As implied by my last post about the overloading of the NICS system I have been noticing how crowded the indoor ranges are around here. A couple weeks ago, about 2:00 PM, on a Saturday, I was stopped at the local range to practice before a match. The parking lot was full. And it’s not a small parking lot:
Every place you see parking lines, or cars, and on the street in front of the building had parked cars. I drove by the front door and looking into the lobby to see it was packed. I just drove on home.
Recently I’ve been visiting the range at lunch time and while I don’t have a problem finding a parking spot the range has been crowded. The only time it hasn’t been crowded recently was when I went to a different range (because I was in the area anyway) and it was during a Seahawks game. I was far from the only shooter in the place but it wasn’t packed.
Another item of interest is that I ordered a holster and magazine pouches from Kramer Leather yesterday. They quoted me a delivery time of seven to nine weeks.
My speculation is that it’s the threat of more gun control that has people hitting the range and the gun stores in mass again.
Kramer’s delivery times seem pretty lengthy regardless. I ordered a holster outside of a panic and it still took forever and a day to be delivered.
It may not just be the gun control. This time seems different. Here in Florida, the gun safety courses that are needed for a concealed weapons permits are crowded, and there is a three month wait to get an appointment at the permit office.
It seems like people are more interested in firearms and in carrying than in the past.
An “appointment at the permit office”? Are you speaking of the free to residents fingerprinting by the County Sheriffs? Last seen one mailed your CCW application to the State, which then responded in three weeks, or three months, (Three weeks = My wife, Three months = Me,) depending on the moon, the stars, the barometric pressure, and the sick leave of your assigned examiner.
There are multiple ways to get a CCW in Florida. You can send it in by mail or go to the tax collector’s office, but my sources are telling me that it is currently taking three months to get your permit that way.
Or you can go to a regional office of the licensing bureau. If you do that, it is taking three weeks. For renewals, the district office can print your new permit on the spot.
Here is the link:
http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Licensing/Concealed-Weapon-License/How-to-Apply-for-or-Renew-a-Concealed-Weapon-License
Thankee. Just checked and my last reup was in 2011, although it seems like only yesterday. This newfangled cumputerin’ stuff may do some good after all. (And just what exactly was wrong with a rotary dial phone anyway, they always worked for me. Crank, crank, crank.)
I think Divemedic got it in one. The times they are a changin’. When the federal government refuses to protect its citizens and the local authorities can’t protect their citizens, what’s left but for those citizens to take up arms and protect themselves?
Some holster makers seem to be one man artisan outfits. That’s perfectly fine if you’re not in a hurry. I got a Boberg holster from Side Guard, which seems to be like that. They did a nice job, and Boberg holster makers were not common then (still aren’t, really).
These last several weeks have been our busiest ever.
Two friends who work at LGS’s (on opposite sides of the continent) speculate that ~40% of their gun sales in the past year were to ‘new’ shooters.
Must be gut-twisting to the those that try to BS the meme that “the numbers of gun owners has been declining”.
My wife and I were in town a few weekends ago and stopped in there (during a Seahawks game, coincidentally) and same thing, packed to the rafters. Especially the range. We poked around the shop and then hit the road, I couldn’t stand the crowd
With all the guns reportedly being sold to “new” shooters, I suppose I’m appreciative that so many are actually learning to properly use their new guns…
… even if that means I have to wait in line to use mine.