For decades, the image of gun ownership in America was white, rural and Republican, but that’s been changing, according to gun clubs, trainers, Second Amendment advocates and academic researchers.

They say more liberals, people of color and LGBTQ folks have been buying guns for years and particularly since Trump’s reelection in 2024. This story was based on more than 30 interviews. David Phillips is on the training team of the Liberal Gun Club, which has chapters in more than 30 states and provides a haven for liberals to train and learn about guns. He says club membership has grown from 2,700 in November to 4,500 today. Requests for training, he says, have quintupled.

“The concern is about the supporters of the right-wing who feel that they have been given permission to run roughshod at least, if not commit outright violence against people they don’t like,” Phillips says.

  • Dion Starfire@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    17 hours ago

    Please do not count on 22LR for any sort of self defense purposes. It’s a great round for shooting paper targets and small critters, but against a human it has the stopping power of a letter opener. Sure, it might stop someone if you hit just the right spot, or pain might shock someone inexperienced into pausing long enough for you to run, but you don’t really want to be counting on either of those in a life or death scenario.

    • Gormadt@lemmy.blahaj.zone
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      12 hours ago

      Yeah the 22LR is for fun for me not for defense. The 5.56 and 30-06 are quite expensive per shot by comparison so they’re shot less for fun and more for making sure I’m still skilled with them.