What's driving the desperation?

I was driving across town this morning to get some socks. The weather was March nice:

I watered the yard several times in the past week, today I shoveled. It was around 15 degrees out, before wind chill and it was obviously blowing. No solar oven today, didn't want to have to sweep the snow off of it while it didn't cook anything.

The parking lot was full as I assumed it would be, shipments now come in on Saturday, early morning:

That's all the rifle ammo, mainly odd/uncommon calibers.

That's all the pistol ammo... oh wait there really isn't any but a few boxes of 10mm. The ammo containers are empty.

Reloading... no, nothing to see, please move on.

What I did see were about 60 people in line, inside the store, awaiting the weekly shipment to show up. Many had decided to bring some camp chairs so they didn't have to stand. The line was for bulk ammo, otherwise it's a 3 box limit. I purchased some socks and asked the cashier about the line, just for fun.
Apparently the people had been waiting outside before the store opened and they had all been told the truck wasn't in yet. They had been told the truck was stuck on the highway and the highway was closed.... nobody moved out of line.
In good weather it would have taken 2.5 hours for the truck to show up, then it still had to be unloaded and inventoried, stocked in, etc.

If only they had been prepared they wouldn't have needed to be in any kind of line.

OR

They could have drove 10 minutes to another gun store who happened to have .223, 5.56 and 9mm in stock. Yes, it's a little more money, but time has to be worth something and if you are willing to wait outside in this crap weather and then camp inside, you must be in dire need (or bored). The store didn't have a lot, but you could have walked out with 160 .223 rounds, 240 5.56 rounds and 100 9mm rounds if you so desired. Maybe it's just me, I don't wait in lines.


An ex deputy we know asked if we had any extra .223 ammo. The reply was that we sold everything off to cash in on the high prices. We directed her to where she could go buy it this morning but she wasn't willing to pay .70 cents per. What does she think I would sell mine for... cost? (if I had any of course).

We did come home with an XDM Compact 9mm. While there was very little selection in pistols, we just asked to owner to set aside one last week and he called saying one had arrived. We had to pay $10 for the background check... yes, not only did that legislation get signed (for those who didn't know) but it was also required to be instituted immediately. Unlike the magazine capacity legislation that goes into effect July 1st.
The compact isn't mine but it's nice to have matching weapons that take the same magazines, just like our AR's do. My hands are a little bigger so the compact was never on my list. I said now you can grab magazines off my dead body and they will work for you.

I also asked to get a phone call when an AR pistol shows up.....

I can only assume people are really thinking there will be a fight, this is well beyond stocking up or prepping. That is, unless, everyone decided to be a prepper.