Photos by Jamie KinghamBIZARRE GUNS??? 

Not so bizarre when considering the criminal element.  A result of the increase in lawlessness is a corresponding increase in firearms purchasing and concealed carry permit applications.  Especially among women. 

More and more women are buying small, concealable .380 or 9mm semi-automatic handguns for self-protection.  Most of these same women are opting for qualified training in the safe and proficient handling of these firearms.  Many women are rejecting the old standby 5-shot 38 special revolver.  The semi-auto’s have a higher magazine capacity and are easier and faster to reload, if necessary. 

There is also an increase in the number of men who are buying the high capacity semi-auto for home and family protection.  Many of the instances of home invasion/robbery and muggings are committed by as many as 3, or 4 assailants.  A 5 shot, snub-nose revolver “just ain’t gonna cut it.” 

These same men take Mom and the kids out for recreational shooting, ensuring they become safe and proficient in the use of their handgun.  They don’t believe in the anti-gun outcry: “We have to make child-proof guns”-- they believe in raising gun-proof children. 

Photos by Jamie KinghamAnother developing trend is more sales of home defense type shotguns.  These are the shorter barreled, pump shotguns that are almost identical to the shotguns found in most police cars.  They are lighter, easier to bring to play in a confrontation and, let’s face it, scare the hell out of anyone who hears the “rack-rack” of a 12-gauge, pump shotgun.  Anyone stupid enough to engage in a confrontation with a scared homeowner armed with a 12-guage shotgun is in serious need of counseling. 

We’ve also noticed a growing use of the semi-auto, AR-15 style of rifle for hunting.  This tried and true, reliable platform makes for an effective hunting rifle 

Overall, firearms sales have been consistent.  More and more, empirical evidence is proving that guns, of themselves, are not evil but there are evil people who use them to prey upon the innocent.  Having, and knowing how to safely handle a firearm can protect those innocents from the devastation caused by becoming a “victim.”

John Clement