Earlier today, a member of TTAG’s Armed Intelligentsia emailed me a link to a myfoxhouston.com story chronicling the recent gun sales surge. I asked the commentator for their thoughts on the matter. Here’s the reply:

I believe it is a combination of factors including a general uncertainty and fear due to the economy and world events, fears of a gun grab/ban of some sort and fears of social meltdown. After our learning and experiences in Houston with Ike, I have been working to be more prepared for any sort of disaster but using hurricane preparation as a guide.  Economic or social unrest were in the back of my mind as a nagging but low level worry . . .

I kept these efforts pretty low key and under the radar, even my wife’s, which is tough.  These are not the sorts of preparations you see on Doomsday Prepper, just extra food, water, cash, ammo, and all the other recommendations of the National Hurricane Center.

A few months ago my wife started asking more questions about being prepared for things and how well prepared we were.  It seems a lot of her coworkers were talking about it and many were very serious about it with bug out locations prepared, water filtration systems or wells, and lots of food and supplies.

These are not crazy rednecks.  These are professional people with real jobs and families, normal people.

After that I started asking around with some of my coworkers and friends.  I was shocked my the number of people who believe some sort of societal/economic catastrophe is likely.  Many say that friends and family in the military, law enforcement or DHS are the ones warning of issues to come.

CHL and defensive handgun classes are booked a month out around here.

My wife is very concerned about this possibility and I am not the one bringing it up with her. She asked me if we needed to stock up on ammo and didn’t bat an eye when I wanted to buy a second defensive pistol.

So, the bottom line is, yes, I think a surprising number of people are seriously concerned about some sort of meltdown or crisis.  Many of them are buying guns as a result.  I don’t think they are preparing for the Zombie Apocalypse but definitely something similar to the aftereffects of Katrina but on a national level.

Just my thoughts.

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44 COMMENTS

    • You should, imho, have a long gun and pistol for every trusted member of your family/group. After that you can mix and match however it suits you. Personally I lean to more handguns because they allow you to be armed and discrete. It has to be a true end of the world scenario for shotguns and rifles to be openly carried and displayed.

    • I’d be hard-pressed not to choose a 12ga in this situation. Highly utilitarian, ammo commonality/availability, simplicity of design and maintenance.

      It doesn’t do range as well as a rifle, but with slugs it sure gives it the ‘ol college try. And I’m a big fan of 9x 30cal with each trigger pull.

    • A medium range carbine/semi or bolt gun in .308win or that neighborhood.
      And also that could depend on your handgun. A handgun from.357mag up to .45colt/.44mag can take most any game/two legged critter at a decent range. A 9mm handgun I would get the above carbine, semi or bolt in a caliber that would cover the punch and ranges of the handgun calibers above.
      Just my opinion and there will be many more ideas to come. Make a studied educated guess and train a lot!!

    • If you can only afford one- I personally reccomend getting food that is able to be stored that you’d actually eat.
      But I live in Alaska- where having extra food, water, fuel isn’t just for the “Doomsday” but pretty nessisary for day to day life. We have one (1) road that connects us to the world. And it goes out sometime EVERY WINTER.
      I’m used to seeing stores empty every so often. So far the longest wait I’ve ever experienced was two weeks. So my family and I have learned to have enough on hand to be self sufficient for what we think is long enough.

      Ok rant over.

      • Jake, Where in Alaska do you live? What circumstances brought you there? I’ve been looking into moving up north but my professional skill set is computer/technical related, and most of those jobs are in the population centers of AK.

  3. The “dirty little secret” of preparedness isn’t so dirty any more. More and more folks are openly discussing and sharing the benefits of self-sufficiency where just a few short years ago they would have been ostracized as conspiracy theorist whacko militia kooks. This ‘mainstreaming’ is a good thing. In the event of a horrific occurrence, I want to be surrounded by individuals who have no intention of waiting for government assistance to pick themselves up by the bootstraps and get to getting-to it.

    What if they threw an apocalypse and nobody came? How fantastic would that be?

    Yea, I know. There are clueless throngs who would prove me wrong and be… well, clueless. But a portion of that horde aren’t zombies-in-waiting. They’re just less vocal about the canned goods skeleton in their closet.

    Reason to be hopeful.

  4. Please, I think some people have too much time on their hands.

    Someone please help me here. I would like a history lesson. When was the last time, this country had a NATIONWIDE, VIOLENT BREAKDOWN. This should be one where ALL the military, law enforcement, and national guard were ineffective in controlling the situation.

