America to Recession: Make My Day
By Ryan Goldberg Mar 03, 2009 1:10 pm
Citizens increasingly locked, loaded and armed to the teeth.
This alarming upswing has been attributed to 2 factors: Gun owners are purchasing firearms in the last twilight hour before President Obama passes stricter gun-control laws - or the recession is engendering fear of crime and nameless mayhem. To be fair, it's more reasonable to assume the former is to blame.
Still, handgun manufacturers and gun shops are reporting strong demand. Along with weapons, ammunition is also in short supply.
“Handguns are crazy right now,” Tammy Wilson, manager of Express Huntin’ N Fishin’ (a sportsman’s supply store in Sebastian, Florida) told a local newspaper. “A lot of them are on back order.”
It's no surprise that Florida and California, among other states, are seeing this craze firsthand. Their McMansion-scarred exurban communities are well on their way to becoming new American ghettos - deserted and lawless.
This isn't an exaggeration: In California’s Inland Empire -- as the landlocked southeastern region of the state is known -- foreclosures are close to 20% in some parts. Squatters are occupying vacant million-dollar houses and scrounging metal to sell to scrapyards.
In Florida, the state government has actually abetted the surge in handgun sales to homeowners. A state legislative panel recently approved spending $3.8 million to expedite the processing of a huge backlog of concealed weapons-permit applications. Background checks for gun purchases in Florida more than doubled after the election, going from 32,381 in September to 63,936 in November, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The number dropped somewhat in January.
Nationally, the FBI completed more than 1.5 million background checks in November - a 41.6% increase over the same time last year.
The recent earnings report of handgun maker Sturm Ruger (RGR) suggests this is a national trend: Over the last year, the company saw its order book grow by almost 50%, from $156 million to over $233 million. Demand is hot: Out of the 776,000 units ordered, Sturm Ruger reported over 175,000 of them were on backorder.
Sturm Ruger’s stock, though incredibly volatile, is near its 52-week high (but still sharply lower than it was 2 years ago). Smith & Wesson (SWHC) has also seen its stock rise, as speculative fervor has built on the apocalyptic scenario.
Even Cabela’s (CAB), the outdoor-sports-and-equipment retailer, recently defied Wall Street expectations on the force of strong firearm and ammunition sales; its same-store sales rose 2.2% in the quarter. (It would be interesting to see if its camouflage gear was also in high demand.)
Few other retailers could claim such brisk shopping in this economy. Then again, unlike Cabela’s, they can’t dress you like Mad Max - a getup that might become recession-era de rigueur.
No positions in stocks mentioned.
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2009-03-03 13:29:48
Shortage of Weapons
Florida and California? Attribute at least half of this traffic to the drug wars.
2009-03-03 14:25:42
trust me
this is nearly 100% a reaction to the new administration's assumed stance on gun control. ammo cannot be kept on the shelves, and fear of gun grabbers continues to be whipped into a frenzy by quite a few people. i don't want to get into a discussion on whether or not those people are correct, but i see it first hand.
i very much doubt that this buying is due to the state of the economy or home foreclosures.
i very much doubt that this buying is due to the state of the economy or home foreclosures.
2009-03-03 14:31:11
trust me
Do you suppose the NRA may be sending out fund-raising letters alleging Obama is after our guns? Do you suppose a bear slumbers in a heavily vegetated area featuring mature trees?
Inquiring minds don't even have to bother looking at the NRA's web site.
Now, I did not hear any reports of anything in the new budget bumping up the ATF bureau's funding. Could this be a false alarm? Could conservatives actually lie? Quelle horreur!
Inquiring minds don't even have to bother looking at the NRA's web site.
Now, I did not hear any reports of anything in the new budget bumping up the ATF bureau's funding. Could this be a false alarm? Could conservatives actually lie? Quelle horreur!
