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"What's Triggering Drop in Mass Gun Sales" article

Ninemil

Ninemil

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Did anyone else read this article in the Lowell Sun yesterday and scratch their heads like I did?
http://www.lowellsun.com/front/ci_6984170

I'm surprised at the figures quoted. The gun safety class I took prior to getting my LTC was SRO and I thought the number of gun owners in the state was on the uptick.

There's a really interesting quote from Jim Wallace of GOAL:

"...Wallace said that prior to the state Gun Control Act of 1998, there were 1.5 million gun owners in the state. That number is down to 242,328 -- an 84 percent drop.

"Where did all those people go?" he said. "The state doesn't want to talk about that. To some extent, it may be one of the greatest acts of civil disobedience we've seen in a long time." "
 
I think the article is probably correct. Lots of folks still own guns, just don't bother licensing them. Of course, this probably makes the antis feel safe since these (formerly legal) gun owners are now illegal gun owners. And as we know, illegal gun owners never commit crimes. [rolleyes]
 
Gun Owners

pipmaster1971 said:
I think the article is probably correct. Lots of folks still own guns, just don't bother licensing them. Of course, this probably makes the antis feel safe since these (formerly legal) gun owners are now illegal gun owners. And as we know, illegal gun owners never commit crimes. [rolleyes]
Click to expand...
******
Most of these gun owners were probably citizens who had FID cards for life. Once they raised the fee`s and required FID holders to reapply alot of folks said to hell with that. To much of a hassle. that would be my take on the statistic.
 
I would hazard a guess that there are still a larger percentage of the "former" gun owners who still have a gun stuffed in the rafters or hidden somewhere.

Also a big drop in sales is due to the amount of dealers closing. the State has been actively
trying to close as many down as possible. (by zoning and harassment)
 
I know for a fact that there are gun owners who aren't bothering to renew - I can think of three without even trying hard.

Lowell's numbers dropped 40 percent since 2001, when there were 2,513 gun owners in the city. Today, there are 1,517.

"Those numbers are very encouraging," Lavallee said. "We have done due diligence to stay on the path that Ed Davis started."
Click to expand...
Apparently, Lowell's PD has a mandate to disarm the lawabiding. That makes me feel sick.
 
Wildweasel said:
I would hazard a guess that there are still a larger percentage of the "former" gun owners who still have a gun stuffed in the rafters or hidden somewhere.
Click to expand...

Never mind the fact that you can still travel out of state and buy a rifle or shotgun -- as long as you don't mind never bothering to register it with MA. And you can get your ammo out of state too.
 
dwarven1 said:
I know for a fact that there are gun owners who aren't bothering to renew .
Click to expand...

I know a couple as well. I have told them to get their FID/LTC but they don’t listen. One is an old guy who says “my FID say good for life on it F**K them” and the other just does not listen for whatever reason.
 
"I don't want to carry it; I'm just keeping it at home"
"They're all old guns; no one's going to care"
"I just haven't gotten around to getting a new FID; it's hidden under the cellar stairs anyway; no one will ever find it."

[rolleyes]
 
Well if the numbers are right, on the surface this certainly shows you that the '98 restrictions are "working". A typical, non-gun owner is going to read that article and think "Good. Fewer gun owners in the state means fewer guns and fewer gun-related crimes." I think things are going to get worse for us in the near future. How can we combat this ignorance?

That said, and I've asked this on the forums before, why can't there be a class-action suit levied against the state? They are charging us to exercise our constitutional right. This to me is a gross violation of our individual rights as law abiding citizens.
 
"...The cost to renew a license is $100. You'd think that would be enough to pay for resources to straighten out any problems."
Click to expand...

That's a good point.


And didn't they say in another article not to long ago, there Foxboro was also on the rise?

Do you think that gun owners are moving to cities where it's "green?" That's why thier numbers are on the rise?
 
