I’ve Taken a Lot of “Anti-Gun” People Buy Their First Firearm. Here’s What You Need to Know in Light of the Instability Around COVID-19.
If you’re reading this, it’s probably because you don’t own a gun.
Within the last few days, the thought has probably crossed your mind to become a first time gun owner.
If that’s the case, here’s what you need to know. This isn’t “bug out” advice from a long time prepper. My family has about three weeks of food on hand at the moment. Nor is is this the advice a drunk uncle type who’s always rambling about a new world order and stockpiling thousands of rounds.
To look at me, you wouldn’t immediately peg me as a “gun guy.” My wife, who got a full ride to fashion school, dresses me closer to the pages of GQ than whoever’s on the “Tactical” magazine in the grocery store aisle, glad in a black polo shirt, baseball cap pulled low. I drive a 10 year old Honda SUV, not a jacked up pickup truck. I tend to vote Republican, but I’ve done freelance work for a former Obama cabinet member and the only election I’ve volunteered for was supporting a Democratic mayor.
For fifteen years, I worked in Chicago in a career that spanned radio, TV, journalism, VC backed startups and higher ed. These are, without exception, left leaning fields. And I spent a lot of time quietly absorbing disparaging remarks, like when a TV producer told me she “couldn’t believe I grew up on a farm” because I was “so well spoken.” At the time I was on a PR gig, and knew I’d never book another interview on a major Chicago station if I told her it was offensive that she assumed people from rural America were illiterate.
In each phase of my career, I’d slowly open up to a colleague or two, slowly unspurling the details that can get you discriminated against in the kind of jobs I held. I was from a farm. I grew up hunting. I liked going to the gun range. And I didn’t tell most people, because if I did, I wouldn’t be working for very long.
Because the conversation was from a place of trust, the response was almost always the same. “Can you teach me to shoot?” The question almost always came from died-in-the-wool members of the political left who were staunchly against the NRA and wanted AR-15’s confiscated.
But, when given the opportunity to learn from a compassionate teacher, many wanted to at least familiarize themselves with firearms. I’d take them, walking through the safety features and techniques of shooting. Some decided to buy a gun of their own, for personal protection and the occasional “letting off steam” session down at the local range. Others enjoyed a new experience, but decided that gun ownership wasn’t for them.
So, if you’re a non-gun-owner who’s wondering if now might be the time to purchase a firearm for protection, here’s what you need to know.
GUN SALES ARE SKYROCKETING IN NON-TRADITIONAL MARKETS.
On Tuesday, March 16th one gun shop owner showed up to his store to see more than 40 customers waiting to make a purchase. In Oklahoma or South Dakota, this might not be news given global events. But this particular gun shop was located in suburban Los Angeles, and the majority of the buyers were complete first timers, presumably who had never held a gun or been to a range before. (We’re going to circle back to this shortly).
EARLY PRISONER RELEASE, STRAINED FIRST RESPONDER RESOURCES CALL FOR A PLAN OF ACTION.
Like everybody else, I hope this thing is over in a couple of weeks, and we’re headed back into movie theaters and noshing on Chipotle in no time. However, concerns about safety are rising (and leading to many first time gun purchases) due to early prisoner releases to stem Coronavirus, and many cities are changing their arrest policies during the pandemic, making fewer arrests. Plus, there’s always an uptick in crime during times of economic and political uncertainty.
During the best of times, you’re going to wait nearly 10 minutes for a police officer to be dispatched after calling 911 in Seattle, San Jose and Fort Worth. Given depleted police forces due to Coronavirus, those numbers will only increase. (I’ve got a police officer relative who’s currently quarentined, and I believe multiple other officers in his department may have been exposed as well).
Less officers and more crime mean they you need to have a defense plan, just like you have an emergency food supply and some bottled water on hand. With a little luck, you won’t need any of it, but that’s not an excuse not to prepare.