2009-03-03 14:49:25
trust me
like i said, i don't want to get into personal stances. mine's going to be in the minority, and that's ok with me.
but i would say that anybody that believed anything the NRA said without realizing they have a vested interest in keeping the masses whipped into a frenzy would be kidding himself.
however, there's no doubt that is exactly what is happening. whether they are right or wrong is another discussion.
conservatives can and do lie. just like liberals, libertarians, independents, constitutionalists, and any other politicians i ever met.
but i would say that anybody that believed anything the NRA said without realizing they have a vested interest in keeping the masses whipped into a frenzy would be kidding himself.
however, there's no doubt that is exactly what is happening. whether they are right or wrong is another discussion.
conservatives can and do lie. just like liberals, libertarians, independents, constitutionalists, and any other politicians i ever met.
2009-03-03 17:08:17
trust me
This is not a left or right issue. People who want you to send money, need to make you think it is necessary for you to send money.
People who go ahead and send the money without checking with an impartial source are soon parted from it.
People who go ahead and send the money without checking with an impartial source are soon parted from it.
2009-03-03 17:34:06
trust me
Trust me, most of the people that I know who have bought their first guns and/or are stocking up on ammo and additional guns are doing so because of a deteriorating economy. What I keep hearing is that they want to be prepared should there be general societal disorder should the economy collapse altogether. That is not the same as saying they expect that to occur. What it is sayings that for the first time ever they see it as a possibility. These choices were mostly made before the election last Nov.
2009-03-03 17:43:28
I don't care about the NRA
I have no idea what the NRA is saying. People are buying guns because they think things are falling apart and they want to protect their family and their belongings. What will you do when there are food and gas shortages and prices are sky high? There will be a lot of homeless hungry people desperately searching for what they need to survive, especially if the government isn't providing much. In addition to guns and ammo, people are planting gardens. That will help somewhat, but the average person doesn't understand how to survive without modern conveniences. You've got city people who never saw a cow and don't even know that's where milk is from. The pioneers spent every waking hour working just to provide food and shelter. Do you think our current citizens are willing to do that--or is it just easier for them to steal it?
2009-03-03 18:08:44
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=6960824&page=1
The new admin IS after your guns and society could get nasty.
The FEW changes to the AWB could be making all 'semi-autos' an assault weapon, be it rifle, pistol or shotgun.
The new admin IS after your guns and society could get nasty.
The FEW changes to the AWB could be making all 'semi-autos' an assault weapon, be it rifle, pistol or shotgun.
2009-03-03 18:44:44
I don't care about the NRA
i stand corrected. evidently the author of this article is correct. the gun buying activity is result of both factors. i would guess it depends on where you live.
in my little town, people keep hearing how bad the economy is, but it hasn't made much difference. but we've always put out gardens, so i guess we have that going for us! lol
i guess it's easy for me to forget how bad things are/can be in metro areas. we'd be happy to show ya'll how to grow tomatoes and beans if things get too bad!
in my little town, people keep hearing how bad the economy is, but it hasn't made much difference. but we've always put out gardens, so i guess we have that going for us! lol
i guess it's easy for me to forget how bad things are/can be in metro areas. we'd be happy to show ya'll how to grow tomatoes and beans if things get too bad!
2009-03-03 19:01:55
This is an `mmmrrcan problem.
Many `mmmrrcans live in fear and hatred of each other. I know I do. But, I don't have any intention of degrading myself into preparing for a shoot-out with the other losers in a mad-max `mmmrica. Which is why I'm hoping things hold together long enough that I can get outa-here.
Probably what allot of Jews said to themselves in German too. What a messed up country.
Probably what allot of Jews said to themselves in German too. What a messed up country.
2009-03-03 19:23:17
Gotta weigh in!
We had a gun shooting party last weekend. 22 mag, 45 caliber, .380, 12 gauge, and bubba threw some rocks.
You think I'm kidding.
Anybody seen "American Beauty?" "I LOVE this gun!"
My future son-in-law may have permanent damage to his ear, we will know in a few more days.
We had a gun shooting party last weekend. 22 mag, 45 caliber, .380, 12 gauge, and bubba threw some rocks.
You think I'm kidding.
Anybody seen "American Beauty?" "I LOVE this gun!"
My future son-in-law may have permanent damage to his ear, we will know in a few more days.
