Guns and ammo are getting hard to find in eastern New Mexico.
And the folks who sell them say it is largely political.
Retailers say there is a definite shortage of some types of guns and ammunition.
They think some buyers are loading up for fear the election of Democrat Barack Oboma as president will make it tougher to get their hands on guns.
Oboma is seen as an advocate of gun control.
Patriot Outdoors in Clovis reports sales are up on assault rifles, defensive shotguns and handguns with high-capacity magazines
“Since the November election a lot of people have come in to buy assault rifles like the AR-15 because they are afraid they won’t be able to buy them next year,” said Andrew Rush, a Patriot Outdoors vice president.
Rush said buyers fear certain weapons may be banned. Others are buying the rifles as a future investment. They may be hard to get.
Rush said increased ammunition sales means a shortage for certain calibers.
“For the rifles we have had a shortage of .308 and .223,” Rush said. “For handguns the shortage of brand name 9 mm, .40, and the .45 caliber has been seen.”
The run on guns and ammo hasn’t gone unnoticed by law enforcement.
Quay County Sheriff Joe Schallert said he had recently been at Wal-Mart in Clovis and the store was out of .22 shells.
Schallert said ammo orders for his officers are taking longer for delivery because many manufacturers give priority to filling orders for the military in Iraq.
Rush and other local sellers say unfounded rumors of a .05-cent per round tax increase may be part of the reason for increased sales of ammunition.
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“I’ve sold more this year than last,” said James Dickerson of Dickerson Sports and Gun Repair in Tucumcari. “Obama and them want gun control real bad.”
“And,” Dickerson said, “I’ve sold quite a bit of ammo,” noting he’s sold about more than two dozen .22-caliber hunting rifles in the last month.
The jump in gun and ammunition sales locally could be on target with a national trend.
“Millions of American gun owners … are exercising their Second Amendment freedom now,” said Wayne LaPierre head of the National Rifle Association chief Wayne LaPierre writes on the association’s web site. “They’re afraid they may not be able to do so as freely or fully in the future.”
Gun enthusiasts also seem willing to travel far to stock up.
Staff at Gander Mountain in Amarillo also confirmed sales jumps in different types of ammunition over the past few months. “There have been a lot of customers that have come in from New Mexico to buy ammunition,” said Bobby Grice, manager of Gander Mountain.
“It’s like alcohol and cigarettes,” said Jimmy Watson, owner of the Tucumcari Ranch Supply in Tucumcari.
“We’ve had a fairly good run” on ammunition sales, Watson said. “Instead of buying one box of ammo people are now buying two or four boxes.”
Watson said some of the increased sales can be attributed to hunting season.
Watson also said that the increasing price of brass for shell casings was making it costly to stock ammunition and next years, he plans to cut inventory down to just his top 10 sellers.
Ammunition costs have risen about 30 percent since last year, according to Watson.
Source : CnjOnline.com
I hate that we should even have to worry about there not being enough ammo, or that people are trying to take away our right to own and use guns.
too true man. Isn’t the point of a constitution to lay out rules and rights that can never be overstepped, no matter who or what party is in the gov’t? Oh wait. I forgot. The constitution has been meaningless for years now…