    I am not disagreeing with being prepared. Our recent lessons from NY and NJ, not to mention New Orleans during Katrina. Localized, short duration events do happen. But again, how many, let’s add up in the last 10 years??? 3?, 4?.

    • JPD,

      Clearly we have no historical precedent for a nationwide breakdown. So we will not find any direct clues from a past event which has never happened.

      Rather, there are other factors that are extremely troubling. As some have mentioned, the U.S. debt situation is extremely bleak and there is no evidence of any corrective forces.

      Aside from National budgetary problems, I am much more concerned that our nation now operates fundamentally “just in time” … which refers to the method of operating all business with almost no inventory. Inventory is expensive and advancements in computers, software, inventory systems, and Internet connectivity have enabled pretty much everyone to operate with almost no inventory. That maximizes profit and productivity. As they say, though, “There are no free lunches in life.” The down side to “just in time” business philosophy is that all businesses are interdependent and almost any disturbance could bring down the entire house of cards.

      What does that mean? Whether you talk about groceries, fuel, tennis balls, pistons, raw materials, or just about anything else, there is about a two day supply on hand nationally. And because the generation and production of everything depends on the generation and production of everything else, disrupting almost anything for a period of a few days will begin a domino effect that disrupts everything else. For example utility maintenance workers cannot drive their trucks around to maintain electric lines if they have no gasoline for their trucks. And gas stations cannot pump gasoline out of their tanks into trucks if they have no electricity. And refineries cannot produce more gasoline if they have no electricity, raw materials, spare parts, etc. And so on, and so on.

      Because hundreds, maybe even thousands of events could start the domino effect I mentioned above, I believe we are much more vulnerable today than ever before. And recovery could well be much longer than days of old. For these reasons unprecedented hordes of desperate people could suddenly be looking for food, water, and/or a warm place to sleep. The only question is how much force those hordes would be willing to use to take those items away from others who have them. Most people who can afford to purchase a few guns and ammunition are not willing to find out the hard way. Rather, they are preparing in case it happens.

    • When has our nation been 17 trillion dollars in debt before? With the gold standard abolished, when will the GOV stop printing money? The fiscal cliff looms and so does hyper-inflation. More people are on government assistance now than ever before, including the Great Depression. What happens when all those people don’t get their gubbmint checks beacuse the GOV is shut down while it restructures after the fiscal cliff fall? What happens when Obamacare mandates crush company budgets and they stop hiring, or worse, start laying off employees like Applebee’s has already started.

      Doom and gloom to be sure, most of it media over-hype. However, you are deluding yourself if you don’t have a rational conversation with your family or at least yourself and have a plan. If that plan involves buying a case of MRE’s, a pallet of water and a reliable 9mm with 500 rounds, that’s better than nothing and will at least get you through a natural disaster, or more, depending on how you use it.

    • In the US no. In other county’s yes. In my lifetime how many governments have fallen leaving a county in ashes? I can think of a dozen off the top of my head.

      Also we have seen were 1 thing hit and regions fall apart and they haven’t all be caused by a natural disaster can we say Rodney King?

      Most of these are being caused by 1 event with a federal and state governments in good shape. What happens in a few years when Obama care grows the debt to a point we can’t just borrow another 100 billion to cover the cost of a disaster. Additional some local governments are already cutting police because they can’t meet there budget needs and although that hasn’t started hitting the states yet it is just a mater of time and unless something changes real soon the military is going to be seeing huge cut backs real soon.

      If law enforcement can’t deal with riots now how will they deal with them with depleted manpower and less resources.

      Thanks
      Robert

      • You cannot complain about reduced military and police manpower while at the same time say spending needs to be cut. The debt is not a cause for concern at this moment as on a % of GDP basis it is comparable to the UK and Germany (not exactly unstable countries). Once the spending cuts and tax increases come in on January (so called “fiscal cliff” then the budget is in much better balance.

        • “The debt is not a cause for concern at this moment as on a % of GDP basis it is comparable to the UK and Germany (not exactly unstable countries)”

          im not sure how you arrived at this conclusion, but debt is a very serious problem. spending more than you produce is not sound fiscal policy…and that is exactly what is required if the US dollar wants to sustain itself. Its called the death/debt paradigm. and it only benefits the elite and screws over you and i as we watch the value of our labor decrease and the value of our currency inflate.

        • Mike,

          We need to make cuts in many places. But all we have to do it look at places like Greece to see how things are going to go.

