Friday, January 28, 2011

"Over" or "On"? A question for politicians of the citizen disarmament persuasion.


As the next firearm, magazine and ammunition stockpiling frenzy begins, heralded by the announced drive for another AWB, here's a question:

Are people spending their hard-earned money in the middle of a semi-depression on extended magazines and semi-auto weapons of military utility just to turn them OVER to politicians after they ban them, or to turn them ON said politicians after they ban them?

William Jennings Bryan, my Lebanese-born, fully-Americanized Econ 101 professor at Franklin University in Columbus, Ohio, taught me that except in decisions involving love or sex that all economic transactions are rational.

Puzzle the rationality of that question --- turn them over, or turn them on?

The Clintonistas were frightened by the millions of rifles that were purchased in anticipation of the first AWB. The Obamanoids should be too.

30 comments:

Scott J said...

I dunno, Mike, when it comes to firearms purchases I'm about as rational as a woman in a shoe store.

But I might be an exception to the rule.

Defender said...

My AR-15 purchase was because of Billy Jeff Clinton, who thinks and talks slower than the guy who picks up my trash. My cases of .223 and many many 30-round magazines for it too.
I woke up thinking about "Anonymous" who takes you to task over some broken windows. Government leaders send government employees to break house doors and harmless heads and hearts, figuratively and literally, and he's disgusted by a little symbolic vandalism.
We matter less than building materials. I will keep that firmly in mind.

Bill S. said...

Especially true in light of the lack of street demonstrations, as there are in other countries. Are we going to skip the 'riots in the streets' and go to 'full on civil war'? The American public certainly has the ability to that.

Anonymous said...

They will be given back -- one round at time. The stupid in-bred politicians of both parties do not realize the implications of swiping at pissed off wolverines and are going to get one very nasty backlash that they are not ready to deal with. I fully expect a 4th generation hot civil war by the end of the year or mid year 2012 at latest.

WarriorClass said...

Is there really any question about it?

WarriorClass
III

Jesse said...

I don't know about complete rational thought. I know a lot of people who make money decisions based on emotion and not on rational thought. I saw a video about something similar but based more on economic decisions.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/laurie_santos.html

now I'm not saying that any spike in the sale of large capacity mags or rifles is irrational, but, it may also be a little of the "I can't have it so I want it" mentality to some small degree.

jesse

Anonymous said...

That M1 Carbine barrel is pretty intimidating.

Anonymous said...

There are people on the federal payroll, who are crunching data on that question, right now.

I imagine that the presented data will be pretty decent. Whether or not what is presented will be heeded by its recipients, is a whole 'nother question.

Regarding your pic: I do like M1s, with common bullets they are more capable than the M1's replacement.

Anonymous said...

....But they're not.

Sean said...

Whether tis' nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take up arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing, end them.

Anonymous said...

Why should they be? Its what they want. Its what i call the Charlie Manson Syndrome. When those in power think they can emerge from a national donniebrook as leaders. Then rebuild in their their own grand image. Pretty sick, but there it is. The way we let it grow......mthead III

Anonymous said...

Mike,

I work for a pretty large gun distributor in the midwest US. Word trickled down to us this morning that Yugoslavian AKs and SKSs are about to be import banned. Panic buying by dealers has already started at a low level, but news hasn't broken to the net yet.

Just giving you a heads up.

DSDX III

Ken said...

...yep,sure is hard gettin'them worms back in the can huh?

...after taking the advice of others here,i've taken it upon myself to give away some of my thermold AR mags from the mid/late nineties,i know longer need or use them as i'm no fan of 'plastic' anything anyway...only double-stack pistol mags i have are for the CZs(and got plenty)the rest are single stack gov't models...as for acquisitions,it's purely the three B's these days...

Anonymous said...

It's option "C" we are buying the mags and drums to get them in our safes before the ban so we can keep them. I'm not preparing for war. I'm grabbing before I cant buy mags and drums anymore. I don't think a law will be passed to take my stuff. I do think a law will be passed to restrict what is sold over the counter. Shall NOT be infringed? Oops, too late.

DouginSalcha said...

A point for Politicians to Consider? I first remember hearing the phrase, "Falling on One's Sword..." about 40 odd years ago. I think the original idea goes back at least to the Romans or Greeks (and come to think of it, I believe King Saul 'fell on his sword' rather than risk capture by his enemy).

