Ammo Story Goes International Via WaPo

Apparently there has been so much hype about an increase in the sale of ammunition in the United States that the story continues to go international, and alas with the same liberal bias. This week The Canadian Free Press ran a story with this passage:

“In a year of job losses, foreclosures and bag lunches, Americans have spent record-breaking amounts of money on guns and ammunition. The most obvious sign of their demand: empty ammunition shelves. At points during the past year, bullets have been selling faster than factories could make them.”

First, we’d like ask our colleagues north of the border for a source on the point that bullets are actually being sold “faster than factories could make them.” Yes, ammo is selling, but so far even the American press hasn’t stated that dubious claim. Or has it?

A closer look at the story reveals that this wasn’t actually original copy – as in an original article from Canada, but is in fact just a passage quoted from The Washington Post. This story of course offers the usual suggestions that it is fear of Obama taking away guns that are driving the sales.

Additionally, what the Canadian abridged version fails to point out is at least in the WaPo version, which stresses that America is involved in two wars right now. Factor in the additional training, and maybe the ammo shortage isn’t just people hording. While WaPo offers this suggestion, via the argument from ammo makers, the rest of the mainstream media – including that in Canada now – just blames gun owners of course.

Article in The State Suggests Mood of Fear, But Presents Few Real Facts

While not the most biased story ever written on the subject of firearms, The State (South Carolina’s Home Page), did offer enough confusing passages that this article was clearly written by someone who doesn’t know firearms. Case in point, the opening paragraph:

“At the Land of the Sky Gun & Knife Show, people could buy everything from a 12-shot rubber band gun to a custom-built target rifle that can hit a soda can from 600 yards.”

Well, I don’t know about you, but I would certainly hope a gun show would have numerous rifles that could hit a soda can from 600 yards, and I wouldn’t expect it to be “custom-built” either! More importantly, isn’t hitting a target at 600 yards more about the ability of the shooter than the firearm?

More troubling is the fact that this article makes it seem that the entire sport and hobby has turned to hording ammunition and buying items that might be banned.

“Especially popular were items once banned under the Clinton administration, such as high-capacity magazines, which Davis said hold more than 10 rounds.”

While these facts are no doubt driving sales, gun shows are not just about fear and hording. It is about time that the media, even those who offer a reasonable favorable look at the shows, understand that point.

Firing Back: California Off the Mark in Ammo Limit

This week California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a law that would limit the amount of ammunition sold. When – or rather if – this law goes into effect in 2011 (we expect lawsuits any second now), it would mean that handgun owners would be unable to buy more than 50 rounds per month, while gun shops would have to record identifying information about the buyer. While this is aimed at reducing crime, it is another step that won’t have the intended effect. Instead, it will make it harder for target shooter to go target shooting, while criminals will simply find gray markets or buy from illegal sources.

In the meantime, 2011 is a long time away. We expect just about every gun owner in the state to stock up. So that rush for ammo might just further heat up. Of course we’re also expecting praises from the mainstream media over the next 15 months. Let’s just not hold our breath thinking that gun related crime will disappear at the stroke of midnight.

Prohibition didn’t reduce drinking in the 1920s and it just created new black markets, while normally honest people broke the law casually. Why would anything think that the same wouldn’t happen with bullets as well. But maybe that is the intention; if people break the law they can’t legally own guns. And that sadly might be the ultimate gun control plan.

Firing Back: Ammo Shortage Caused by…

The UnionLeader.com poses and interesting question: “What’s triggering a shortage of guns?” Consider this another example of the mainstream media being a little late on the story. As we’ve complained for months now, this is really old news, but the issue of ammo and even gun shortage comes up time and time again.

Maybe if these stories stopped appearing readers who were on the fence about stockpiling guns and ammo would stop stockpiling guns and ammo, and you know what… the stories would probably stop too. But instead, we’d probably see twisted stores claiming that gun owners now see the light that legislation isn’t coming, that fears about the president were unfounded or that many decided guns aren’t just safe. In other words, look for the MSM to concoct some farfetched stories without doing the requisite research. If it easy enough to report about false fears, why not report about other falsehoods.