Pocket Gun Nation
By: Eric at the Gunmart Blog
United States –-(Ammoland.com)- No, sadly I was not the one who coined that phrase. I don’t know the exact origins, but Michael Bane was the person who I first heard use the phrase.
Its so awesome too. First off, its rock star cool and just has a fantastic sound to it.
Secondly, it perfectly encapsulates exactly where we are today as a nation. Concealed carry has without a doubt reached a whole new level in this great nation of ours. One that many of us never would have thought could be achieved. There are many contributing factors as to why that is, but I think that it is all of those pocket guns that flooded the marketplace over the last several years that is the major underlying contributor.
We have actually come full circle as a nation. It was not too many years ago that we were indeed a “pocket gun nation“. It was not uncommon for many men and women to carry small caliber (.22 lr and .25 ACP) pocket guns everywhere they went. It encompassed people from every demographic and nearly every walk of life. From finely dressed men and women who carried those ubiquitous little .25 ACP Colt and Browning “Vest” models in their suits and purses, to countless “good ol’ boys” who found a home for those little hideout guns in the front pocket of their overalls. Numerous people carried pocket guns everywhere they went and no one thought anything of it.
After the past three years of the most left leaning President in American history it would be a ridiculous understatement to say that firearm sales in this country are up.
Of course, sales of firearms in general are up (big time!), but so are concealed carry licenses as well as the handguns to go with them. The segment that’s up the sharpest is that of the .380 pocket pistols. The sales are soaring. The statistics tell us that there was an over 70 % increase in sales of .380 pistols from 2009 to 2010, and I think its pretty safe to say that they are still in high demand. We have seen many new models of pocket sized .380s come to the marketplace, and we also have very recently seen the rise of a completely new market segment… the mini 9mm. People once again are wanting pocket guns, and the industry has filled that need/want with some wonderful little guns.
So what is it about a pocket gun that appeals to so many Americans?
For one, they are incredibly easy to carry. I will admit it. I too have joined the masses and I carry a small pocket gun just about everywhere I go… and its an absolute joy to tote around. They are light weight, thin, and easy to conceal. In most cases you don’t really have to worry much about dressing around your firearm. You don’t have to buy a larger pants size, you don’t have to have a heftier belt, and you don’t have to go out and try to find baggy shirts. Just slip it in a pocket holster, slide it into your pocket and you’re out the door. They are a product that fits easily into people’s lives rather than forcing people to change their lives to fit around the product. You don’t have to be a marketing genius to figure that one out.
The other big attraction of these guns is that they are very affordable. You can literally get away with spending between $250- $350 and still get yourself a quality, reliable concealed carry gun. That is something that is very appealing to just about everyone who has a desire to provide for their own personal protection no matter what their socioeconomic background is. These guns lower the financial barriers to entry into the concealed carry world, and are allowing people even of modest means to defend themselves.
Yes, pocket guns have their limitations.
There is no question, with the exception of the new crop of 9mms, that these are “sub-caliber guns“. They require different tactics, higher levels of awareness, and a greater emphasis on shot placement. However, its my personal belief that a quality .380 round is well within the realistic needs of what an average law abiding citizen walking around town actually requires for personal protection. Bullet technology has come a very long way, and these smaller calibers are not what they used to be back in your grandfather’s day. Performance with regards to penetration and expansion are now well within the ranges of what is acceptable for concealed carry.
Finally, I think the greatest thing that has resulted in this push towards becoming a pocket gun nation once again is what we have been seeing happen day in and day out… nothing!
Thats right. As gun sales in this country have surged to record new heights and more and more Americans are carrying their guns on a daily basis… absolutely nothing has happened. Those gun grabbers on the far left who want to see a return to serfdom have endlessly harped about how there would be “blood in the streets“, how there would be “shootouts in restaurants“, and how “the cops would have no way of knowing who the bad guys were“. Yet, day in and day out nothing happens.
Gun sales continue to increase and gun crime continues to decrease. More and more people are demanding their rights to personal defense be restored, and as more and more “gun free zones” are abolished violent crime rates plummet. According to the FBI, in 2010 gun crimes in the U.S. decreased for the fourth straight year, and murders have been steadily decreasing since 2006.
Its estimated that there are currently between 80-90 million gun owners in the U.S. and many of them are now figuring out what their grandfathers and great grandfathers once knew…What it is like to be a “Pocket Gun Nation“.
About:
Eric at the Gunmart Blog – Eric is a gun blogger, firearms enthusiast, and sorry excuse for a hunter. He is also an AmmoLand Shoting Sports News Columnist. Leave him some comments on this article before you go. You can also follow Eric on Facebook, Twitter and at his blog, Gunmart. Visit: GunmartBlog.com