          Thanks
          Robert

  5. I think the whole zombie craze is because of a subconscious fear of a widespread social meltdown, from an economic collapse or whatever. I’ve always been a zombie movie fan, but i believe that’s why it’s so popular now.

    So i think preparedness is really gaining social popularity because after 2008, people realized there is no such thing as “too big to fail”.

    Side note: I can’t wait for the movie World War Z with brad pitt comes out next year.

  6. Sitting here contemplating this article, and my earlier post. Reflecting on the civil unrest that affected the Middle East in the last few years.

    Where are the millions in this country that would precipitate such an event here? Where is this group that is so beaten down, persecuted, driven to an extreme to cause that amount of turmoil.

    Illegal immigrants? Hardly, they are making 10 times what they did at home, with good health care, education, and relatively safe place to live.

    Unemployed? What, the 8% of the population.? No time for them, they are out spending their unemployment checks.

    I got it!!! The large group of ZOMBIE GUN GRABBERS!!! Bloomberg is coming for us……oh wait, he supposedly hates guns…..humm.

    • JPD, every family in America should have at least a basic emergency kit and shotgun. Here in Ca. we have quakes, other parts of the country have thier own potential threats.

      As for a nationwide event. Who knows? But it can’t hurt to be ready for an extreme emergency, especially if you have people dependent upon you for security.

      • Jwm, oh, I totally agree with being prepared. Your comments are dead on.

        I was being a little sarcastic. Mostly with the emphasis in the last part of the article, with the inference that an event of national proportions is on the horizon. I see no evidence of that.

        What also prompted my response is that I have been hearing the end of the world, on a regular basis, for the last 60 years.
        I was poking fun at all the Chicken Little’s out there.

        If one did indeed happen, I would not be caught unprepared.

        My ammo is dry and safe. Not to mention my stash of pop Tarts, Diet Dr. Pepper, and gun magazines.

        • Pop-tarts. Pop-tarts. Dammit, i knew I was going to forget something vital. It’s too late for twinkies but I can still stash Pop-tarts.

          • Crap!! Well there goes something else I forgot. Gotta have my poptarts too. Hmm let’s see…3 cases should be enough.
            Oh and extra butter so I can warm them up over the fire and let the butter melt into them!!
            Yummy.

        • Speed, your making me hungry for a tart right now. I’ll have to break into the stash…. no will power.

    • >>Where are the millions in this country that would precipitate such an event here? Where is this group that is so beaten down, persecuted, driven to an extreme to cause that amount of turmoil.

      JPD,

      Today the Wall Street Journal ran a story about the actual U.S. debt — when measured on an accounting accrual basis like most entities today, not the current cash basis that the Feds use — is hovering around $80 trillion, not the $16 trillion the press reports. Most of this is due to unfunded liabilities for pensions, Social Security, Medicare, Obamacare, etc.

      The bottom line is that whether by currency crisis, Great Depression-like deflation, or Weimar Republic-like inflation, at some point the U.S. government is going to default on its obligations. Probably within our lifetimes, and quite possibly within the next four years as the current President’s policies kick-in in earnest.

      So think post-Katrina New Orleans, albeit this time nationally, albeit this time caused by the welfare and pension checks not going out and the EBT cards running digitally dry.

      Unlike the 1930’s, the “entitled” folks of today aren’t going to stand peaceably in soup lines waiting for subsistence meals and then wander harmlessly back to a Hooverville in some field next to a railroad track.

      Gang home invasions and street muggings I think will become fairly routine as we slide into a banana republic economy.

      • Tom, while I agree with your economic assessment. I still do not see the “end of the world” scenario. Now I will admit that I am not some genius, or can see the future. But we can learn some lessons from history.

        On the economic side, our economy is still the “best” in the world, by many measurements. Will we remain tops for long? China was pushing us pretty close, till the recession started slowing them down too.

        As far as debt goes. China owns a significant amount. As do many European countries. As long as we continue to produce, as we are doing today, they will happily charge is interest and loan us more.

        History is fun here. Go back and look at the debtor nations in medieval times. When a country was in debt, they would start a war with the country holding their note. Stimulate the economy thru a war, and wipe out your debt!!!

        Many pundits even speculate one of the driving forces behind Hitler starting a war was to bring Germany out of the depression. That way insuring he stayed in power.

        But internal collapse, not so much. I will stick with my forecast.

        Be prepared for the worst, but nothing on the horizon today.

        • JPD,

          I hope you’re right.

