was this true during 'rodney king' riots?

[ldivinag]

i read in a post in warrifles.com, that when the riots broke out, the government ordered the gun shops to either close down or stop selling ammo?


true?

[jdberger]

It did happen during the '68 riots. Maybe more of a 'recommendation'. Don't know about the King riots, though.

[jc_stecker]

I've been wondering about this since I was a kid. I remember seeing a lot of pawn shops on Vermont being broken into; people walking out with televisions and jewelry but I don't recall anyone walking out with a gun.

[maurice05]

i dont think so i remember western surplus being broken into but the owner was kinda shady and also helped most of hs own stuff disappear he worked a nomal business day the store on western never did open back up

[1911 in 916]

Maybe because the gun store owner were at the stores ready to shoot. Most guns shops have bars or roll up doors here. I remember seeing people posted 24/7 at their business ready for shoot. Usually 3-6 guys at any even time.

[big jon]

Can`t rember what shop was plundered but I know at least one was, B&B or Bronells?
It was the Korean liquor stores that were ready to shoot it out

[DesertDawg]

None of the stores that sold guns were ordered to close, but Western Surplus and a couple of pawn shops in south/central were raided/looted. Most of the other gun stores moved their guns/ammo to safer places on the first night of the riot, before the actual looting started. A large pawn shop in the Wilshire district was fire-bombed while the employees were inside, and there was a shoot-out, but no one was injured and no guns were taken.

A large pawn shop in Wilmington had an attempted break-in while the owner/employees were armed and standing in front of the place! A group of thugs crashed a stolen vehicle into the brick wall on the side of the building, but the building had recently undergone earthquake retro-fitting. The car just crashed without going through the wall, and burnt.

Gun sales were brisk in the suburban towns! There were a lot of angry gun "hopefuls" that weren't aware of the 10-day waiting period, though. I personally know of at least one "hopeful" that tried to give a $2,000 bribe to the manager of a Turner's, if he were to "overlook" the 10-day waiting period! That customer had paid for a Ruger 10/22 rifle, and was willing to pay an extra $2,000 for it if he could take it home with him that night!

In 1965, the manager of the Sears-Roebuck store in the Wilshire district "donated" all of the stores rifles, shotguns and ammo to the LAPD. "Better that they're in the hands of the police, rather than the looters!"

[tenpercentfirearms]

If Taft ever riots, you will probably see an unpresedented group of rednecks around my gun shop with all sorts of weaponry. My partner has a loyal following of family (I never knew he had so many neices and nephews, everyone calls him Uncle Dean) and they would all love to come stand around our compound (the shop and the recycling center) with guns with the odd chance they get to shoot a looter. Seriously the thought makes me laugh.

[Fjold]

If Taft ever riots, you will probably see an unpresedented group of rednecks around my gun shop with all sorts of weaponry. My partner has a loyal following of family (I never knew he had so many neices and nephews, everyone calls him Uncle Dean) and they would all love to come stand around our compound (the shop and the recycling center) with guns with the odd chance they get to shoot a looter. Seriously the thought makes me laugh.

That's funny,

When I was working in Brazil, all the Ex-Pats had nieces there and some of them had two or three of them.

[WokMaster1]

Off the subject.

In such a case in my hood, I've been relegated to cooking duties as most of my neighbors are better armed than me. And I thought I was well armed..... It's funny how you don't know your neighbors until you see them at Richmond with their WAR WAGONS. Hi, you look familiar!!

[VeryCoolCat]

If Taft ever riots, you will probably see an unpresedented group of rednecks around my gun shop with all sorts of weaponry. My partner has a loyal following of family (I never knew he had so many neices and nephews, everyone calls him Uncle Dean) and they would all love to come stand around our compound (the shop and the recycling center) with guns with the odd chance they get to shoot a looter. Seriously the thought makes me laugh.

So.... who will be the one bringing the banjo?

[Neil McCauley]

So.... who will be the one bringing the banjo?

Sounds like an incestual proposal.

[ibanezfoo]

i read in a post in warrifles.com, that when the riots broke out, the government ordered the gun shops to either close down or stop selling ammo?


true?

I heard the same thing... I had a friend in the National Guard that was there. He told me some interesting stuff that went down...................

-Bryan

[Cazach]

I seem to recall something like that in the city of LA., but elsewhere it was business as usual.

[peter455]

Wow! How young are you guys???


When the riots broke out Mayor Bradley ordered all ammo sales to stop. Then he sent out LAPD officers to stores and had clerks arrested who either were unaware of the "order" or were ignoring it.

Yes, while rioters were looting, burning, and assaulting the residents of the city of Los Angeles, LAPD goons were arresting gun store clerks.

A couple of guys from B&B, and Gun World were arrested and had to be bailed out. Gun World quickly moved their ammo sales to their West Hollywood store (Brass Rail) but L A County followed L A City a day or so later and all ammo sales were ordered to stop in all of L A County as well.

I ended up lending out a few guns, and giving away a lot of ammo to friends who were not quite so prepared.