Five firearm instructors in the Minneapolis area said sign-ups for safety training, which is required for permit holders, have grown in the past two weeks.

At the Stock & Barrel Gun Club’s two locations near Minneapolis, the classes for people seeking a permit to carry a firearm almost always draw large crowds.

“It’s usually in the hundreds,” David Taylor, the club’s CEO, said.

But since immigration enforcement agents flooded the city, sparking clashes in the streets and the killing of two protesters, interest in the classes has only grown. In just the past two weeks, Taylor said, his club has received four times the usual number of sign-ups.

That does not appear to be an anomaly. Five firearm instructors in the Minneapolis area told NBC News they have seen a similar trend. The sudden interest, they say, is a reflection of the fear and uneasiness that has gripped the region amid the ongoing turmoil in the streets.

  • ameancow@lemmy.world
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    2 hours ago

    I post this everywhere lately, you need to know your laws and rights.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_the_United_States_by_state

    We spent a lot of time demanding better gun control because the right was screaming that they shouldn’t be restricted because of some fantasy about “fascist government takeover” for decades and decades.

    Well, here we are. They’re easier to get than ever and THEY are the ones supporting the fascist takeover that is actually now happening. Irony hath come full circle, so arm up brothers and sisters. Pray you never need to use the things, but abandoning a force-multiplier and giving up weapons NOW of all times is about the weakest thing you can do.

    We need power. Power comes from force, even if just implied.

    Any regime is going to think long and hard about doing anything that would result in a decades-long door-to-door meat-grinder operation just because they get hung up on a narrative that trans, gay or brown people are now a threat to our comforts.

  • Jo Miran@lemmy.ml
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    4 hours ago

    COPY/PASTA

    In the US we have the Second Amendment. The fascists have been the ones screaming and yelling about the Second Amendment, but the truth is that all Americans have the right.

    Owning a gun isn’t enough. Driving to Cabela’s and picking up a vermin killing .22 is not enough. You should buy a proper rifle, a pistol, and a knife or baton. (Bonus points for a shotgun) Then you need to train with said rifle, pistol and knife/baton. Go to a range and shoot. Look for local self defense/hand to hand combat with a weapon classes and train.

    I am not advocating for violence…far from it. But I am advocating for knowledge because owning a weapon and not knowing how to use it is a recipe for disaster.

    PS: If you can afford it, buy suppressors or active hearing protection. Especially for your rifles. Suppression for the common citizen isn’t about stealth like in the movies, it is about protecting your hearing. Guns are LOUD. Much louder than you expect. At the bare minimum, make sure you have quality active hearing protection.

    • in_my_honest_opinion@piefed.social
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      3 hours ago

      Pasted from a larger thread

      If you’re currently versed in Firearms and are able to start a chapter, or if you are lucky enough to live in an area with a local chapter the SRA is a good organization. However they are apparently fractured and their politics may not align. https://socialistra.org/

      https://www.blazingsword.org/ is better for LGBTQ+ anarchists that tend to not get along with Tankies.

      A more decentralized option could be a John Brown Gun Club https://www.counterextremism.com/supremacy/john-brown-gun-club

      Good basis of organized tactics. The guide below is more about organized movement than direct fire. Below will NOT help you in a firefight as it relies on a much larger trained force than you are likely to have. Good to know what the bastards study though. https://www.trngcmd.marines.mil/Portals/207/Docs/TBS/B2F2837 Rifle Squad Tactics.pdf?ver=2015-05-27-100939-710

      How to avoid getting balled up and kettled. https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/anarch-ish-how-to-win-at-kettling-a-guide-for-non-policemen

      Sabotage guide from WW2 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/26184.txt.utf-8

      General armed defense https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/organizing-armed-defense-in-america

      How to organize a rapid response from a very high level with further detailed resources. https://southerncoalition.org/resources/rapid-response-101/

      Good general advice on organizing, also a good resource to find groups near you that are likely aligned. https://www.fiftyfifty.one/organizer-resources

      Feel free to reach out for any other resources.

