Coronavirus: One is None

Que up the chorus of R.E.M.'s "The End Of The World."

Obvious fact: This COVID-19 pandemic is much more serious than many people yet realize. Part two of that is that we will make it through it. 2b: The world will be somewhat changed.

Ammo Actually, I don't hate to tell you "I told you so" because I've been saying for a decade we were going to have another run on ammunition and that you should be buying a little each month. A box of 9mm here, a box of 5.56 there. Those who listened are sitting back and smiling while others are rushing around and paying twice the price of only four weeks ago.

Reality Check: If you have a few hundred rounds, you are good from a "They will try to take all my stuff" standpoint. For regular shooting, not so much. I can't help you here. If you have reloading supplies, you are good, and you have something to do while you are doing the social distance thing. You will be alone. No one wants to watch anyone reload.

Voice Of Reason: We'll get through this in a few months (not weeks), but the ammo and gun sales rush will put a lot of strain on the supply system. No, ammo makers will not spend millions to increase production which, they know from experience, will evaporate overnight at some point.

Quandary: How do you respond when a friend or neighbor who doesn't own guns now wants to borrow one from you? As always, it depends. If it's a real friend, and I can coach him or her up on shooting (take that person to the local range), I probably would. I have one or two I can spare. If I don't know the person that well, it's just a "no."

Learning: If you really are a "one is none and two is one" type of person, you already prepared by storing supplies like food, cookstoves, lanterns, fuel, water filters, extra guns and ammo, and more. It's what "just in case" thinking is all about. It's always a challenge to take that kind of action when everyone else doesn't see the possibilities. "I can't imagine needing to have ..." is the way they put it. That's just a failure of their imagination. Don't let their rationalization of their own inaction shame you into not doing what you need to do.

As we work our way through this pandemic, give some thought to how you might change your habits when we can once again buy guns, ammo, food, medical supplies, etc. You don't have to build an emergency shelter (though I don't fault you if you do), and there are many levels of prepping.  

Clearly it's not crazy to imagine there might be a need to be more self-sufficient at some point. Storing 100 pounds of rice (cheap), protein sources (peanut butter?), etc., might be enough. As we go through this stressful time we can all vow to research, learn, buy, store, prepare, and take this stuff seriously. No, I couldn't have told you there would be a coronavirus pandemic, but I did believe that something could disrupt our normal lives.

Personal Opinion: Extra ammo isn't the answer. It's nice to have, but trying to buy tens of thousands of rounds now is, I think, not helpful. Not to you, and not to the supply lines.

Bonus: Many now have extra time on their hands. Dig out a book on guns, shooting, hunting, reloading, the Second Amendment. Get serious about dry fire practice. Clean all your firearms. Tackle that cleanup you have promised to do. Turn off the TV for at least part of the day. Rediscover those other people who live in your home.

And, if I may. Be kind to everyone you see or talk with. Everyone is stressed. A smile and a kind wave just may help someone who is frightened and struggling.

Now, I should clean a bunch of guns. ;) ~ Tom

Tom Gresham
Author, outdoorsman, gun rights activist, and firearms enthusiast for more than five decades, Tom Gresham hosts Tom Gresham's Gun Talk, the first nationally-syndicated radio show about guns and the shooting sports, and is also the producer and co-host of the Guns & Gear, GunVenture and First Person Defender television series.