NSSF Retailer Surveys Indicate 5.4 Million First-Time Gun Buyers in 2021

1. Everytime I purchase a firearm, I am a first-time buyer: first time I purchased that particular gun.

   • Not me.
     I follow the Clint Smith school of firearm purchasing.

     Find a gun you shoot well, then purchase an identical one as a spare, THEN purchase a third one, for parts to support those first two.

     Some of my favorite shooters are backed up with a safe queen example. If a shooter eventually fails, it becomes a parts gun for its safe queen twin.

     I linked to a forum pic of seven Walther P5s a while back, three shooters (9Para/7.64Para) and four safe queens.

     • I prefer to purchase spare parts for my guns, rather than take parts from one of them. At the very least, one should purchase extra magazines and spring sets, as well as replacements for high-wear or easily lost parts.

       • Jack, you are correct also ref. the spare parts. How about a duplicate firearm and a spare small parts kit.

       • I dunno. Depends on the Gun.

         I looked at the cost of a parts kit for a Beretta 92 …… and then bought another 92.

         Glock? Sure parts kits are cheap….and fit a bunch of Glocks. So even though they are not favorite gun…they have a lot going for them on maintenance side.

         And I have PO-lenty of S&W K frame parts. Cylinder hands for pre-war Smiths are getting much harder to find.

       • I’ve built some guns out of spare parts. That’s how many parts I have.

     • James, Clint always said, “One is none and two is one.” About everything. I had come to the same conclusion years ago.

     • JC,

       Gotta admire that approach. Me, I am only 6 years into gun-ownership. Six guns in six years ( 4 pistols, a shotgun, and a rifle). Haven’t found a gun I would duplicate, yet.

       • I didn’t own much prior to 2017.
         I dialed up my purchasing while watching the political affairs of ’16 & ’17, kept it going strong ’18 thru ’19, ramped down in ’20. The seven P5s were purchased in 14 week period. Felt they were undervalued classic handguns in 2018, seems to have been a good guess.

         Watched from the sidelines for almost all of ’21.

       • Life, I can give you a very long list.

       • I like to litter the entrance of my home with all my cheap guns. If someone were to sneak in during the night, they would start tripping over and end up doing a tap/riverdance at the entrance with guns swinging around their feet and legs with their arms outstretched while they tried to keep their balance. This serves as an alarm so I can be ready with the more valuable guns past the entrance.

       • “I am only 6 years into gun-ownership“

         “I didn’t own much prior to 2017“

         Very interesting.
         I would’ve guessed almost everyone on this list to be much more experienced gun owners.

         I’ve been at it over 60 years, I’ sure y’all will challenge that.
         I owned 2 colt detective specials before I was 16, one old model, one new model with shrouded ejector.

       • “I didn’t own much prior to 2017“

         Even though my firearm ownership was very limited for decades (first purchases were a P89 Ruger and a 92FS Beretta in the ’80s), I’ve been regularly exposed to a plethora of firearms thru the decades.
         Regularly had the opportunity to shoot stuff like early production DEagles in 44mags, early HK P7 M13s, pre-ban HK FA 7.62×51 battle rifles……. Usually ran to the range once a month, after work with co-workers.

         Got thrown out of a few Long Island NY indoor ranges in the late ’80s.
         The ROs didn’t like it when we would switch from “slow waltz” to “rock n roll”. They used to bust thru the door yelling “who the F is shooting FA in here”! 🤣

     • James Campbell,

       Your strategy sounds like a very good strategy.

       Several years ago I purchased a Smith and Wesson M&P40 full-size semi-auto pistol for my “everyday carry” firearm. When I purchased it, it seemed nice although I was not sure it would be a favorite. Well, after shooting it a bit, it became a favorite. While the thought occurred to me that I might need to replace a broken part at some point, I just figured that replacement parts would always be available. I am seriously concerned at this point that replacement parts may not be available even now much less in the near future. So now I am kicking myself in the @$$ for failing to buy high-quality police trade-ins years back for something like $450 a piece–which usually included three magazines and tritium night sights.

2. Guns are a fact of life in America. More so now than when I was a kid. It will only continue to get better.

3. Remember, the survey doesn’t ask if the buyers are ardent 2A defenders. There is no way to determine how many gun owners are Dims, and will vote the Dim agenda regardless of gun ownership. Dims are buying guns to protect themselves from you.

