Monday’s Lobby Day protest in Richmond, Virginia, should mark a high point in the gun rights debate. It is, at least to my recollection, the single largest gun-rights rally ever. If there was a larger one–not counting the American Revolution–I’d be delighted to know about it.

My point, though, is that 22,000 people showed up to let the governor of Virginia and legislature know that they weren’t interested in gun control.

However, those same lawmakers have made it clear that they don’t care what those 22,000 people had to say.

Which is fine, I suppose, because gun owners in the state are digging in. They’re also buying a whole lot of ammo.

An online ammunition shop has noticed an upsurge in ammunition sales in Virginia recently.

AmmunitionToGo.com, an online ammunition retailer based in Houston, Texas, reports that they have seen a massive upsurge in their online traffic and sales in Virginia.

The company says that the number of Virginians accessing their website in 2020 has increased by 137 percent as compared to this time period in 2019.

“I doubt that any other businesses are affected as much by politics as firearm and ammunition manufacturers and retailers,” said Brandon Black of AmmunitionToGo.com. “We’re now seeing a massive number of Virginia shooters stocking up on ammunition in anticipation of new laws that they believe will make it harder to purchase rounds legally.”

The company released its sales from 2019 to 2020 for January 1 through January 20:

• Arlington – 339%
• Ashburn – Up 42%
• Charlottesville – 278%
• Fredericksburg – 161%
• Newport News – 102%
• Norfolk – 113%
• Richmond – 80%
• Roanoke – 155%
• Suffolk – 76%
• Virginia Beach – 207%

The company notes that Virginia was one of the top 20 states, but has since soared to being one of the top five states for its sales.

I’m pretty sure you’ll see a similar pattern elsewhere, and I can only imagine how ammo is flying off the physical shelves there in the Old Dominion state.

So what gives?

Well, some will automatically assume that Virginian gun owners are preparing for the Boogaloo and are getting enough ammo to take on the state and potentially federal governments. I’m not going to dispute that as a potential contributing factor, either. After all, Boogaloo supply lines seem to be a non-existent factor in most discussions about resisting tyranny, so it makes sense that people will make sure they have their own.

However, there’s a far more mundane possibility, too.

Right now, the legislature is going whole-hog on the idea of gun control. While there may not be any measure seeking to restrict ammunition access, no one is interested in ruling that possibility out, either. We’ve seen ammunition restrictions pass in states like California and become a logistical nightmare. People can’t buy ammo because of computer glitches, for crying out loud.

So, they’re stocking up now so they won’t be stuck without ammo should such a law end up being passed.

Plus, you also have a lot of people buying guns, many for the first time. Guess what they’re going to need? That’s right, ammo.

In other words, while there’s a potentiality that this represents people getting ready for the Boogaloo, it more likely has far more mundane origins. People are worried, and they’re not interested in going without ammunition because of idiot lawmakers.