America armed, but guns not necessarily loaded ~Historic bullet shortage in U.S.

[Allhallowsday]

America armed, but guns not necessarily loaded 
NEW ORLEANS – Bullet-makers are working around the clock, seven days a week, and still can't keep up with the nation's demand for ammunition.

Shooting ranges, gun dealers and bullet manufacturers say they have never seen such shortages. Bullets, especially for handguns, have been scarce for months because gun enthusiasts are stocking up on ammo, in part because they fear President Barack Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress will pass antigun legislation — even though nothing specific has been proposed and the president last month signed a law allowing people to carry loaded guns in national parks.

Gun sales spiked when it became clear Obama would be elected a year ago and purchases continued to rise in his first few months of office. The FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System reported that 6.1 million background checks for gun sales were issued from January to May, an increase of 25.6 percent from the same period the year before. 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090923/ap_on_re_us/us_ammo_shortage     

[Doggett]

...the president last month signed a law allowing people to carry loaded guns in national parks.

WOW !

The US parks must be really dangerous !

Here's a nice British national park*. Gun free.**





*yes, that's actually a British park. I'm as surprised as you. It's kinda Middle Earthy.

**All the people with guns are currently in London shooting each other. Leaving the parks completely safe.

[Jim H]

I think most people are interested in carrying guns in parks to defend themselves from animals rather than people, though both are a concern, I'd guess.  In Montana I saw a guy with his family in a state park (not a national, different rules) openly carrying a pistol on his hip.  Montana is a very gunny state though.

The new legislation basically brought the parks in line with the rest of the country. 

But yeah, the rush on ammo is ludicrous.  People are dumb.  Even if there is a ban somehow, it'll take forever to go through as they always do in the USA, and Obama shows no signs of doing it anyway.  It's generally thought now that the Assault Weapons Ban in 1994 (a moronic piece of legislation both from an anti-gun train of thought AND a pro-gun train of thought) was a major factor in the democrats losing so many seats in congress in the 1990s - eventually leading to a republican controlled congress and white house. 

They seem to have decided to more-or-less leave that issue alone. 

Ammo prices are crazy now, and even places like Wal-Mart are sold out of like everything and prices are ridiculously high...  Some of the surplus ammos are in the range of 4 to 5 times the price of a year or two ago.

[akiratubo]

I think most people are interested in carrying guns in parks to defend themselves from animals rather than people, though both are a concern, I'd guess.

True, especially if you are by yourself.

[ghouck]

I think most people are interested in carrying guns in parks to defend themselves from animals rather than people, though both are a concern, I'd guess.

True, especially if you are by yourself.

That's why I carry in the woods, but my problem has been people's dogs way more than bear or moose (which I see a lot of anyway). I believe there is a law in Alaska that says every Lesbian must own at least 4 dogs that any one of which are too big for her to control, take them to the hiking trails, and allow them to jump on other hikers.

Here's a link to a page of pictures of the area I hike.
http://www.craptasticvoyage.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=994

[Jack]

I've got just the opposite problem:  I'm not armed, but it's Friday and I'm getting loaded.