2009-03-04 09:46:25
It's not necessarily where you live
I live in a rural area in northeast Pennsylvania. My town, a mile away, has maybe 500 people in it. I moved here from New York City to an isolated house and quickly realized that I needed a gun for protection. l also found that everybody here owns a bunch of firearms for hunting. Since it's a depressed area, most people have gardens. But the current economic downturn affects everything and nearly everyone I know is broke and barely paying the bills. You can thank Phil Gramm and the manipulation of the energy markets for that. Remember, only two people from Enron every went to trial. Plus, for twenty years municipalities and pension funds have invested in derivatives with disastrous results--losing everything. We haven't learned from that either. Playing the market is like gambling; you lose unless you are an insider. Then add in a financial industry which makes money by merely moving around paper and not producing anything of value, make this industry more important than the country, add in the disappearance of real jobs and wages and the general fleecing of the American public, and you get a recipe for disaster. Unless the government reins in the greed and theft, we will continue to be a third-world country.
2009-03-04 10:20:57
immigration anarchy
I live in N.Virginia less than 15 miles from Washington DC and my subdivision is approaching anarchy. A massive influx of Mexicans swarmed the neighborhood in the last 3 years during the 'no-doc' mortgage era, living 10+ to a home, running cash and carry construction and car repair businesses out of the yards. Noise and zoning laws mean nothing to these people and are not enforced despite complaints due to 'sanctuary' nuts in the county govt.
Came home from taking my kids to the doctor and found five Mexican teenagers chasing each other through the snow in my front yard and throwing snowballs from my front porch because their yard isn't big enough for the 15 that live there. These are the same people who told me to go to hell and stay on my side of the street when I asked them to not play Latino party music in their trucks at 4 AM.
Cops take 30 minuts to arrive when called, if they arrive at all.
Am I arming myself? Hell yes. The US is already a banana republic in affordable communities of N. Virginia. No immigration papers, no mortgage, no rent, no law, no problem. Thanks Bush.
Came home from taking my kids to the doctor and found five Mexican teenagers chasing each other through the snow in my front yard and throwing snowballs from my front porch because their yard isn't big enough for the 15 that live there. These are the same people who told me to go to hell and stay on my side of the street when I asked them to not play Latino party music in their trucks at 4 AM.
Cops take 30 minuts to arrive when called, if they arrive at all.
Am I arming myself? Hell yes. The US is already a banana republic in affordable communities of N. Virginia. No immigration papers, no mortgage, no rent, no law, no problem. Thanks Bush.
2009-03-06 10:22:51
Rural Retreats
A word to the wise for the affluent NYC crowd. If your plans include heading to your rural retreats should such ever become necessary, don't expect that the locals are going to welcome you with open arms or provide for your needs, especially if you arrive with the kind of arrogance and condescending attitude towards those of lesser means that I see all too often in posts here. Your money won't get you far when money is not as valuable as the ability to produce food or as valuable as basic self sufficiency skills that the locals have and you don't.
2009-03-06 17:22:06
Rural Retreats
Actually, we will welcome them...they'll make for good eating!
Seriously though, how does an article like this end up in the ville? Let alone be written by staff. I see it ended up under the Life&Money section...not doubt to its utter lack of useful business infomation. The two companies noted, as business, are boring. The one an investment casting business with side ventures in the civilian recreation actvitities market, noteably golf and shooting sports. The other a resurrected namesake; that may have been interesting from a stock perspective as a compnay turn around candidate some 5 years ago.
Even with a temporary blip in orders, margins in these industries is pathetic. Sales dollar volume may have doubled, but costs (particularly in the ammunition market) of the underlying metals commodity outpaced $ sales growth.
Then the word smithing prowess..."bone-chilling trend", "preparation for the apocalypse", :new American ghettos - deserted and lawless", What is it about this subject that brings out the saturday afternoon B-movie screen writer in people.
Now back to the recipe...those city folks...do you boil'em or roast'em? and what kind of wine should I serve?.
