We’ve written a number of posts about the high volume of sales taking place at gun stores throughout the country. While new gun buyers are swarming to pick up new firearms, others are stocking up on ammunition. Those are often the people with plenty of guns, but never quite enough ammo.

In Florida, it seems that many gun stores are starting to ration how much people can buy at one time.

First, toilet paper ran out. Now, bullets are being rationed in Florida.

Some firearms retailers are placing restrictions on the amount of ammunition people can buy as coronavirus-fueled gun sales surge in the “Gunshine State,” where more than 2 million residents have state-issued concealed weapons licenses.

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Online ammunition retailer Ammo.com said it has experienced a dramatic spike in business since February. Ammo.com’s Florida sales were up 235 percent, it said, with sales of 9 mm ammunition up by 315 percent, 223-caliber rounds for rifles up by 368 percent and 5.56×45 rifle rounds up by 413 percent.

Some local gun stores have been tending to customers in long lines, imposing restrictions on items such as ammunition, raising concerns about the robust economic activity amid social distancing and other shutdowns.

Now, it’s likely that news of this rationing will spread, but it’s important to understand a few things.

First, these are the stores that are rationing ammunition, not the government. They’re trying to keep anyone from hoarding ammo so they can sell to as many of their customers as possible. While I’m not saying this is a good idea, it’s important to understand who is doing this and why.

This is not the government rationing anything, though, and I fear some will think it is. That’s kind of the last thing we need right now. Between the tense political climate and the tense environment created by Covid-19, it wouldn’t take much to spark outright violence. No one needs that. We’ve got enough problems as it is.

That said, I understand why stores are doing this. I just don’t know that it’s a particularly smart strategy. It’s probably smarter than jacking up the price of ammunition to discourage hoarding, though. Last week, many people were furious with Cheaper Than Dirt for doing just that and probably for the same reason. Rationing at least has a bit more of a “fair” feeling to it under the circumstances.

At least with stores rationing, you can always go to another store and pick up what they have as well. You can also, in theory, come back the next day and buy more.

Just so long as the government stays out of it. There’s absolutely no advantage to the government doing anything regarding gun stores except, maybe, declaring them essential businesses and leaving them the hell alone. Anything other than that will be a massive problem and just make an already tense situation even worse.

Again, that’s the last thing anyone needs right now. We’ve got plenty of other problems, we don’t need something like this dropped in our laps as well.