A semi-auto .308 pistol, what could be better? Just click on the picture.
Posted on 09/08/2008 11:56:20 AM PDT by neverdem
Cox East Texas
Gun sales are going boom around the country as gun owners and gun advocates brace for a potential Democrat in the White House for the first time in almost 10 years.
Democrats, meanwhile, say there's no reason to worry that presidential hopeful Barack Obama would attempt to curtail access to most guns, though that hasn't stopped the buying spree.
"You'd be surprised," said Jeff Mercer, manager of George's Pawn and Gun Shop on High Street. "It's people of all races, too. People are scared."
Across town at The Gun Doctor and More on Glencrest Lane, owner Bob Godell said he has also noticed a similar trend.
"We call it the Obama factor. People are very concerned that if a Democrat is elected they will see more restrictions on handguns and assault rifles." Godell said. "I think as a result of that we have seen steady handgun sales, and there's been an increase in the sale of assault rifles like AK-47s, as well."
Gregg County Republican Party Chairman Keith Rothra said Obama's support for gun control has made some Republicans leery.
"Barack Obama seems to think that we'd be safer if people didn't have handguns, and that's false," Rothra said. "I have heard several people say they are going to buy handguns as a just-in-case thing because they don't know what's going to happen."
Rothra said Obama's interpretation of the Second Amendment is faltering and concerning to many of Rothra's political colleagues.
"Obama says that he's in favor of people bearing arms, but its contrary to his voting record," Rothra said. "He's been anti-gun during his entire voting record."
According to Obama's platform, "he respects the constitutional rights of Americans to bear arms."
During his nomination acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, he expressed support for measures that would ban certain assault weapons from American streets.
"The reality of gun ownership may be different from hunters in rural Ohio than they are for those plagued by gang violence in Cleveland, but don't tell me we can't uphold the Second Amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hand of criminals," Obama said.
Patrick Franklin, a spokesman for the Gregg County Democratic Party, said Obama is not going to take away a person's right to bear arms, and calls the claim a typical Republican tactic to scare gun owners.
"Republicans used the same tactic in 1992 when Bill Clinton ran for office," Franklin said. "Barack Obama is not going to take people's gun rights away. That's not his intention."
Franklin supports Obama's position on assault-style rifles.
"There's soon going to be a discussion in this country about automatic weapons," Franklin said. "I think people would agree having an AK-47 on the streets is something that needs to be regulated."
National results
The National Rifle Association has not collected recent data on how many states are seeing a spike in handgun sales; however, many members are reporting the increase.
"We're seeing similar results from around the country, not in just one particular state," said Ashley Varner, National Rifle Association spokesperson. "When you have someone like Barack Obama who is so anti-gun, you tend to see trends like these."
The rifle association launched a new Web site called www.gunbanobama.com on Tuesday, which highlights the Illinois Senator's gun voting record.
"He's received an "F" on a lot of gun issues," Varner said. "I think people stand united behind their right to bear arms under the Second Amendment, which is why some gun sales may have increased."
Business as usual
While gun sales are on the increase across the region, other local industries have not reported any new economic trends as a result of the pending presidential election.
Auto dealers and economic development officials, for example, say sales and inquires about locating and expanding businesses continues.
Thomas Kemper, a financial advisor with Wachovia Securities, said most presidential elections do not sway economic trends.
"Looking over the last 60 years, it usually depends on the health of the individual company," Kemper said. "There doesn't appear to be a whole lot of correlation between the parties and the economy."
WHERE THEY STAND
Barack Obama
On Obama's campaign Web site, Obama said he respects the constitutional rights of Americans to bear arms.
During a February 15 press conference, Obama stated, "I think there is an individual right to bear arms, but it's subject to commonsense regulation."
He initially voiced support of Washington, D.C.'s handgun ban. Following the Supreme Court decision on the ban, he voiced support of the decision overturning the law, saying, "Today's decision reinforces that if we act responsibly, we can both protect the constitutional right to bear arms and keep our communities and our children safe."
