I missed this story in the Times-Dispatch early in the week. The title is a bit inflammatory - ‘Modern survivalists’ dig in for disaster - but the text is pretty good and explains why a lot of people are building up their margins and buying guns.

A Texas gun store owner is quoted as saying:

You have the everyday good ol' boy Texas gun owner. You have the folks that are coming in and saying, 'I've lost my job and my neighbor lost their job' and they really believe they might have to fight over a bucket of carrots or something. And you have the guys who are first-time gun buyers and they don't really know why. It is Main Street. It is crazy.

I'd put myself about 80% of the way along toward three, from two. I like the term "preppers" that the writer uses to describe those who are preparing for the worst.