Are gun sales really dramatically on the rise?

[chrisb507]

Saw this article about the recent and overall trends in gun sales. I think, in an attempt to be balanced, the author mentions both "anti-gun nuts" and "the potentially chilling case that growing numbers of citizens are bearing arms."

http://www.slate.com/id/2204592/pagenum/all/​

This year's uptick in buyers must reflect some new gun owners, but if past surveys are a good guide, surely most of these buyers are repeat buyers. This means that the well-armed are probably getting better-armed—a point none of the recent news stories makes.​

 

[Highland Ranger]

Number I heard on Fox News was a 10% increase in NICS checks . . . . which doesn't seem like lot unless you consider that everyone is buying just a certain type of firearm to the exclusion of others.

Maybe that is making it seem like more than it is . . . . at the same time I have first hand experience of local gun stores that are wiped out and taking names for whatever AR's come with the understanding that you might be looking at next years Christmas present and not this years.

I also watched Davidson's stock of .223's go from hundreds before the election to ZERO after the election.

 

[edSky]

I, too, was watching Davidson's, and their stock dropped much more than that. Just one line, the Daly Defence .223's went from over 100 to 0 overnight. There were hundreds more, believe me. The same is true of internetguncatalog.com and bud's gunshop.

 

[No Fear]

Most buyers in the current "spike" in purchases already own at least one gun. EBRs are still available.

 

[Aimpoint 223]

Speaking of scare tactic marketing strategy!!

 

[Phil DeGraves]

Here in NH, the gun stores are doing record business; repeat buyers and first timers.

 

[camslam]

I'm quite sure the majority of guns being purchased is by current gun owners.

That being said, I have a brother-in-law that bought his first gun last week, and a cousin that bought his first just over a month ago.

When you factor in the rise in background checks, the overall rise in gun sales, and the increase in people getting concealed weapons permits, there has to be an increase in overall gun owners, including new owners.

 

[Rshooter]

I talked to a maker of EBR's yesterday as I was going to make a rifle for nephew who is shipping out for the USMC. They had 50,000 receivers in stock on Wednesday and are now 100,000 back ordered. Somebody's buying all of those guns and receivers.

 

[5knives]

An awful lot of the cars outside the shops and at last weekends gun show were wearing Obama stickers.

Makes me suspect new buyers, hard to believe that many firearms enthusists were Obama supporters, especially as in this county McCain beat Obama by way over 2 to 1 at the polls. Plus the NRA ran a ton of ads pointing out his anti-gun history and stated plans.

Most of the transactions I observed were women buying handguns,with and without S.O. to advise, but there were only 3 EBR's for sale at the show (one dealer, starting at $1200) and none in the shops. All the rest sold out. First day of the show, PM.

Interesting as "The Rifle" to own out here is a .300 Win. Mag, most prefer a 22-250 for varmints over the .223's. 7mm Mag comes in at no. 3. 5,56 is pretty far down the list.

Interesting.

Regards,

 

[mbt2001]

My mom bought her first gun, my dad owns a lot, but my mom went out and bought one on her own. My wife's sister bought her first gun 2 weeks ago.

I was at academy a few minutes ago and 2 people were buying guns. Revolvers actually, so it isn't an Assualt weapons or High Cap thing. During a work Friday, seems pretty obvious they are selling more guns.

Just FYI, I have an FFL I work with. I rarely go to Academy or other retailers to buy a gun. So, if all of you are anything like me and the gunstores are running out, then noobs must also be buying guns.

 

[chrisb507]

I wonder if this surge will continue long enough to reverse the overall trend noted in the article: "[D]ata compiled by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. NORC found that gun ownership in the United States has been falling since 1977 (PDF, Page 11), when 54 percent of households reported owning a gun, compared with 34.5 percent in 2006."

 

[No Fear]

I talked to a maker of EBR's yesterday ... They had 50,000 receivers in stock on Wednesday and are now 100,000 back ordered. Somebody's buying all of those guns and receivers.

I have a tough time believing that you were given accurate information. It's physically impossible to answer the phone that fast. The source is not reliable since they financially benefit from EXPANDING the perception of a mass panic. I would believe that they had 50,000 receivers, and most are on their way to a shipping box and that they are probably 10,000 back ordered in long term FULL REPLENISHMENT orders to distributors as they crank out several hundred receivers a day.

 

[Highland Ranger]

key word there is "reported" you're better off looking at sales numbers

 

[Slotback]

Well at my local gun stores, the owners are reporting it as an early Christmas.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

This year's uptick in buyers must reflect some new gun owners, but if past surveys are a good guide, surely most of these buyers are repeat buyers. This means that the well-armed are probably getting better-armed—a point none of the recent news stories makes.

I think that's pretty much true.... EXCEPT for budding young "gun nuts" and recent converts. There's gonna be SOME new buyers who happen to be getting "into" gun at just about the same time, coincidentally, as the Obaminator takes over. The young men (& women) in late teens and 20s who otherwise already have a mild budding interest are gonna have that interest piqued and be prompted to buy - also the recent "converts".