Mike,

I enjoy shooting my pistols weekly so I must constantly search for components as I also like to load my own ammunition. I cast bullets for many different calibers but prefer to buy commercially produced bullets, especially Berry's or other copper clad bullets.

Every day I search Brownell's, Midway, or Natchez for components. They are perpetually out of all common pistol caliber bullets, cartridge cases, primers, buckshot, and .22 LR. It is hard to find the plastic cartridge boxes to store finished rounds. Don't even ask about live ammo.

It was tough getting ammo and components during the Clinton years, tougher during the Obama years, but since Covid and the riots, it is much worse. Since Covid and especially the riots started, NICS background checks have set records each month. The word is that about half the purchases are first time buyers and these newbies want ammo for their guns.

After Trump took office ammo and components got easier to find but I should have bought more primers and bullets back in January and February. My mistake.

A couple of months ago there were stories about people calling the police and were told they couldn't come, so do what it takes to protect life and property. The city governments of numerous cities have made it clear they will not protect the lives and property of the law abiding. A prosecutor in St. Louis is trying to prosecute a man for defending his family and home. People are scared and trying to protect themselves.

If all this isn't bad enough, there are kooks in many places wanting to defund or eliminate the police. In my small city, this past Saturday, a group of thugs had a sizable shoot out a block from my church at ten in the morning.

A German friend told me a joke about the Covid scare; The Germans are buying toilet paper, the French are buying wine, the Americans are buying guns, and Dutch are buying weed.

This is what I know from my small corner of the world.

Oh, Joe, that's a beautiful flinter. I still have my Isaac Haines style .40 cal. flintlock, a Ruger Old Army, and an original Navy Colt I restored.