You can maybe argue about low chances of finding "mass" sources of firearms, BUT the US has around 1 gun per person today (300+ million), so lets say that the Zombie Apoc drastically reduces the population of the US to perhaps somewhere sub 1 million, so now you have these 1 million survivors or less running around with 300 million firearms to be found and used. Obviously most of these 300 million will be small guns, handguns for example or hunting rifles but there are still loads of automatic weapons around, even if its say 25 automatic rifles per 1 survivor that's still plenty.
Eh, finding "mass" sources of firearms is all my argument was about. I'm not denying the existence of the number of guns in America; I am only suggesting that the larger stashes would have already been looted. At this point in the series' timeline, I would think the best bet would be to go door to do checking closets and nooks for the individual hoarder or for family guns still propped against the mattress next to the bodies of those that could no longer cope. Sporting goods stores, Walmart, military salvage and surplus depots, police and local military installations would most likely be ransacked on day one by staffed personnel and/or locals with the foresight to seek them out.
I believe those numbers would have been thinned out, scattered, and carried off by whoever could carry whatever they could. A few people could load a few in shoulder bags and move on. Sooner or later though, that group will thin. The remaining survivors can only carry so many while on the run, assuming their home or fortification was infiltrated. A few guns would inevitably get left behind during each encounter. And so on and on, until there is no one left. In that scenario, you might find a few guns here. Then 2 more there. Oh, a body a mile away has two more on him...
Then there are groups that are actively seeking these weapons like Rick's group, the Saviors, the Hilltop crew, and the new Yoda Mutes. Competition is pretty high, especially considering Negan's form of motivation. In the case of Rick and Michonne traveling well beyond
their territory and stumbling upon more weapons, I just find it odd to assume that there aren't other groups unknown to us in that new area that aren't already doing the same thing. Or that they are unaware of their own local stash potentials.
"Hey. 'member ole' Jimbo on the hill? Yeah, I herd stories he dun thawt Ruskies were gunna en-vade. He set 'emself up with a bunker! Right thar' in 'is own back yard! I bet anything we gone' fine sum guns thar! Les' GET, boys!!!" It's ok. I'm from Alabama.
which, oddly enough, reminds me of a joke:
*eh-hem*
C M ducks?
M R not ducks!
O S A R ducks!!!
...
L I B...
M R ducks.
thank you thank you. I'll be here all week.
(see. the trick there is to read it out loud, literally. In a slow and southern accent.)
Hey. It's a television show. I'm arguing silly things. But it is these type of things that can get under my skin when the show is a good idea, yet these details are seemingly not considered. Maybe they were and it wasn't worth the effort. Cool. In and of itself, this isn't really a big deal at all. I think it's this compounded with other knit-picky little details over time that weigh it down. At least for me.
YMMV.
hugs all the same.