Gun-Buying Surge
Sets New Record

While almost everybody was focused on the police re-capture of Seattle’s so-called “CHAZ” zone back on July 1 after the six-block area seized by anti-police protesters had been held for three weeks of lawlessness, the FBI dropped a bombshell the gun control crowd tried hard to ignore.

The National Instant Check System (NICS) recorded another record month for initiated background checks that eclipsed the 3.7 million figure reported in March.

June saw 3,931,607 total background checks, and even though the figure does not represent completed gun sales, it was impressive, nonetheless. Not only was it the highest number of checks ever for the month of June in the history of the NICS system — it was the most checks initiated ever, period.

According to CNN, the states with the highest NICS volume were California, Florida Illinois, Kentucky and Texas.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) adjusts the data to more accurately reflect the actual sales of firearms, resulting in an equally eye-popping figure. According to the NSSF estimate, there were 2,177,586 checks related to gun sales in June. In comparison, June 2019 saw 924,054 estimated gun sales.

According to NSSF Public Affairs Director Mark Oliva, “The FBI sends out raw data. We adjust for only those checks that are coded for the sale of a gun.”

Still, he observed, “The sharp increase in Americans buying firearms in June continues a trend we saw start in the spring. Civil unrest, rioting, looting and calls to defund police are unquestionably motivating factors of why this trend is increasing.

“Americans are right to be concerned for their personal safety,” Oliva added. “It’s entirely reasonable that law-abiding citizens are exercising their Constitutional right to purchase a firearm to protect themselves. Our nation’s elected representatives should take heed of where their constituents are on gun ownership today. Politicians who entertain notions of defunding police departments are the same ones who call for strict gun control and even outright confiscation.

“These figures aren’t push polls,” he stated. “They are representative of Americans from all walks of life who are taking action and taking responsibility for their rights and their safety.”

https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/01/politics/fbi-background-check-june-record/index.html

It’s Not All Handguns

We have a confession: Insider Online is a sucker for .22-caliber rifles, and the folks at Ruger recently unveiled a new incarnation of the universally popular 10/22 that ignited the salivary glands.

Ruger’s new configuration of the 10/22 Takedown features a “Stealth gray” Magpul X-22 Backpacker stock that includes an integrated storage compartment in the grip and a hinged storage compartment that holds up to three spare 10-round rotary magazines. And, by the way, the gun comes with those three spares, along with the magazine in the action, for 40 rounds of smallbore firepower.

The stock has a MOE SL non-slip rubber buttpad and a “unique locking interface to attach the barrel assembly to the receiver when being transported.”

Takedown is simple and the disassembled rifle will fit in a backpack. Why didn’t Ruger cook this up when I was a lot more nimble for long hikes and hunts in the fall?

The 16.4-inch stainless barrel features precision rifling with a 1:16 right-hand twist, threaded muzzle and a satin finish to match the receiver. The barrel is topped with a fiber-optic front sight and an adjustable rear fiber-optic sight, but also boasts a combination scope base adapter for both Weaver-style and .22 tip-off scope mounts.

Overall length is 35 inches and it hits the scale at 4.2 pounds empty. MSRP is $529.

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