          But Google a chart of the (actually privately-owned Federal Reserve “printed”) money supply growth in recent years, plus …

          A political system unwilling to tackle entitlements (particularly Democrats cynically using “Mediscare” tactics for short-term electoral advantage), plus

          The aforementioned 80+ trillion “unfunded liabilities” gap (and this only at the federal level, not including states and localities), plus

          The current administration led by a President and staffed by folks whose entire lives have been spent in and amongst groups (Midwest Academy, Gamaliel Foundation, Tides Foundation, ACORN, New Party) whose stated goal is to undermine our economy to disillusion our populace and thereby pave the way for socialism and eventually communism (space doesn’t permit a huge explanation, but see the book “Radical in Chief” for detail and/or Google “Cloward Piven strategy” for a cursory glance), plus …

          As the recent election shows, a really dumbed-down populace (showing the effects of the cultural decline tactic preached by Antonio Gramsci, whose tactics of a “long march through the institutions” has been embraced by the groups that in turn were embraced by our current President).

          Sadly, I’m convinced that this country is in for steep decline, the speed at which it will occur being the only question.

          The wild-card will be what will be the effects of the global power vacuum left by us, with no benign power in the wings to take our place (radical Islam, a resurgent Russia and emboldened and strengthening China seemingly positioning themselves to exploit).

    • JPD,
      It’s the millions on welfare. When that gravy train wrecks itself in a pile of twinkles, all those people are gonna be left without. And they’ll be looking to take from those who have…

      • Darn, forgot that bunch!! But wait? That lazy bunch get off the couch and come at us? Not even they are that brain dead (yet).

        But suppose for a moment they did? After surveying the group on this site, that would just be a few days of target practice.

        I think I will call my stockbroker and invest in funeral homes.

    • JPD,

      8 percent is a JOKE. The real number is much higher any where from 14% to 20% depending on what economist you talk to and if they are counting people working part time at a 7-11 to keep themselves a float.

      Also what about the something like 35+ million who are on food stamps. What happens when the government can’t afford those or is force to shrink the roles because we just run out of money.

      If something happens it wont be one event that causes it. It will be several events coming together. The problem is several of the events are very much on the horizon. Once the piece are put in place all it takes is a match to set it off. Look at WW1 it was started by many accounts because the assignation of one person. How could one person be that important I doubt he was the problem was he was the spark to started the blaze.

      Thanks
      Robert

  7. JPD,
    I have been through only a few hurricanes in the last 10 years (two or three, can’t remember) so should I not prepare for them? By your logic no one would.
    Localized or nationwide, I would rather be prepared than throw myself on the mercy of thugs in the Superdome…
    -sbaker

    • Shannon, me too. Please note the Nationwide, epic comments in my first post. Also, better explanation in my response to JWM above.

  8. I love stirring things up. Caused some excellent discussion and comments. Always good to keep the brain cells working.