John McCain
According to McCain's presidential Web site, he believes that the right of law abiding citizens to keep and bear arms is a fundamental, individual Constitutional right that we have a sacred duty to protect.
McCain further adds that gun control is a proven failure in fighting crime, and law abiding citizens should not be asked to give up their rights because of criminals who ignore gun control laws anyway.
Sources: Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, USA Today, www.barackobama.com, www.johnmccain.com
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“Republicans used the same tactic in 1992 when Bill Clinton ran for office,”
And he gave us the Federal Assault Weapon ban, Waco, and probably other anti-Second Amendment outrages I don’t yet know about.
“but don’t tell me we can’t uphold the Second Amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hand of criminals,”
I guess banning a person with a criminal record or serious mental illness from purchasing a firearm isn’t enough.
“I think people would agree having an AK-47 on the streets is something that needs to be regulated.”
Only if you plan on taking it from my cold, dead hands, ‘cause I’m not giving mine up just so a bunch of sissies can think they’re safe (Yes, I own a Romainian AK-47).
A semi-auto .308 pistol, what could be better? Just click on the picture.
I’ve noticed a increase in selection and number of vendors of AR type firearms at local gun shows. The increase was really noted when The Race started acting up two years ago.
It would come as a great surprise to these yo-yo’s that fully automatic weapons are basically illegal without a special federal license & have been since 1934. That would include AK-47’s.
Many semi-auto varients of the AK are also now illegal to import.
So it makes you wonder what the heck are these people talking about?
Obama picked Biden so don’t expect a gun friendly administration despite Obama’s pretensions
If that A3 stock works, it’s a Short Barrelled Rifle ($200 tax stamp and BATFE approval).
I own several different firearms. I enjoy sending.45 ball ammo down range. I enjoy firing my SKS paratrooper model and my Winchester 1300 pump shotgun. But to give the smaller members of the household firarms capability should it ever become necessary, I’ve ordered a lever action Winchester (tube mag holds 10 rounds) which feeds .38 Special and .357 ammo, along with a 3” barrel revolver for .38 Special and .357 ammo. Lever Action rifles with 16” barrel are ideal in .357 caliber for women and smaller teens, and the rifles will feed hollow point ammos that maintain sufficient muzzle velocity to spread the bullet when it finds the ‘target’.
And an ignorant or biased reporter. Plus the gun dealer should know better than to use the made up term “assault weapon”.
Some states even allow the silencer to go with it, for the extra $200.00 stamp.
I can’t believe by this time that anybody who would have wanted a gun doesn’t have one
Indiana allows both SBR and suppressor.
I’ve been thinking of a suppressor for my ARs or my 10/22, but you can only suppress 5.56mm so much.
Do you have any references for that claim? All I remember about McCain getting heat from the NRA are his Campaign Finance Reform Act and his bill with Lieberman for closing the so-called gun show loop hole.
It's a (catalog number)PUM57006 .45 Colt Blued/Blued 16" Large Loop Lever 8 Rounds for just $629.00. Just click on the picture.
I’ve had quite a few friends, neighbors and business acquaintences ask me to help them shop for their first gun.
Gun owners like me tend to skew the statistics ;)
More guns...more ammo...more range time
They are using terms guaranteed to induce unease in the non-gun community (and some in that community) to push for new gun bans. Pavlov would be proud. Alinsky is grinning.
The truth does not matter, as long as they can get the support for a new ban.
I showed my target piece to an anti, who was shocked! Shocked! And said, so this is an Assault Weapon? I said, no, no flash hider. If it had a flash hider it would be deadly and destabilizing to any urban neighborhood, but without that hider, it's my target gun. I used this as an great opening to push my copy of the actual legislation onto this anti, who was again Shocked! That it had nothing to do with machine guns or the “power” of the rifle (Nope, a 30-06 Garand is NOT an assault weapon...)
The anti had no clue about any gun issue other than what was picked up from the LA Times or TV news- THAT”s why reporters talk about machine guns.
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