According to RCMP numbers, there were 12,000 in dealer inventory when the rumours started flying — and as we all saw, dealer inventory was quickly depleted — as were the replenishment orders that many dealers were issuing almost daily. That it amounted to 20,000 new AR’s in the country brings a smile to my heart. And for what it’s worth, on every trip I’ve made to a shooting range for the last few weeks, I’ve witnessed multiple people spending time with their first-ever AR — including more than a few grey-haired guys who just smiled like they were kids. As one old duck hunter wryly explained, “My owning this newfangled shooting iron should make it pretty clear to Ottawa just how long a march it will be to confiscate my shotguns.” God bless that man and all like him. We’re in this together guys!