FBI: Increase in Arizona Handgun Checks (since Saturday)

[alp227]

The F.B.I. said Wednesday that federal background checks on people in Arizona seeking to buy handguns have increased sharply following Saturday’s shooting rampage.

There were 263 background checks in Arizona on Monday, the first weekday after the shooting, compared to 164 on a corresponding Monday last year.

But the FBI said the number of background checks initiated does not necessarily reflect gun sales because some people are disqualified, change their mind or do not purchase a firearm for some other reason.

In addition to buying guns, the shooting appears to have led people in Arizona to stock up on high capacity magazines — those that hold more than 10 rounds, according to gun stores.

Greg Wolff, who owns gun shops in Phoenix and in Mesa, Ariz., said Wednesday that while firearms sales had increased this week, the spike in handgun magazine sales had been particularly dramatic.

Full story: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/13/us/13guns.html

[lawodevolution]

1. and this is not occurring because of the shooting, it is occurring because of the anti-gun frenzy

lies and manipulation by gun control proponents. They are out selling and proliferating firearms which is what they do best.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[intheflow]

3. "lies and manipulation by gun control proponents"?

Yeah, and there are no distortions or manipulation in this post, either. :eyes:

[benEzra]

15. What do you call it when the head of the Brady Campaign

says that the most popular defensive pistol in the United States isn't suitable for defense, and that the most popular sporting rifles in the nation have no sporting purpose? Calling those statements merely "distortions" is being charitable.

[intheflow]

17. Yeah, but I'm a peacenik.

I try to use diplomacy if I can. If by not calling someone's post an outright lie I can avoid a flame war/post or sub-thread deletion/outright locking of the post, then I'll do that. It's not like I'm going to change their opinions by calling them lies rather than distortions, or I'm going to change their minds, period. And it's not like I hang out in the forum or want to. I posted in this thread by chance, having stumbled upon the OP on the Greatest Page, and didn't notice what forum it was in until after I posted. But I really have no desire to get into Gungeon debates.

[benEzra]

18. I see, and that's a good point.

I thought you were defending the Helmke et al statements as truth, rather than merely being diplomatic. I agree with you that in general, being soft-spoken and civil is much better than using hard-edged language, in almost any venue.

[YllwFvr]

12. and people say its the NRA

The antis always say its the fear mongering of the NRA pushing gun sales, makes me chuckle. The anti gun lobby themselves have pushed sales up more than anything. I bought all the high cap mags I want already, good thing too with the prices going up

[appal_jack]

4. I can understand this impulse

I myself am enough of an anti-authoritarian to empathize with the urge to snap up something that may soon be banned. There are many excellent firearms out there (FAL, HK-91, & AK families in rifle calibers; plus Springfield XD, Glock, Browning HP, and CZ pistols for example) whose elegance and technological innovation hinge at least partially on their ability to hold standard-capacity magazines with round counts in the double-digits. No matter how noble the intent to reduce murder & crime (and in fact I think the intent at best barely noble due to its woeful ineffectiveness in practice) by banning certain types and/or capacities of firearm, there are better legislative actions to save lives (improved public mental-health and stress-reduction services, a shift in the emphasis of police work, etc.).

I know that the rules here at DU prohibit referiing to specific posters as 'gun-grabbers, but is it not appropriate and accurate a term to use generally to describe a group of people who are presently proposing to grab specific types and capacities of guns that are now available to Americans? I watched Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow, and Lawrence O'Donnell last night; and the three of them certainly spoke for that camp.

We have only just gotten past the 'Obamania' that swept the gun world regarding intermediate-caliber rifles (sometimes inaccurately referred to as 'assault weapons'). During the past two years, the mere notion that Obama & Democrats in general wanted to ban AK's AR's, etc. has sold more of those rifles than any advertising campaign in America). Do we (pro-2A Democrats and 'gun-grabbers' alike) really want to create an analogous panic-sales-spree now over Glocks and similar pistols? No matter which side of the issue you fall on, this seems counter-productive.

I hope that Democrats as a group wise-up, and acknowledge that new and more-stringent gun control measures will continue to be a losing issue. There is so much that we can unanimously campaign for (again: improved public mental-health and stress-reduction services, a shift in the emphasis of police work, etc.).

-app

[AndyTiedye]

14. Maybe You Are All Being Played

There is no way any gun control measure whatsoever is going to get through this Congress.
None would have gotten through the last one, either.

Not much likelihood at the state level anywhere either.

Nonetheless, fear that Obama would grab your guns caused the gun lovers of America to spend billions on more guns and more ammo.

It was starting to level off, but now the gun industry has gotten another big economic stimulus.



How much have ammunition prices gone up since 2008?
How much have their sales gone up?

[appal_jack]

16. Maybe some. Not me.

The firearms I own are all ones that I would want no matter what legislation is pending or not. I paid standard, non-inflated prices for them. Most have held or increased in value since I purchased them.

I have heard stories on the net about people paying more than $2000 for a Yugoslavian Kalashnikov pattern semi-automatic rifle back during the last 'panic' but that was their choice. If prices get to that level again, I may consider selling a gun or two, but will mostly just keep and use what I do own for recreational and non-pernicious use.

Ammunition costs did indeed rise dramatically between 2008 and 2009 which certainly did cut into my recreational shooting. Prices have fallen lately. I doubt that this current sad event in Arizona will have any significant effect on prices of anything, with the possible exception of 33-round Glock magazines (and no, I don't own any Glocks, though I often hear about their exceptional reliability. Nor do I own any 33-round magazines, though I have some 30's in rifle-caliber).

Do some parts of the gun industry sometimes employ fear to increase sales? Sure. Like anything else though, it's buyer beware.

-app

[benEzra]

19. I hope you're right.

I am not buying anything now, but if something on my "someday list" does look likely to be banned, I might do some shopping. I learned my lesson the hard way in 1994.

[AndyTiedye]

5. Seems Like a Lot of People Think They Going to Want to Shoot a lot of People

What else do you need those high-capacity magazines for, anyway?

[PavePusher]

6. It's been explained ad nauseum for the last 4 days.

Do a little reading, then come back when you have something intelligent or interesting or honest to say.

[benEzra]

10. For a pistol, 11-20 rounds isn't "high", it's "normal". For a small-caliber rifle, 30 is normal.

And the 100 or 200 million such magazines already in private hands are used for recreational and competitive target shooting and defensive standby, just like over-10-round guns have been for the last 140+ years.

[Statistical]

11. Ask cops. All Police departments moved from revolvers to semi-auto pistols

specifically for the increased capacity.

Very few people buy 30 round magazines for pistols but McCarthy believes she can and should ban all magazines with 11 rounds.

This is essentially every pistol for sale right now. I was thinking of getting an XD-M anyways maybe I will join the buying spree to illustrate to law makers they don't want to do this (number of people buying guns = number of people voting against law makers passing feel good do nothing restrictions).

[YllwFvr]

13. very rapidly shooting

30 pepsi cans. I dont shoot coke, I like coke. Im bigoted towards nasty pepsi. Shoot em all! (after you empty them)

[old mark]

7. I just bought one this afternoon, but a revolver, not an autoloader...

Does that make me less evil?

mark

[PavePusher]

8. You're probably going to hell.

I'll leave the door open for you... :evilgrin:

[old mark]

9. I don't believe in hell, but thanks for the thought...

I also shop at Walmart, so I am hated by many...:)

mark