Without the ability to acquire arms, the right to keep and bear them is largely meaningless. I can have the right to own a faster-than-light spaceship, but since there aren’t any for sale, it’s kind of a useless right. I have the right to keep and bear arms, though, and I have the means to purchase and/or build firearms.

Most people aren’t interested in building a gun. They’d much rather buy them, which is fine. Choices are good.

But where do you go if you don’t have a chain like Bass Pro Shops in town, and your area Walmart doesn’t have what you want? Well, you go to your local independent gun store, which usually has a better selection than Walmart and is often a lot friendlier than your Bass Pro Shops drone. And more knowledgeable about the products, at least based on my experience.

Why am I talking about local gun stores, though?

Well, I came across this from Alabama-focused 1819 News, and it brought up some points.

Independent gun store owners are the backbone of our constitutional republic. With nearly 80,000 federally licensed firearms dealers (FFLs) in the United States, the vast majority are not big-box retailers like Dick’s Sporting Goods or Walmart, which have caved to anti-gun activists. Instead, they’re small, often family-run shops – sometimes operating out of homes or modest storefronts – that ensure law-abiding citizens can exercise their Second Amendment rights. Without these FFLs, no American can legally purchase a new firearm, making these owners the linchpin of our freedom.

The risks they take are immense. Holding a FFL means navigating a maze of federal regulations and enduring the constant threat of ATF inspections. Every Form 4473 – the document required for a background check – carries the potential for error, whether from a customer’s mistake or an employee’s oversight. A single misstep can lead to devastating penalties, threatening livelihoods and families. These owners provide jobs, bolster local tax bases, and serve as community pillars, all while knowing one bad inspection could unravel everything.

The Biden administration made this burden unbearable with its zero-tolerance ATF audit policy, a deliberate assault on gun stores designed to strip FFLs from honest owners. The goal was clear: reduce the number of gun dealers, restrict access to firearms, and erode the Second Amendment, ultimately undermining Americans’ God-given ability to protect themselves and their families from the evils of this world. This policy wasn’t about safety – it was about control, targeting the very businesses that empower citizens to stand against tyranny.

It’s a good piece that celebrates the independent gun stores and how the tides have shifted now that the ATF’s zero-tolerance policy is at an end, but I wanted to take this chunk out and focus a bit on it, because the author–a gun store owner–is right.

Yes, he’s tooting his own horn a bit, but sometimes, you’ve got to be the one to toot it so people remember horns need to be blown.

God, was that an awkward metaphor.

Anyway, our small, independent gun stores are a vital part of our Second Amendment community. Not only are they places to get guns, but they can be amazing resources to learn about training options, network with other gun folks, get opinions about what’s in the case, discuss ammo options, and so on.

They’re not the only place, and the people who work there are humans, which means they can be biased, wrong, or just plain dumb, but they can also be brilliant, honest, and have a good understanding of the subjects they talk about.

Regardless, they really do put a lot more on the line than most business owners, and unlike the big chains, there aren’t legions of lawyers ready to fight for them. They’ve got to pay for that out of their own pocket, which is costly for a business that makes its living on razor-thin margins.

When you go to your gun store next, thank them.

They deserve it.