Last edited:
O/U said:
why can't there be a class-action suit levied against the state? They are charging us to exercise our constitutional right. This to me is a gross violation of our individual rights as law abiding citizens.
Click to expand...

There could be a lawsuit, but it would lose in any venue that you pick in Massachusetts.

First, as far as in state courts, Commonwealth v. Davis (1976) explicitly said that keeping a gun is not a right. Sure the decision is obviously wrong (and weakly argued), but no court here is interested in going against it.

Second, on the federal level, the only chance would be after an extremely favorable ruling by the SCOTUS in DC v. Heller (was: Palmer v. DC).

At that point, you'd still probably get unfavorable rulings in Federal District court, and in the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals -- these courts are just completely stocked with anti-gun/anti- 2ndAmendment judges. They will find a way to make your case lose.

At that point, you'd have to hope to get into the SCOTUS, to get a favorable ruling that would be inline with the aforementioned but still non-existing ruling in DC v. Heller.

Read Commonwealth v. Davis at the first link on this page:
http://mysite.verizon.net/vze1prt1/davismnu.htm
 
Ninemil said:
"...Wallace said that prior to the state Gun Control Act of 1998, there were 1.5 million gun owners in the state. That number is down to 242,328 -- an 84 percent drop.
Click to expand...

since gun control is soooo effective that must mean there is also an 84% drop in crime committed with a firearm... how did I survive before 1998....
 
“If gun laws in fact worked, the sponsors of this type of legislation should have no difficulty drawing upon long lists of examples of criminal acts reduced by such legislation. That they cannot do so after a century and a half of trying -- That they must sweep under the rug the southern attempts at gun control in the 1870-1910 period, the northeastern attempts in the 1920-1939 period, the attempts at both Federal and State levels in 1965-1976 -- establishes the repeated, complete and inevitable failure of gun laws to control serious crime. “

--Orrin Hatch in a report about gun control and the history of the second amendment from the SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE CONSTITUTION to the COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY in 1982.


And that right there is the biggest argument against Gun control. The very fact we NEVER hear a single example in over 400 years of firearm history about gun control that actually made the average citizen safer is a testament to the truth that it DOESN'T.
 
Lets see. Drop in legal gun owners, drop in legal gun sales, increase in criminals using guns...

Solution = MORE GUN LAWS...
 
I thought the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over again, expecting the result to be different each time. [wink]
 
I guess I owe all of you an apology, for I must be part of the problem.

You see, I have two young children with very busy and expensive lifestyles. I have a wife who likes nice things. We live in a small suburban town and our real estate taxes have been rising steadily every year.

I know these things are just "excuses" but because of that I just can't buy all of the guns I would like to. Please believe me when I tell you, I would like to buy more, and I would buy more if I could afford it.

I accept part of the blame for the problem. If it were not for all the "little things" in life getting in the way, perhaps the decline in gun sales would not be what it is.
 
I had an FID when living in MA around 1980. I got another FID when I moved back to MA after an absence of several years, and subsequently obtained an LTC. A relative had a "lifetime" FID and how holds an LTC. My guess is that the state's count this as a -3 change in the number of gun owners, since the three fromer FIDs were allowed to expire (doubtful the state actually did anything to the records when I returned the first one over 20 years ago upon leaving MA).
 
Nope, for that price you get used. But since Ruger AND the aftermarket companies sell all the parts for it, all you're really risking is A) a bad finish or having to refinish the stock and B) cleaning a REALLY, TRULY, disGUSTINGLY filthy rifle. DAMHIK. [crying]
 
They're "encouraged" by the decrease in the law-abiding citizen to violent criminal scumbag ratio in their town??????????

OK, buddy...whatever.

Say hi to the tooth fairy for me over there in fantasy land.
 
dwarven1 said:
An apology is not enough. You have to do penance. Go out and buy a gun. Even if it's a $129 10/22 from Zero Hour. [wink]
Click to expand...

I took your advice, this baby includes TWO 10/22's .......... am I forgiven [thinking]

ruger.jpg
 

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