We’ve all read reports of the long lines in grocery stores following the declaration of a national emergency with most Americans coming to the realization that the coronavirus is very real and isn’t going away any time soon. We’ve also noted the run on ammunition and reports from around the country of increased sales of guns.

Yesterday, however, was the first day most Americans were off of work in large numbers since the emergency declaration and a great number of them made tracks for their nearest firearms retailer.

JWT texted me yesterday from the Cabela’s store in Buda, Texas, 30 minutes south of Austin. There was a 2.5 hour wait to get to the gun counter at the time. We then talked to a retailer we know in Florida who reported a 4 hour wait at his store.

Meanwhile, in the gun-controlled utopia of California . . .

My gun shop in Culver City, California Hopefully, Liberals are starting to wake up and realize owning guns and the 2nd amendment is essential. Too bad all these people will have to wait ten days to pick up their firearms pic.twitter.com/9H7LaBH1DY — Josh (@JoshLeCash) March 14, 2020

This store is in Burbank . . .

I want to add there are lines out the door for gun shops?! Excuse me??? pic.twitter.com/MRago1EVHQ — Jessica Michel (@micheljessica_) March 14, 2020

These scenes seem to have been replicated at most gun stores in urban areas around the country yesterday. Retailers we’ve talked to said that a majority of these customers are first-time buyers, people who either never considered buying a gun before or were on the fence about it.

That makes sense. You have to think that current gun owners who already have at least some means to protect themselves aren’t going to stand in line for hours in close proximity to a lot of other people given current conditions.

It also means that tens of thousands of people are becoming first-time gun owners. These are people who have decided that having the ability to defend themselves and their families during difficult times, when police may be less responsive than usual, makes all the sense in the world.

Some, naturally, are appalled by Americans who have chosen to arm themselves in an emergency. To the surprise of no one, self-professed gun owner Bill Maher is one of those expressing their derision and disdain.

From Fox News:

“You know what’s up? All the businesses are closed in America — except gun sales. “So American,” he said. ” ‘I’ll shoot the virus!’… We don’t do smart stuff in this country.”

No one does smarm and condescension quite so well.

It’s not about “shooting the virus,” ⁦@billmaher⁩ it’s about keeping themselves safe from others who might want to take their shit during a media induced panic. Kinda like why you have YOUR gun. https://t.co/Q54se5xCby — Mark Walters (@aarmark) March 15, 2020

We’d guess that all of those people standing in line for hours in order to buy a firearm don’t have much time to care what Bill Maher thinks of how they’re preparing for an emergency.

P.S. Who could have possibly seen something like this coming when the Golden State enacted a background check requirement to buy ammunition?