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Breaking News 10/27 10:16 CDT Email this article

FEATURE-Gun industry sees boom from a different Y2K crisis

PALO ALTO, Calif. (Reuters) - Among the many Internet sites outlining ways citizens should prepare for 2000, one called Y2Kchaos.com suggests why those living near prisons might find it useful to have a gun or two:

``Doors swinging open, alarms shutting down, locks going slack and so forth,'' reads a Q&A section on the site http://www.y2kchaos.com below the question, ``What is going to happen to the inmates?'' (snip)

-- Homer Beanfang (Bats@inbellfry.com), October 28, 1999

Answers

According to local gunsmiths, recent gun control proposals have resulted in increased sales.

-- Ken Decker (kcdecker@worldnet.att.net), October 28, 1999.

The y2k awareness at the gun shop I frequent is very low.They don't see y2k as being related to their RECORD SETTING YEAR of sales and seem to view everything through anti gun-grabbing paranioa.Can't blame them,I'm pretty paranoid myself.

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), October 28, 1999.

I told my local gun shop (recently quoted in my local paper) that I was purchasing my shotgun because the second ammendment is under attack. I have never mentioned Y2K there even though I would probably not be a gun owner if it were not for concerns about security due to Y2K.

-- nothere nothere (notherethere@hotmail.com), October 28, 1999.

Local dealer told me the Ruger Mini-14 is emerging as the official rifle of Y2k. Says he's selling lots of these to first time gun buyers. Some of these buyers say quite frankly they want some Y2k protection.

Another local dealer has hanging on the wall a short-barred 12 ga. pump gun with a receiver-mounted laser with a sign advertising it for sale as the "Y2k Special."

Publications such as Shotgun News are filled with references to Y2k. For the last year or so, gun publications have been running alot of ads for such items as Meals Ready to Eat and solar-powered portable radios.

-- Not Whistlin' Dixie (not_whistlin_dixie@yahoo.com), October 28, 1999.

Last night I was at the gun shop and the owner told be there has been a definite pickup in business regarding the sale of shotguns and AR-15 style rifles in the last few weeks. This past summer he had a Y2K display with shotgun, ammo, etc. but took it down because it wasn't selling. Now, he says he doesn't need it because average husband and wife types are coming in on their own. These are not the types of people who are buying guns for the first time because the 2nd ammendment is under attack.

The most popular item is the Mossburg Persuader (he can't keep them in stock for more than a day or two) followed by the Remington 870. On a positive note the ammo shortages which appeared earlier in the year have pretty much disappeared except for .223. Looks like all us early preppers really did ratchet up production for the latecomers.

-TECH32-

-- TECH32 (TECH32@NOMAIL.COM), October 28, 1999.