THE SUPREME COURT RULED THE POLICE DON’T HAVE TO PROTECT YOU PERSONALLY, JUST THE PUBLIC GOOD.
This, more than anything else, is what brought former anti-gun individuals to the shooting range. It seems hard to believe, because this fact wasn’t covered in your high school history class, but time and time again the Supreme Court (the latest in 2018) has ruled that the police have no mandate to protect you, individually:
“Neither the Constitution, nor state law, impose a general duty upon police officers or other governmental officials to protect individual persons from harm — even when they know the harm will occur,” said Darren L. Hutchinson, a professor and associate dean at the University of Florida School of Law. “Police can watch someone attack you, refuse to intervene and not violate the Constitution.”
The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that the government has only a duty to protect persons who are “in custody,” he pointed out.
I know it sounds extreme, but the fact is that the US court system expects you to be the last longer of see defense, or to make peace with being the victim. I suggest you choose the former.
IF YOU GO BUY A GUN WITH NO KNOWLEDGE, YOU MAY ENDANGER YOURSELF.
There are certain industries making money hand over fist in the middle of COVID-19. Costco, Netflix and Postmates are all experiencing record profits. Throw gun stores on that list as well. But as stock runs low, it’s possible you’ll run into a less-than-ethical salesperson who’s more than happy to take advantage of your novice status. If you leave the store with a gun you don’t understand and can’t handle, you’re more of a danger to yourself than you realize.
There’s so much I’d love to teach you about this topic, but here are some high level points to remember:
If you can’t handle the gun, you’re a risk to yourself. This can happen primarily because of two reasons: 1). recoil (the “kick” of the gun when it goes off) and 2). trigger stiffness. If the trigger is too hard to pull (and you didn’t grow up shooting, you’re going to miss what you’re aiming for and potentially injure or kill an innocent person.
If you load the gun with the wrong ammo, the gun will stop working or (literally) explode in your face. This is one I’ve seen a lot. First time gun buyer takes the salesperson’s recommendation, then can’t get through a round of practice at the range, because the new gun owner has loaded improper ammo, and the gun can’t cycle correctly. In extreme cases, this mistake causes the barrel to explode, leading to potential blindness if proper eyewear isn’t worn.
If the gun isn’t both secure AND quickly accessible, it’s dangerous or worthless. There are two extremes here. The first is the person who says “I don’t have kids at home, or my kids are older and I’m just going to load the gun and tuck it in a drawer. Accidents happen like that, and family members die.
The second mistake is putting the unloaded gun in a safe and storing the ammo on the other side of the house. Sure, you’ve eliminated the possibility of an accident, but if you hear the glass on your front door shatter in the middle of the night, you may not be able to get your gun out in time to protect yourself.
EVERY GUN CAN BE THE RIGHT (OR THE WRONG) GUN.
During the political battle over AR-15’s in the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting, then Vice President Joe Biden encouraged Americans to “buy a shotgun” for home defense. (He then went on to tell people to shoot through a door, which is illegal and a good way to murder a neighbor or pizza delivery man).
Biden has a point. Sometimes.
But my case, a full length shotgun isn’t the answer, because the stairs and hallway in my home are very narrow. If my home alarm were to sound in the middle of the night and I grabbed the shotgun I bought for deer hunting, I couldn’t even step out of the matter bedroom door and into the Hall without the gym being too long for the space.
The right gun for you largely depends upon three factors:
- Your living situation.
- Your build, hand size and athleticism.
- What you feel comfortable with.
So, I can’t tell you to “go buy gun X,” stock up on a few boxes of ammo and you’re going to be good to go. I’m out of time for right now…but will try to write about this subject again soon.
However, guns may not be in stores much longer. If you need immediate help on purchasing a firearm that fits your life, body type and living situation, feel free to reach out.
I can help you formulate a plan and get your self, home and loved ones protected while there’s still an opportunity and before crime rises more in response to COVID-19.
Email me for more info. seth@digitalprofitfarm.com, or shoot me a text at 314–580–3719.