  9. Sorry for the long post. This rather comprehensive list came from another forum I visit:
    1. Generators
    2. Water Filters/Purifiers
    3. Portable Toilets
    4. Seasoned Firewood
    5. Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps
    6. Coleman Fuel. Impossible to stockpile too much.
    7. Guns, Ammunition, Pepper Spray, Knives, Clubs, Bats & Slingshots.
    8. Hand-can openers, & hand egg beaters, whisks.
    9. Honey/Syrups/White, Brown Sugar
    10. Rice – Beans – Wheat
    11. Vegetable Oil (for cooking) Without it food burns/must be boiled, etc.)
    12. Charcoal, Lighter Fluid (Will become scarce suddenly)
    13. Water Containers
    16. Propane Cylinders (Urgent: Definite shortages will occur.)
    17. Survival Guide Book.
    18. Mantles: Aladdin, Coleman
    19. Baby Supplies: Diapers/formula/ointments/aspirin, etc.
    20. Washboards, Mop Bucket w/wringer (for Laundry)
    21. Cookstoves (Propane, Coleman & Kerosene)
    22. Vitamins
    23. Propane Cylinder
    24. Feminine Hygiene/Haircare/Skin products.
    25. Thermal underwear (Tops & Bottoms)
    26. Bow saws, axes and hatchets, Wedges (also, honing oil)
    27. Aluminum Foil Reg. & Heavy Duty (Great Cooking and Barter Item)
    28. Gasoline Containers (Plastic & Metal)
    29. Garbage Bags (Impossible To Have Too Many).
    30. Toilet Paper, Kleenex, Paper Towels
    31. Milk – Powdered & Condensed
    32. Garden Seeds (Non-Hybrid) (A MUST)
    33. Clothes pins/line/hangers (A MUST)
    34. Coleman’s Pump Repair Kit
    35. Tuna Fish (in oil)
    36. Fire Extinguishers
    37. First aid kits
    38. Batteries (all sizes…buy furthest-out for Expiration Dates)
    39. Garlic, spices & vinegar, baking supplies
    40. Big Dogs (and plenty of dog food)
    41. Flour, yeast & salt
    42. Matches Boxed, wooden matches will go first.
    43. Writing paper/pads/pencils, solar calculators
    44. Insulated ice chests
    45. Workboots, belts, Levis & durable shirts
    46. Flashlights/LIGHTSTICKS & torches, “No. 76 Dietz” Lanterns
    47. Journals, Diaries & Scrapbooks
    48. Plastic Garbage Cans (great for storage, water, transporting – if with wheels)
    49. Men’s Hygiene: Shampoo, Toothbrush/paste, Mouthwash/ floss, nail clippers,
    50. Cast iron cookware (sturdy, efficient)
    51. Fishing supplies/tools
    52. Mosquito coils/repellent, sprays/creams
    53. Duct Tape
    54. Tarps/stakes/twine/nails/rope/spikes
    55. Candles
    56. Laundry Detergent (liquid)
    57. Backpacks, Duffel Bags
    58. Garden tools & supplies
    59. Scissors, fabrics & sewing supplies
    60. Canned Fruits, Veggies, Soups, stews, etc.
    61. Bleach (plain, NOT scented: 4 to 6% sodium hypochlorite)
    62. Canning supplies, (jars/lids/wax)
    63. Knives & Sharpening tools: files, stones, steel
    64. Bicycles…Tires/tubes/pumps/chains, etc.
    65. Sleeping Bags & blankets/pillows/mats
    66. Carbon Monoxide Alarm (battery powered)
    67. Board Games, Cards, Dice
    68. d-con Rat Poison, MOUSE PRUFE II, Roach Killer
    69. Mousetraps, Ant traps & cockroach magnets
    70. Paper plates/cups/utensils (stock up, folks)
    71. Baby wipes, oils, waterless & antibacterial soap (saves a lot of water)
    72. Rain gear, rubberized boots, etc.
    73. Shaving supplies (razors & creams, talc, after shave)
    74. Hand pumps & siphons (for water and for fuels)
    75. Soy Sauce, vinegar, bullions/gravy/soupbase
    76. Reading glasses
    77. Chocolate/Cocoa/Tang/Punch (water enhancers)
    78. “Survival-in-a-Can”
    79. Woolen clothing, scarves/ear-muffs/mittens
    80. Boy Scout Handbook, also Leaders Catalog
    81. Roll-on Window Insulation Kit (MANCO)
    82. Graham crackers, saltines, pretzels, trail mix/jerky
    83. Popcorn, Peanut Butter, Nuts
    84. Socks, Underwear, T-shirts, etc. (extras)
    85. Lumber (all types)
    86. Wagons & carts (for transport to and from)
    87. Cots & Inflatable Mattresses
    88. Gloves: work/warming/gardening, etc.
    89. Lantern Hangers
    90. Screen Patches, glue, nails, screws, nuts & bolts
    91. Teas
    92. Coffee
    93. Cigarettes
    94. Wine/Liquors (for bribes, medicinal, etc,)
    95. Paraffin wax
    96. Glue, nails, nuts, bolts, screws, etc.
    97. Chewing gum/candies
    98. Atomizers (for cooling/bathing)
    99. Hats & cotton neckerchiefs
    100. Goats/chickens

    From a Sarajevo War Survivor :
    Experiencing horrible things that can happen in a war – death of parents and friends, hunger and malnutrition, endless freezing cold, fear, sniper attacks.
    1. Stockpiling helps, however you never know how long trouble will last, so locate nearby renewable food sources.
    2. Living near a well with a manual pump is like being in Eden.
    3. After awhile, even gold can lose its luster. There is no luxury in warquite like toilet paper. Its surplus value is greater than gold’s.
    4. If you had to go without one utility, lose electricity – it’s the easiest to do without (unless you’re in a very nice climate with no need for heat.)
    5. Canned foods are awesome, especially if their contents are tasty without heating. One of the best things to stockpile is canned gravy – it makes a lot of the dry unappetizing things you find to eat in war somewhat edible. Only needs enough heat to “warm”, not to cook. It’s cheap too, especially if you buy it in bulk.
    6. Bring some books – escapist ones like romance or mysteries become more valuable as the war continues. Sure, it’s great to have a lot of survival guides, but you’ll figure most of that out on your own anyway – trust me, you’ll have a lot of time on your hands.
    7. The feeling that you’re human can fade pretty fast. I can’t tell you how many people I knew who would have traded a much needed meal for just a little bit of toothpaste, rouge, soap or cologne. Not much point in fighting if you have to lose your humanity. These things are morale builders like nothing else.
    8. Slow burning candles and matches, matches, matches

