Plus, the sign picture helps show that gun enthusiasts are a bunch of crazies at risk to themselves and others.

Undoubtedly, some here will find the piece horribly anti-gun, but I thought it was pretty good considering the source.

[umgud]

I went to Reno to visit my dad over the weekend. While there, I went to Cabelas and their new Scheels, both huge outdoors stores. Both were packed with people buying a broad variety of things, but both their guns/hunting sections were overpacked with people. There didn’t appear to be any economic slowdown at those two mega stores.

[brushcop]

Yeah, I want to warn you Harris county folks that one of your DAs also refused to abide by the new law which did away with the old impossible to enforce “traveling” statute concerning a handgun in a vehicle, thereby making criminals out of innocent citizens abiding by the new law.

I understand he has since lost his position (something about pornography on his official computer) but it would bode well to see who took his place and get to know him and the Ass’t DAs and put them on notice about not abiding by the law if they have that same stand.

Not to worry, we have a County Attorney with the same attitude! “We’ll just keep enforcing the old statute like we used to” he stated on record (never mind that it amounts to doing what you damned well please with your power mr. CA). These power-mad idiots are EVERYWHERE and that’s not being paranoid.

[MarkeyD]

[Ouderkirk]

I have stocked up on Ammo, and parts to service my AR’s.

[Frantzie]

People should buy extra spare parts that can fail like firing pins. what others? Springs?

[Peanut Gallery]

Nothing to see here, move along.

[Ouderkirk]

Springs, seals, trigger parts, Firing pins, Takedown Pin, two bolts, large capacity magazines. I would suggest a barrel or two.

I have 10K rounds of .223 Rem (5.56x 45), 2000 rounds of .308 (7.62 x 54) and several thousand rounds of 00 shot.

[Bosco]

Is not .308 == 7.62x51 ?

[VR-21]

"People should buy extra spare parts that can fail like firing pins. what others? Springs?"

That's very good advice. I would add sears, extractors and magazine springs. Gun-specific tools are important, and spare optics wouldn't hurt.

[Frantzie]

Learning to reload is also not a bad idea.

[Ouderkirk]

.308 Win is approx 7.62 x 51

Milsurp is 7.62 x 54

[VeniVidiVici]

I have 10K rounds of .223 Rem (5.56x 45), 2000 rounds of .308 (7.62 x 54) and several thousand rounds of 00 shot.

What about for day two?

[CrazyIvan]

308 Win is approx 7.62 x 51

Milsurp is 7.62 x 54

7.62 x 54 is a Ruskie round for the Mosan Nagant and others. I’m sure the poster just slipped.

[Eye of Unk]

[Ouderkirk]

I buy the .223 Rem and .308 Win....and leave it at that.

It’s fresh and reliable.

Milsurp is unreliable, but cheap.

[VR-21]

Primers, gas checks...we’re on the same page.

[ASOC]

LOL

I dropped by my local gun/ammo store, they had a sale on 12GA shotshells.

The owner said that from 3 Nov to 10 Nov (they are open 7 days /wk) they sold 7.5 TONS of ammo. From this one small store. HE now tells me no ammo can be had and several of the larger suppliers are not taking orders.

So I guess, if you don’t have it now, you may not get any before D-Day. (Ah, Democrat Day, when the dims take over just so you know)

[kAcknor]

308 Win is approx 7.62 x 51
Milsurp is 7.62 x 54

7.62 x 54 is a Ruskie round for the Mosan Nagant and
others. I’m sure the poster just slipped.

Indeed. The Russian round also has a rim, while the .308/7.62x51 is a rimless cartridge.

It's my understanding that there *are* differences in the civilian .308 Winchester vs 7.62x51 NATO rounds, mostly in the high end pressure limits of the specification. Use both in commercial firearms, use only NATO in older military guns.

For .223 firearms it's the opposite for different reasons. The chamber throat length specification for .223 Remington is about half that of 5.56x45 NATO, so you can use both rounds in military guns while commercial .223 should use ONLY commercial ammo.

More on topic: I was in line the day after the election to buy a Bushmaster AR15XM, but I donated it to Goodwill out of the goodness of my heart. I no longer own guns. I donated them all to worthy causes because I now understand the right and goodness of Messiah 0bama. ;)

[Arkansas Toothpick]

I just bought a Saiga .223 AK rifle and the sales clerk (who seemed very knowledgeable) stated that I could safely use either .223 or 5.56. He pointed out that the extractor on the Saiga is huge and is able to handle both types of ammo. I don’t know if he was full o’ crap but I figure that it’s not really a big deal. I’ll just use .223 if need be.