From the Examiner comes this wonderful news:
Gun sales are expected to push past the 13.8 million sold last year, in part because buyers are growing more concerned that if a Democrat is elected president in 2020, sweeping gun control will pass in Washington.
Small Arms Analytics and Forecasting, a group that watches the arms industry, said today that it expects sales to reach 14 million this year.
Other groups said sales recently spiked as the Democratic presidential race heated up and after Virginia voters gave Democrats control of the state legislature in an election where gun control was a driving issue.
Last weekend, for example, a gun show in Northern Virginia reported that many dealers sold out.
Permits for those wishing to carry a concealed handgun have also surged to a new high.
This actually supports what I’ve noticed anecdotally: just about every gun store I’ve visited in the past couple of months tells me that sales are brisk — especially among women buying handguns (!!!) — and I’ve already talked about gun shows, where the high prices reflect strong demand. Also anecdotally, I commented on the ubiquity of AR-15 displays at said gun shows, which likewise seems to reflect steady demand for the Mattel poodleshooter.
And then there’s this:
Americans Bought Enough Guns on Black Friday to Arm the Marine Corps – Yet Again!
According to the FBI, over 200,000 background check requests associated with the purchase of a firearm were submitted to the agency on Black Friday, marking the second highest gun sales day ever. The previous record was set on the day after Thanksgiving in 2016. In both 2017 and 2016, enough guns were potentially purchased on Black Friday to arm every active duty United States Marine.
…
These numbers also do not take into account firearms which were purchased online. Those firearms will then be shipped to a license seller in the purchaser’s area and a background check will be done when they pick up the firearm, so those checks could be spread out over the following weeks.
Excuse me for a moment…
And so in the spirit of this joyous news, I will be running (completely unsolicited) gun ads each day for the next week or so (see below for the first).
Just because.
Iris will find out on Christmas Morning, that she’s got a new S&W Shield EZ in .380 ACP.
The “EZ” being a very soft slide spring, with “Browning Buckmark” type “ears” at the rear of the slide to better grasp and pull the thing.
It’s about the size of a Kahr 9mm, and has both a grip safety and a manual safety (1911 style on both).
There are smaller .380s, but I think this one will work for her, as it’s large enough to get a good grasp, has good sights and a slide she’ll be able to manage easily, unlike her full sized S&W M&P in 9mm. She can work that one at the range well enough, but it’s too large for purse and daily carry for her. The 1st generation 9mm Shield though, was totally un-workable, as she just couldn’t manage the slide at all.
Oh, and the new .380 came with a range bag, good ear muffs, a bore-snake and chamber flag. Out the door at Academy at $400, and then a $50 rebate in the form of a pre-paid Visa card coming to me from S&W, after I’d processed the Academy receipt through their website.
Range review will have to wait till after Christmas, of course.
But add this to your “Reader’s Roster” of new guns bought in 2019.
Now, where’d I stash the paddles for that canoe? Time to take the new gun out for a test-row on
Galveston BayIronbottom Sound.Jim
Sunk New Dawn
Galveston, TX