   We can never discount the Dim gun buyers who are simply owning a gun until the Dims can disarm everyone else (exception: actual criminals and gang members).

   • I wish they had asked political affiliation and support of the 2nd Amendment. It would be interesting to know

     • “”I wish they had asked political affiliation and support of the 2nd Amendment. It would be interesting to know”.

       This is the fatal flaw in all surveys and polling: you only know what the respondent told the survey/poll takers; not the actual truth.

       Three most important elements in surveys/polling: bias in the questions; impossibility to determine if the target is truthful; the survey/poll is only a snapshot of the moment. “It’s tough making predictions, especially about the future.”

   • There is something in what you said.

     “Hereby it is manifest that during the time men live without a common Power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition which is called War; and such a war as is of every man against every man. In such condition there is no place for Industry, because the fruit thereof is uncertain: and consequently no Culture of the Earth; no Navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by Sea; no commodious Building; no Instruments of moving and removing such things as require much force; no Knowledge of the face of the Earth; no account of Time; no Arts; no Letters; no Society; and which is worst of all, continual Fear, and danger of violent death; And the life of man solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. ( Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan, 1651 )”

     • “And the life of man solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. ( Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan, 1651 )”

       Hobbes is an old, dead White guy. What can possibly be of value from such? And Hobbes didn’t have the internet so he could find truth, rather than facts.

       • LMFAO!

       • “……Hobbes didn’t have the internet so he could find truth, rather than facts….”

         Because EVERYBODY knows feelings matter more then facts and emperical evidence.🤪

   • “….There is no way to determine how many gun owners are Dims, and will vote the Dim agenda regardless of gun ownership. Dims are buying guns to protect themselves from you…..”

     That sound like 100% pure propoganda, in preparation for the next round of election theft.

     Supporters are jumping off the D bandwagon like rats from a sinking ship. Among the HIGHEST %s among those are the first time firearm owners.

     Hell, the D party is having a difficult time just trying to get incumbents to run again.

     Iconoclastic on SIA.

4. A couple of you crusty old fucks like me remember whan you walked into the JCPenney auto center or wherever and walked out with a shiny new shotgun, rifle, whatever without ANY paperwork whatsoever. Then the 4473 came along, single page- name , address, etc… sign here, thanks for your purchase. Then they added a half by one inch box called “race” – call yourself what ever was appropriate. Now it’s a full line with about ten boxes to pick from. My last purchase I checked non hispanic and then filled in about five of the multiple choice boxes. The guy at the counter shook his head, came back surprised that it went through. Always wondered why they needed all of that info and now I know. Statistics, damn statistics, and lies

   • I remember we had Western Auto that had shotguns and rifles on display racks and motor oil on the next isle over.

     • We didn’t have any Western Auto stores around, but I wish we had. I had a western auto marked 336 Marlin, I Ihink they called them ” Revolution ” brand….bought it secondhand to steal the stocks off of for another gun. Pretty sure it’s French walnut, like Cooper rifles used. Another from a list of many that I wish I still had.

5. GOOD IDEA BUY ONE YA LIKE , ONE FOR BACK UP , ONE FOR PARTS .
   1 , 2 , 3 , PLAN .
   OK THANKS NEVER LOOKED AT IT THAT WAY .

6. HAVE DONE THE ONE TWO THING , GUESS NEED BUY THIRD

   • That’s quitter talk! One more is always the goal.

   • My pappy always said, “Son, you can’t have ‘too many’ guns or ‘too much’ ammo.”

     • 🤔
       You can only have too much ammo if you’re swimming or on fire.

     • My pappy always said, “Son, you can’t have ‘too many’ guns or ‘too much’ ammo.”

       “faster horses, younger women, older whiskey, more money”

7. Been 50 years since I bought my first gun. A couple years more since Dad gave me my first rifle. been collecting them ever since.

   Each of my kids, foster, adopted, married into, or mine by birth received a single shot .22 as soon as I thought they were responsible enough to have it. Same with their first handgun. Of course, they buy their own now. Interesting to see the stats on women and minorities buying their first guns. Love to see it. and want to say welcome to the family.

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