New Gun Buyers

[Glenn E. Meyer]

https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/...me-gun-owners/



Some other interesting facts.

NSSF surveys revealed that 58 percent of firearm purchases were among African American men and women, the largest increase of any demographic group. Women comprised 40 percent of first-time gun purchasers. Retailers noted that they are seeing a 95 percent increase in firearm sales and a 139 percent increase in ammunition sales over the same period in 2019.

Most popular semi pistols, shotguns and then EBRs. Reason - SD.

Political nuances:

The purchases by African Americans is contrary to the Democratic Party message. The purchases are, in part, not in support of the GOP but a response to DJT and related rhetoric plus police actions. This comes from other sources I posted in another thread. Fear of general crime and riots contributes.

[DDTSGM]

Political nuances:

The purchases by African Americans is contrary to the Democratic Party message. The purchases are, in part, not in support of the GOP but a response to DJT and related rhetoric plus police actions. This comes from other sources I posted in another thread. Fear of general crime and riots contributes.

I still don't fully agree. In 2016-17 your belief that many minority buyers were spurred by fear of a Trump Presidency was probably correct. That was then, this is now. The data from 2020 doesn't seem to support fear of Trump, rather fear caused by the 1) Democrat controlled cities descending into chaos; combined with 2) Democrat efforts to expand gun control. Old white guys aren't the only ones who recognize batshit crazy. Additionally, many folks are gaining their first realization that 'this can happen to me/us.....

Throw out the stereotypes on American gun ownership. They’re just wrong.....

The coronavirus pandemic and uncertainty surrounding business shutdowns and stay-at-home orders initially led to more Americans jumping off the sidelines to buy firearms. Certainly, riots and looting spurred on the trend, as did moves by politicians to bend to mob chants to defund the police. Gun retailers said as much as 40 percent of purchases have been to first-time buyers. It makes sense. Local law enforcement is stretched thin and police resources were limited. Criminals were allowed out of jail, many quickly committing crimes again. And prosecutors promised not prosecute criminals the police did arrest.

Law-abiding Americans of all walks of life watched these disturbing circumstances develop and took their safety into their own hands. Numerous examples abound of lawful gun owners standing guard in front of their homes, their businesses and their neighbor’s businesses, often deterring additional violence and crime. For any number of good reasons, women and minority firearm ownership are on the rise and growing quickly.


The National African American Gun Association boasts membership growth of 15,000 new members in 2020 so far. “A lot of times in our community, we hear a lot of our politicians, unfortunately say, don’t have a gun. You don’t need a gun,” explained NAAGA founder Philip Smith. “Well, I pushed back on that and say, that’s the very thing that we do need.” (That's not Trump or the GOP saying that)

.....According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, 25 percent of those female gun owners say self-protection is their main reason for owning a gun, and 70 percent say owning a gun is essential for their personal freedom.

After seeing a man outside her window while alone one night, 59-year old Terry Marsh said she would not be in that position again unarmed.

“It’s a very helpless feeling knowing you can’t protect yourself or your family,” Marsh said. “If I had a gun or a way to protect myself it would have given me a little bit of power and I’d have felt secure.”

Women are taking those priorities into their own hands, with home and family safety at the top of Americans’ minds during the current unsettling times. That makes sense and is a welcomed development....

...political issues around gun ownership and gun control will manifest these trends. First-time gun buyers have seen firsthand what roadblocks there are to their firearm purchase and are often surprised. Scott Kane, a first-time buyer from California, recently told the Washington Free Beacon about his buying troubles.

“This has taken me, a law-abiding citizen with nary an unpaid parking ticket to my name, over a month,” Kane said. “Meanwhile Joe Bad Guy has probably purchased several fully automatic AK-47s out of the back of an El Camino in a shady part of town with zero background checks. I’m seriously thinking of running for office or something. This state’s gun laws are insane.”

https://www.nssf.org/diversity-in-gu...earm-industry/

[Wise_A]

Of late, I'm trying to do outreach to new buyers in my area, mostly online but also with some FTF or phone work. After generic questions like "how long is this going to take", "where can I get ammunition", and "what do you recommend for X", the biggest question they have is about where they can shoot. We only really have one paid range in the area (there's another about 30 miles north of where most of these folks are). Every other venue is a private club, and a great majority of them are running absurdly long waitlists--and I always thought waitlisting was retarded for this very reason--or they're not accepting new members b/c :corona:.

Disturbingly, I hear from an overwhelming percentage of these new buyers that they don't think they would get into a club. As soon as they hear that you have to be voted in as a member, which is purely a formality at nearly every area club I'm familiar with, they feel that they would not be voted in because they are (a) young, and/or (b) not white. At the same time, I hear from a lot of non-white members in my own club that they don't feel comfortable socially among white members, but universally, they've almost never really had a negative experience with a fellow member.

I think that this is the time for existing gun owners to meet new buyers where they're at. It's pretty clear that existing organizations aren't going to be successful or even try (keep beating that NASCAR and country music drum, NRA), so it's up to individuals.

[Coyote41]

I’ve been curious where these new gun buyers are goong for information. What website? Youtube users?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Wise_A]

YouTube, Reddit, Shit Their Friends Say, Shit The Gunstore Guy Said.

[RJ]

Despite the pandemic, I still try and go to the range for more or less monthly proficiency checks. Generally we go to Shooters World, a large upmarket gun superstore near USF here in Tampa.

Lately I've been going with my wife to Ladies Day on Mondays, so she can practice with her gat. I've definitely noticed the uptick in female / POC attendees at the range the last few months. I'd say the percentage of female shooters Mondays is easily over 75%. Some are there with their partners, or are in groups of 2 or 3 ladies. You can tell they are also relatively new shooters; they are wearing rental ear pro for example, or they are renting guns. They do not, really, look that comfortable shooting, and have poor form.

But God Bless them all; they are exercising their fundamental 2A rights, and it's great. I started shooting in 2014 with one ethos - I am not going to be a victim. I can definitely get behind and support more people refusing to let someone else take control of their life. I really like Lynn Givens' take on this:

I do not carry a pistol so I can impose my will on someone else. I carry a pistol so someone else cannot impose their will on me!

https://rangemaster.com/about/ladies-perspective/