Seriously though, how does an article like this end up in the ville? Let alone be written by staff. I see it ended up under the Life&Money section...not doubt to its utter lack of useful business infomation. The two companies noted, as business, are boring. The one an investment casting business with side ventures in the civilian recreation actvitities market, noteably golf and shooting sports. The other a resurrected namesake; that may have been interesting from a stock perspective as a compnay turn around candidate some 5 years ago.
Even with a temporary blip in orders, margins in these industries is pathetic. Sales dollar volume may have doubled, but costs (particularly in the ammunition market) of the underlying metals commodity outpaced $ sales growth.
Then the word smithing prowess..."bone-chilling trend", "preparation for the apocalypse", :new American ghettos - deserted and lawless", What is it about this subject that brings out the saturday afternoon B-movie screen writer in people.
Now back to the recipe...those city folks...do you boil'em or roast'em? and what kind of wine should I serve?.
2009-03-07 01:29:36
Never owned any before in my life,.....
spouse recently bought 1 shotgun (12 gauge pump-action) and 2 rifles one of which is an assault rifle (9mm). We are both 1st time owners. Personally, I want an SA XD-40 compact because it fits very ergonomically in my hand as opposed to a Glock (tips hat to all you Glock owners out there :) I tried a Baretta - but it was too boxy.
Not so much the new administration, but a foreboding sense of doom on the economic horizon. Political and ideological opponents can lobby and email Barak all they want against guns, however, we live 37 miles from the US/Mexican border and Juarez (across the border from El Paso) has had 1800 (eighteen hundred) homicides in the past 14 months. Including beheadings. Like it or not, the fact that US citizenry own guns is probably one reason why this violence has not spilled over to the US to any great degree.
Unfortunately, we cannot depend upon the authorities to protect us at all times from everything. Actually, here where I am, they are depending upon us.
Not so much the new administration, but a foreboding sense of doom on the economic horizon. Political and ideological opponents can lobby and email Barak all they want against guns, however, we live 37 miles from the US/Mexican border and Juarez (across the border from El Paso) has had 1800 (eighteen hundred) homicides in the past 14 months. Including beheadings. Like it or not, the fact that US citizenry own guns is probably one reason why this violence has not spilled over to the US to any great degree.
Unfortunately, we cannot depend upon the authorities to protect us at all times from everything. Actually, here where I am, they are depending upon us.
2009-03-07 13:08:46
It's your Duty fella's
It's a shame that so few seem to realize that owning the most advanced firearm to defend liberty and the Constitution, not to mention your family.
Just look at videos from the L.A. riots over Rodney King; the police pulled back and it took 4-5 days for the politicians to call out the National Gaurd. Do you want to be the unarmed person in that situation?
Besides, who will stop a Nationalist Socialism party (e.g. - Nazi's) that slowly takes away rights to bank deposits and property? Think I'm paranoid? Think it won't ever happen? Well, the Supreme Court decided that municipalities can confiscate your property to increase tax revenues. The mortgage bailout nullifies mortgage contracts with the cram down which is a precedant to nullifying any contract.
Just who is going to protect your ownership of your investments? In a national emergency, they could confiscate your assets. Do Obama's recent actions bespeak a concern for property rights or capitalism or "the greater good".
The first thing Hitler did was make everyone register their firearems; once that was accomplished the Nazi's confiscated all privately owned firearms. They could then not be opposed by their citizens. This was after hyperinflation brought them to their knees. Starting to sound familiar?
You don't need to be a conspiracy theorist to see that the danger is there.
Just look at videos from the L.A. riots over Rodney King; the police pulled back and it took 4-5 days for the politicians to call out the National Gaurd. Do you want to be the unarmed person in that situation?
Besides, who will stop a Nationalist Socialism party (e.g. - Nazi's) that slowly takes away rights to bank deposits and property? Think I'm paranoid? Think it won't ever happen? Well, the Supreme Court decided that municipalities can confiscate your property to increase tax revenues. The mortgage bailout nullifies mortgage contracts with the cram down which is a precedant to nullifying any contract.
Just who is going to protect your ownership of your investments? In a national emergency, they could confiscate your assets. Do Obama's recent actions bespeak a concern for property rights or capitalism or "the greater good".