    So, it’s not just guns.

    All that said, I think, if there was great unrest in the USA, it would be more regional, than nationwide, due as much to the sheer size of the country.

    • Really, food for the big dog, LOL, just get an Old English Mastif and teach him to eat intruders.

      Oh yeah, some Guinea hens as well, best watch dogs alive as NOTHING will get by them noisy birds.

      • Flashback time Jarhead. Was involved with a young woman who lived with her family in the country in West Virginia. Three daughters in the family and none of them ugly. The old man kept a shotgun near and a flock of guinea fowl on patrol.

        There was no sneaking into that house.

  10. As a Christian, and a strong believer in the Second Amendment, I can see that the world is becoming a much different place than it was when I was a kid 40 years ago. There will be an Apocalypse, and only your faith in God will save you. In the meantime, I’m locked and loaded…

  11. JPD makes a good point about the level of motivation of the cohort most likely to be stirred up to civil unrest. You saw that during the election campaign. Once upon a time, labor unions could field a substantial army of mooks to fight in the streets. They made a lot of noise about doing that kind of thing last year, but their membership today are mostly white collar workers who weren’t prepared to cash that check. Multigenerational welfare recipients might be a little more physical, but as shown in the areas hit by the Sandy storm surge, most of their intended victims are armed and willing to fight back – and that’s in a blue state.

    So I agree that I don’t know where the zombie hordes are expected to come from. On the other hand there’s clear potential for serious economic dislocations, and that kind of thing always comes with serious political upheaval, which obviously can bring armed conflict with it. Beyond that, I’m sure I’m not the only one to notice that the public services seem to have gotten worse, the power stays off longer when it goes, etc. these days. It’s just good common sense to have a backup plan.

  12. @Fyrewerx…had two brown sugar cinnamon about 4 this morning at work. Covered in butter, stuck in nuke machine and about 45 seconds later…..Ahhhhhh!!!
    They have a few different flavors I like but brown sugar ones only ones I like with butter.

  13. While firearms are an important part of any disaster stratagem, I put them in third to fifth place. First place goes to working fire extinguishers, then working smoke/CO2 detectors, then a weeks worth of food and water, emergency cash, then firearms.
    When I lived in California, my earthquake survival kit was in front of firearms as well.
    Prepare a rational risk assessment for YOU and prepare accordingly.

  14. When the credit card for the US maxes out we are looking at a very unhappy dependent class on our hands. The next day anyone with anything of value will be subject to a social justice tax right on the spot.
    Anti-gun types can try to negotiate their way out of this predicament, let us know how that goes. The rest of us will convince the hungry masses they need to find an anti-gunner to talk to.

  15. What about Mexico being a clusterfvck?! Drug dealers and massive murder rates just south (well, usually south) of our borders. Just an encouraging thought.

  16. After seeing what folks on the Jersey shore and New York City have to deal with after super storm Sandy, I can easily understand a surge in firearms and ammo sales. A whole lot of people have now learned that the police can not protect you or your stuff, especially after that much damage has been done to the infrastructure. The oft repeated saying here; “When seconds count, the police are only minutes away” became “the police are only DAYS away”. And his holiness the mayor of NY turned down National Guard help??!! The mayor of Atlantic City told folks to ignor the governor’s order to evacuate, then watched his city get flooded. The “authorities” are NOT going to handle a large disaster well and I don’t care how many drills they run. Look at the results of Katrina, Sandy, Rodney King riots, the unrest after the Trevon Martin shooting, heck any weekend in downtown Detroit. I’m not thinking that it will all turn into a version of a Mad Max movie nationwide, but I can see regions getting close to that for as long as several months after a big quake/storm/flood/etc. And realistically, we are closer to a Mad Max lifestyle now than we were 10 years ago. I hope I don’t live long enough to see it.

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