    • aislopmukbang@sh.itjust.works
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      3 hours ago

      To add to this, you may need to get new barrels for anything you intend to attach a suppressor to. They attach either to threaded or tri-lug barrels and depending on the weapon (usually semi-auto) and state, these may be illegal.

      Also, suppressors are NFA items and purchasing them will add your name to a federal registry.

      To be clear, active is not noise canceling, just has microphones that normalize and pass through sound so you can hear people talking for instance. Walkers is a good budget manufacturer. Can find a pair for $25-50. Usually a good idea to double up with cheap earplugs too.

      • Ancalagon@lemmy.world
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        3 hours ago

        Okay, DO NOT GET A SUPPRESSOR. It is not worth it in a prolonged firefight. You will just end up shooting a 1200 degree piece of metal of your weapon mid fight. It’s expensive and you would be better off getting sordins for hearing protection. If you do it at all you have to wait for it to cool down, so it’s annoying at the range. It isn’t worth it in the slightest.

    • rljkeimig@lemmy.world
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      4 hours ago

      Disagree on bonus points for shotgun. I know they’re simple and cheap, but operating a cheap pump action in high stress is not recommended and you’re guaranteed to short stroke it, plus recoil for new shooters is off-putting.

      Tax stamps for suppressors are now 0 dollars but they still need ATF approval, and suppressors are unfortunately, not as affordable as they could be, but new options are on the way that should help.

      • StinkyFingerItchyBum@lemmy.ca
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        2 hours ago

        but operating a cheap pump action in high stress is not recommended and you’re guaranteed to short stroke it, plus recoil for new shooters is off-putting.

        Enter the Beretta 1301 and similar. Lightweight, reliable and fast.

        • rljkeimig@lemmy.world
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          1 hour ago

          Bingo, I’ve got a Comp Pro model 😎 hard to sell for $1800 MSRP on the low end when you can get a crap import pump action for $400. The A300 Ultima Patrol is also very good and probably easier to swallow for most people at $800ish.

      • Jo Miran@lemmy.ml
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        3 hours ago

        I find shotguns very useful for home defense and I suspect they will become even more useful as the use of small drones becomes ubiquitous.

        • rljkeimig@lemmy.world
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          3 hours ago

          I agree, and I have one because I’ve used it a million times, but I still can’t recommend it to newbies. I also appreciate the application of tungsten shot against drones. I think “non-lethal” drone shooting would be a really fun sport to replace clays or real birds.

        • in_my_honest_opinion@piefed.social
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          3 hours ago

          With all the different shells, a shotgun is a very versatile platform, cheap to buy, simple to work and most common pumps not from Turkey are very reliable. Turkish shotguns can be hit or miss, but can be amazing if you’re willing to do your own gunsmithing and modifications.

        • aislopmukbang@sh.itjust.works
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          3 hours ago

          Someone flying a drone around me is not life and death. I can’t think of a scenario where shooting a drone is not escalating / more likely to get you killed

          • Glemek@lemmy.world
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            2 hours ago

            If you are at a point where you are shooting a gun in public and not at a range, shit is escalated to pretty much as high as it can it be on a personal level.

  • Triumph@fedia.io
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    4 hours ago

    This is good. But remember, it’ll take months of practice and carrying to feel comfortable with a firearm. Not expert, maybe not even very good, but only sufficiently competent.

    Start now if you think you might need to pull the trigger in a year.

  • RotatingParts@lemmy.ml
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    3 hours ago

    People in the US will always have guns. He need more good people to have them than bad people.

  • yesman@lemmy.world
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    2 hours ago

    It’s so sad to see people on the left swallow NRA mythology. All these gun owners are now safe from ICE, just like Alex Pretti.

    • freshcow@lemmy.world
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      14 minutes ago

      If it ever came to armed conflict, not having guns means you lose by default. Obviously having a gun does not make you invincible, and it’s a lazy strawman to imply that is what people are thinking.