Local gun sales on the rise

The murder of a well known local rancher has sparked an increase in gun and ammunition sales at a local gun store.

Lynn Kartchner, general manager for Allsafe Security on 11th St. said gun sales are up 20 percent at his store since the unfortunate death of Rob Krentz who was murdered last week at his ranch 25 miles north of Douglas by an alleged illegal alien.

Allsafe Security is open Tuesday through Saturday. Kartchner said when he opened his store at 10 A.M. Tuesday there were several “cowboy cadillac’s” as he calls them lined up outside waiting to do business with him.

“The first two hours we were open I sold four small handguns ranchers bought for their wives,” he said. “We’ve been selling about two or three a day ever sense.”

When the Douglas Dispatch showed up at Allsafe to do this story the store was packed with people purchasing guns and ammunition.

Most of the guns being sold are the small compact types – 38’s and 357’s, Kartcher said.

“We’ve been selling a lot of the concealed type of guns,” he said. “Most of these people who have been buying guns have told me if these people will shoot Rob they will shoot anybody.”

Krentz was not only a regular customer at Allsafe Security but also a very good friend to Kartchner and his partner Bill Wendt.

“I’ve known Rob for many years,” Kartchner said. “His brother Phil shoots with us almost every weekend. Bill and I both hunted on their ranch last season and got us a nice deer. He was a great host.”

Kartcher feels this murder was a case of “payback” for the 290-pounds of pot that was confiscated the day before in almost the same area where Krentz was murdered.

“Rob was a good man,” Kartchner said. “He was always lending a helping hand to illegal’s. … He was probably the most even tempered person in that valley out there.”

Kitchener said the new gun law that’s also about to go into effect has also made an impact and it’s hard at times for him to keep enough ammo in stock.

“I sell it just about as fast as I get it,” he said. “President Obama scared everybody with his stance on personal fire arms. People have been hoarding ammunition for six to eight months now.”

Kartchner says he has seen a change in peoples attitudes towards illegal aliens.

“In the past I knew people that would stop and try to help them,” he said. “Not any more. … Now they just want to stay away from them.”

Kartchner feels a lot of the ranchers along the border are tired of getting threatened, broken into and now killed and they are going to find ways to protect themselves if the government won’t step up and do it.

“I’m seeing a crystalization for a pure hatred for the uncontrolled trampling that’s been going on through that valley by illegal aliens armed with drugs,” he said. “There’s no excuse for that. We pay to be protected and it’s not because we can’t protect ourselves. We’re trying to be nice about it. It’s time to stop being nice.”