The first thing Hitler did was make everyone register their firearems; once that was accomplished the Nazi's confiscated all privately owned firearms. They could then not be opposed by their citizens. This was after hyperinflation brought them to their knees. Starting to sound familiar?
You don't need to be a conspiracy theorist to see that the danger is there.
2009-03-08 11:55:27
Guns
I hve several weapons. Not for sport or hunting, but to defend my home. When TSHTF, there will be several million disaffected welfare recipients who can no longer make ends meet on the freebies given to them by our benevolent government. These will be one of the two most dangerous groups roving the streets looking to take back what they think belongs to them: your food and posessions. The second group will be on deck soon. With state governments running out of money, there is already serious talk of releasing "non-violent" offenders early from prison. These miscreants will be largely unemployable and soon get restless. couple that with angry welfare recipients and you have the perfect recipe for civil unrest. With the impending bankruptcy of Citi and GM, we can look forward to three quarters of a million newly unemployed for months to come, and with states running out of resources, expect these folks to get shortchanged on benefits too.
So....do I have weapons? Yes, I do.
So....do I have weapons? Yes, I do.
2009-03-09 14:36:17
Rural Retreats
I don't know how best to serve the NYC'ers who come a callin'. Their soft lives in the city translates into pretty high fat content (be they fat or thin), plus would they pass an FDA inspection after breathing all that polluted air? We need to watch our health you know. Now if they emptied out their wine cellars and offered it up as a kind of reverse welcome wagon kind of thing maybe we could reconsider things somewhat. Or not.
2009-03-09 23:28:31
Rural Retreats
Soft lives in the city? Yes, living in suburbia inside gated houses, fearful of the scary, rebellious middle-class youths is a hard life. Or driving drunk in a beaten-up pickup truck while your buddy smashes mailboxes with a baseball bat; yes, very tough. City dwellers are by and large the ones living sustainable existences that will lead this country forward, not the gas-guzzling and energy-draining rural, exurb and suburban areas of this country which started this mess in the first place.
2009-08-24 10:44:59
Crime not increasing
Obama and his gun-grabbing crew are driving gun sales. However, concerns about rising crime are ill-founded.
In the teeth of this deep recession and dramatic unemployment, crime is NOT rising. Oddly enough, it's just the opposite in most places in the nation.
This is counter-intuitive, but true.
I own firearms, and am considering buying more. Crime can always pop up anywhere. More important, it's gonna get harder to legally acquire such weapons -- and ammo.
But buy for the right reasons. Don't be panicked by unfounded fears of recession-driven increasing crime -- it ain't happening.
In the teeth of this deep recession and dramatic unemployment, crime is NOT rising. Oddly enough, it's just the opposite in most places in the nation.
This is counter-intuitive, but true.
I own firearms, and am considering buying more. Crime can always pop up anywhere. More important, it's gonna get harder to legally acquire such weapons -- and ammo.
But buy for the right reasons. Don't be panicked by unfounded fears of recession-driven increasing crime -- it ain't happening.
2009-08-31 08:24:16
immigration anarchy
I have to say you are all dead on the money. It is no longer a decision of choice but of necessity. We are being invaded on a larger and more dangerous scale. Nobody is going to protect you and your family. The basic necessities of food, clothing, and shelter will have to be defended from the end of a barrel. Do not be naive enough to think the lawless are not already armed with far better fire power than we have. They get their guns on the streets and have been building them up before obama tried to place new laws to prevent the law abiding citizens from getting what they will need to protect themselves. This is how we will all be taken over. It is happening. We are out of time. Good luck and I will see all the SURVIVORS in the future.
2009-08-31 12:38:38
Guessing????
Sounds like a bunch of random thoughts and non of the stories realy have any idea.
2009-09-07 11:59:34
There's only one reason...
...for the surge in gun sales. That reason is The Obama. Typical Liberal who hates The Constitution, but especially reviles the Second Amendment.
http://www.guncite.com/gun_control_obama.html
http://www.guncite.com/gun_control_obama.html
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