Upon the reelection of Our President last year, demand for firearms and ammunition predictably spiked. For those of us in the gun community, it seems as though the last bout of panic buying of 2008-9 had barely subsided. Fears of further attacks on gun rights sent the number of NICS checks upward by 53%.

On a more anecdotal level, I have seen that most Walmarts, Cabelas, and Academies are still subject to ammunition rationing, and respectably-sized groups congregate near the gun counter in such stores at times they deem likely for ammo stocking. A visit to popular online ammunition providers, such as MidwayUSA, reveals the breadth and depth more quantitatively. Nearly no ammunition is available for military calibers such as 5.56mm, 7.62mm, 9mm, and .45cal.

The panic buying is not contained with guns and ammunition, however. Body armor, once the exclusive toy of the military and police, is a now scarce commodity on the open market. One civilian armor producer, AR500 Armor, has issued the following shipping notice:

Shipping Notice - Due to extremely high demand over the past few months we're experiencing a delay in shipping on all of our Body Armor. Our Standard Plates with Line-X Base Coat may take up to 4-6 Weeks to Ship, and up to 7 Weeks on our Upgraded Base Coat option. Lead time may vary based on demand. We will always try our best to ship your order as quickly as possible - AR500 Armor Team

Night vision devices are still available, but at inflated prices commensurate with the increased demand.

We are 7 months removed from the reelection of Our President, and 6 months removed from the Newtown shooting. We are not in the midst of a predictable spike in demand due to a particular exigency, but rather a sustained stockpiling of weapons of war. This is possible evidence that Americans anticipate further violations of their rights. It may also be evidence of non-abstract, physical fear. Americans are distrustful of their government, agents of their government, and fear the criminals which their government lets run wild.

Brae Jager is a kulak who occasionally writes on his blog (braejager.blogspot.com).