Politicians need to remember that at least a third of the 300 million plus inhabitants of the United States own guns. Some would (I think) meekly surrender their guns and then go cower under their beds BUT some WOULD NOT!

They need to figure out how many would fall into the latter category before they attempt something as foolish as to disarm the REAL American Citizens - before they decide to "Fall on their Swords" over something like Gun Confiscation...

Anonymous said...

Or maybe the gun industry paid the Obama insurgents to start gun control rumors?...just saying....mthead III

Ed said...

"...Except in decisions involving love or sex that all economic transactions are rational."

Not necessarily so. Read Dan Ariely's book "Predictably Irrational" to see some interesting exceptions to the rational in economics, especially in the management of expectations. Ariely, a veteran of the Israeli Defense Force who was extensively burned during his service, is a Duke University Professor of Behavioral Economics with appointments to the Fuqua School of Business, the Center of Cognitive Neuroscience and the Department of Economics.

Bad Cyborg said...

Week from tomorrow I will finally have enough money set aside (It's hell being this poor) to get a long gun. Love my Uzi Eagle and happy with my Glock 22 but I need a long gun. Gonna get something that throws a 7.62x51 slug, FNAR or suchlike. Definitely plan to have at least 4 30 round mags for it. I remember enough about long guns to be able to use it at ranges to 50 yards. Going to go to an Appleseed Weekend the Saturday and Sunday after Income Tax Day.

Then let the bastards come.

Let 'em.

Bad Cyborg X

Bad Cyborg said...

If the statists were smart enough to understand your question, Mike, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

They cannot conceive of anyone standing up to "duly constituted authority" irrespective of the reason.

THAT'S why I believe that a real civil war (what they had in the 1860s doesn't qualify as a civil war) is inevitable. They cannot conceive of We The People getting our collective backs up and pushing back.

Damn. I really did want my new grandson to grow up under more-or-less-normal conditions.

Bad Cyborg X

Dennis308 said...

"The Clintonistas were frightened by the millions of rifles that were purchased in anticipation of the first AWB. The Obamanoids should be too."

They don't have enough sence to be worried or memories long enough to remember.

But they can Ban all they want, I'll just Ban Obamanoids,,,,

Dennis
III
Texas

Anonymous said...

On, definitely ON, and not OVER! I have plenty of magazines, but I can see I'll still need to buy more. That way I can rotate which ones are kept loaded and ready for immediate use and which ones can be unloaded to relax the springs.

Ditto for all of my ammo, I will only hand it over, one round at a time, at muzzle velocity!

chicopanther

Anonymous said...

Learn to build them folks and then teach others.

Anonymous said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThvBJMzmSZI

see the anger in Egypt. if you're too damn lazy for a three min vid, then frwd to 0:45 and listen for 10 seconds.

Imagine that guy with a surplus SMLE or whatever he can find.

The disarmer's nightmare.

Defender said...

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/wikileaks-u-s-govt-secretly-backed-egyptian-dissidents-plotting-regime-change/

We love you Hosni,
Oh yes we do-oo,
But we're plotting to
Get rid of you-oo.

Love, Barry

SUPPOSEDLY the rioters are pro-democracy, but the Muslim Brotherhood is jumping in with "solutions."
Either way, what must the rest of "our allies" think of the U.S. leadership now?
Uh, the same thing we do?

Reverend said...

"I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"

There are limits. The government is past it's "point of no return". The clock is ticking.

Anonymous said...

ON.




Diamondback
III
OK

Anonymous said...

http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=256853

Wouldn't surprise me a bit.

Anonymous said...

What's a magazine.

Mountain Rifleman

Anonymous said...

"That way I can rotate which ones are kept loaded and ready for immediate use and which ones can be unloaded to relax the springs."

No need for that; if the springs are good to begin with, they can be left loaded almost indefinitely.

Plenty of 40-year-old mags that have been found loaded, and work just fine.

What causes mag springs to fail is actual usage, and even then, a GOOD mag should last many, many cycles. Probably far more cycles than you have money to feed them, unless you stocked up during the surplus ammo bonanza of the 90's and early 2000's.

With that said, I do find loading and unloading magazines to be very relaxing...

Neil E. Wright said...

On.
REFUSE. RESIST. Do NOT Submit. ★ FREEDOM! ★