Posted on 02/16/2009 4:57:47 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
The sounds of bullets echo across the hills of Rocky Fork Lakes Conservation Area shooting range off U.S. 63, cracking through the air at nearly a thousand feet per second before being swallowed by nearby mounds of dirt and cardboard targets. Inside the gully is the long column of gunmen, squeezing the triggers and sending fire screaming from the muzzles in rapid flickers of light.
For Chris Everman, one of the shooters at the range Tuesday afternoon, it's just stress relief.
"Blowing something up is always fun," Everman said. "Just holding that much power is cool."
Everman is one of many Missourians who is currently in the firearms market, which had an increase in demand shortly after Barack Obama won the presidency in November 2008.
According to the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which conducts background checks necessary to legally obtain a firearm on behalf of participating states, there has been a nearly 42 percent increase — or 449,712 more checks — from November 2007 to November 2008.
Additionally, checks have seen increases of nearly 24 percent in December 2008 and a nearly 29 percent in January from those months the previous year.
Everman, who has been going to the range for nearly 10 years, said he has noticed an increase of gunmen in recent months.
"If it's a nice Saturday, it's pretty packed," Everman said. "Or about 5 o'clock in the evening people like to rush out there and shoot off a few rounds."
Bob Cron, a clerk at Target Masters in Columbia, said the market demand for firearms is considerably higher than in the past, and said he believes there is a causal connection between the Obama administration and the gun hype.
"The supply is way down," Cron said. "Before the election, we were selling probably one or two AR-15s (a semi-automatic rifle) in a week. And a week after the election we probably sold, like, 20."
Cron said he believes the increased demand of firearm supplies is driven by a fear of gun regulation by a Democratic-controlled Congress.
"They're hoarding," Cron said. "I'm on a couple discussion boards and I hear guys talk about going up and buying a case or two of ammo every payday. And that kind of stuff wasn't going on before the election, so it's post-election buying frenzy anticipating with the Democrats in control of everything that we're going to have more gun control."
Cron says he is not optimistic about the state of firearms, and believes the fear generating market sales is legitimate. He cited the H.R. 45: Blair Holt’s Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009 and President Obama’s voting record as an Illinois legislator as reason for concern. He called the H.R. 45 Act an “Illinois gun control law on steroids.”
The H.R. 45 Act, which was introduced early January and is sponsored by Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., provides "for the implementation of a system of licensing for purchasers of certain firearms and for a record of sale system for those firearms, and for other purposes."
Cron said ammunition prices have been going up as well, but is unrelated to the election results.
"They haven't taken any huge price jump since the election, but they've been going up for a year," Cron said.
Many gun aficionados say they feel the sting of recent increased prices of firearms at some retailers. Columbia resident Charles Mills is one of them.
"I was looking at a muzzle kit," Mills said. "They were selling it for $79. And I go in there today just to get ammunition, and I look at the same thing and they want $229. Prices are getting pretty high."
Rob Rasmussen, who was also at the shooting range Tuesday, holds a similar view.
"Gun prices have gone through the roof. It's ridiculous," Rasmussen said, standing beside a table where the deep blacks and sun-struck silvers of a Colt-45 revolver, Ruger P95 and a CZ-52 pistol lay. "I just think they (gun merchants) want to use that fear that most gun buyers have that some Democrat's going to take away their guns to jack up gun prices. But nobody's going to take away guns."
Even amid the fear that the sky is falling onto gun-owners, many said they do not see guns disappearing from the American culture anytime soon.
“Guns are always going to be there,” Everman said.
“People are going to get guns regardless,” Mills added. “Quite honestly it might be the thing that makes us the safest from invasion of any other countries, because every other country on earth knows: Americans are armed.”
I like the alternating rounds of slug & 00 buck.
I may put in 5 that way in my Browning Humpback (Belgium). :-)
Oh, I forgot, that one got stolen, also.
For those untrained and blind that have to destroy their abode because of their personal shortcomings...
Good choice.
Was hoping that this was about a certain school in Morningside Heights ending its hoplophobia. I guess not...
Right. Shoot 20 rounds to get somewhat familiar with the firearm, particularly loading, safety, unloading, holding, aiming and practice firing center mass. Magazine fed? Insert magazine, operate slide, take out magazine, put on safe, take off safe (Glock shooter no sweat here...) again and again, in the dark, in awkward positions, do it all.
PLEASE! No "accidents", gee "I didn't know the gun was loaded", if you're no smarter than that, sell all firearms and go to something else.
The clones are for a cheap safe available in case of thievery, Colt's are for the safe that holds and secures and is hidden. ; )
Tough question, that. But if you can only have one handgun and it's your first handgun I'd recommend a .357 Magnum revolver manufactured by Colt, Smith and Wesson, or Taurus.
My personal preference is for the S&W Model 19.
L
What's a “Glock”?//”
—
Uh-oh. . . . this is how it always starts! lol
-- ” . . . and then the John Moses taketh the tablet down from the mountain and he windeth the clock so that the time would henceforth forever be 1911 and all that he hath wrought was good, and he then stood at his workbench and from there spoketh to the generations: “This shall be your inheritance!” And there was great jubilation in the land. . . .
And God said...Let it be.
Thank you VERY much! ;~)
You do realize that at slightly over 1000 feet per second, projectiles can destabilize the quantum foam and send portions of the Earth lurching across a wormhole toward a distant methane-based universe, don’t you?
The clones are for a cheap safe available in case of thievery
A lot of the clones are just as good as a Colt and cost much more. I love my old Colt but I depend on my Kimber.
That's the one I carry on my hip that was among the BEST birthday presents I've ever received!
LOL
Indeed. “And so it was that the Rampant Pony came to walk on his hind legs. . . .”
I practice with .22’s ... cheaper, easier to get and fun.
My recommendation would be a .357 Magnum revolver like a Ruger GP100.
We’re all set regarding familiarity ... the biggest rifle I shoot is a 22-250 varmint Savage. Tried a 30-06/30-30 and got knocked on my butt .... no thank you .... I practice with a .22 an old Sears with scope ... auto loader ...
You can buy two new Rossi .357 six shooters for the price of a Ruger, if memory serves.
This is going to be fun... "What's the best car?"
Seriously, it depends. In general, a better home defense weapon is probably a 12ga pump shotgun. If you have a fair amount of experience with handguns and plan to work to keep in practice, it's whatever handgun is most comfortable for you. If you're new to handguns, a .357mag revolver with a 4" or 5" barrel is probably your best bet, but plan to practice a lot. Nice thing about the .357 is you can practice with .38 special "light loads." Semi-autos require more practice to handle safely and deal with some of the problems you could encounter. I'd be willing to bet that some people will recommend Glocks. Fine guns, no doubt, but they require even MORE training and practice than many other semi-autos, due to their construction.
Your best bet, go to a range, and try out a number of different handguns in different calibers. Many ranges rent handguns for you to try.
And don't forget to take a safety class, if you're new to shooting.
Mark
Really? I love my "clones." My Springfield "race gun" has never had a failure to feed, and that's after more than 10,000 rounds... My "stock" Springfield has only had about 1000 rounds through it, but also, no failures to feed either. I'd trust either with my life.
Mark
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.