Is It Really Just the Die Hards?

If the Great Obama Gun Rush were just a phenomena of us die-hard gun owners stocking up on a few extra AR-15s to tuck away, you wouldn’t see stories like this:

Instead of waiting, more people are exercising their right to personal protection.

“I know Obama said he wouldn’t take away any of our gun rights but that remains to be seen,” said Glen Hirsch, who was buying a gun on a recent day.

In Springfield, concealed carry courses are booked full through April.

“I want to be able to have it when I need it,” said Kevin Hale of Aurora.

Instructors even added Sunday sessions.

“The demand for this course has pretty much tripled over what it was a year ago,” said Randy Gibson, a concealed-carry weapons class instructor.

The demand increased from 381 applications in 2006 to more than 1,100 last year; 12 percent of the applicants are women.

We die-hards already have our concealed carry licenses.  This means Obama is minting new gun owners.  That stands to reason.  Before Bill Clinton, I expressed passing support of the Second Amendment, but I was not a die hard, nor an activist, had little exposure to firearms, and did not own one.  Bill Clinton made me a gun owner, and an activist for the cause.  Obama will make the next generation if he’s not careful.  It’s already happening.

14 thoughts on “Is It Really Just the Die Hards?”

  1. I was only a teenager when Clinton took office. I grew up with Guns but little knowlege of gun rights. My wife even less. It wasn’t until 2008 that I purchased my first firearm. At the same time I started reading and learning about the Gun Rights movement. I promptly joined the NRA and gave a 1 year membership to my dad and an associate membership to my mom. Now I am working on purchase approval for a semi-auto rifle and an upgrade to a lifetime membership. There is a new movement and I am proof. There is also a groundswell of people I work with that have a similar story. The few longtime hunters and enthusiasts are well out numbered.

  2. Hey, that’s great to hear Patrick. Which commie sewer do you live in that you need purchase approval for a semi-auto rifle? Or do you mean purchase approval from your household Minister of Finance? :)

  3. Like Patrick, I’ve only recently purchased a gun and joined the NRA. I told myself I was going to get a gun if Obama won. My mistake was not doing it earlier… I could have saved about $100… of course, I’d have paid more if I’d waited longer. And I was not going to wait.

  4. “Bill Clinton made me a gun owner, and an activist for the cause. Obama will make the next generation if he’s not careful. It’s already happening”

    It’s certainly is happening. Obama’s been a great salesman. A few years ago I’d never have thought I’d buy half a dozen guns in my 1st year as a gunnie.

  5. Funny, Clinton made me a gun owner too.

    To tell you the truth, it was gun ownership that allowed me to see through the lies of that Administration, as at the time I was a Democrat.

    Amazing how owning a gun, and being subsequently being demonized for a constitutionally enumerated peaceful act, will make the scales fall from one’s eyes.

    It has all happened before, and will all happen again.

  6. I probably should point out that I was 18 when the Clinton Administration began, and 26 when the Clinton Administration ended. Got my first gun toward the end of his Presidency, but I was not happy with the Assault Weapons Ban.

  7. For my birthday I bought a Sig P220, so now I’ll have a gun that’s more recent than the Johnson Administration. The scales fell from my eyes as a Dirtbike rider, being both a gun-owner and an off-road enthusiast is a double whammy.

  8. I’m just glad I picked up my AR-15 when I did, prices having shot up since then. Guess I was ahead of the curve, though behind most readers here. Also acquired a Ruger Mini-14 for good measure–took advtange of that free magazine offer and all last Fall.

  9. “I know Obama said he wouldn’t take away any of our gun rights …”

    Funny, that’s not what I heard. Every single time he said anything about the subject, he said (paraphrasing) “I won’t take your guns”. There’s a HUGE difference. Based on other things he has said, it looks like what he wants are lots of bans on manufacture, new sales, transfers, ammunition, etc. Nope, not taking anyone’s gun away from them, but clearly making it so they can’t pass one along to their heirs or buy the new one they want or even have the ammo necessary to use the one they have.

    When a politician (and especially a former lawyer politician) is always so very very careful in what he says, you really need to pay attention to what he isn’t saying. In Obama’s case, it’s a LOT.

  10. Sebastian, I live in the great State of TX. Houston to be exact. My purchase restrictions are imposed by the Household Finanace Minister as you put it.

  11. That’s good to hear. That you live in Texas I mean, it’s unfortunate about the ruling from the finance ministry :)

  12. The other report I am proud to make is contrary to the Gun Control Crowds preaching I have not found my new trusty companion attempting to crawl our of it’s holster and attack my 6,4, or 9 mo. old in the night. I am still keeping an eye on it for mevement ;) I keep fining it the same place I put it when I went to bed.

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