Wonder if ammo shortage is causing decline in firearm sales?

Status
Not open for further replies.
vintovka

vintovka

Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2020
Messages
902
Wonder if ammo shortage is causing decline in firearm sales? Seeing very full pistol cases and racks of guns and sales seem really slow (if at all). Think empty ammo shelves are influencing buyers. May be inflation as well. Actually saw a sale ad locally for guns which i haven't seen in a long time. What do you think?
 
According to every news report that I see.....we have record firearm applications almost monthly! If this is happening.....it’s a very recent turn of events! memtb
 
It doesn't appear to be causing any decline in sales, but it certainly does impact availability. Many display cases and gun racks around my location in central MN look like the remnants of a garage sale... It took me almost 9 months to even find on line and be able to order a Savage left handed 20 ga slug gun. I was on over a dozen different email lists, and when one popped up, you had to move pretty quickly.
 
As mentioned gun sales on a pace to set an all time record in 2021. I am not seeing massive amounts of full gun cases here. We have a new Sheels and they have full gun cases but no one else seems to. And they seems to still be selling them at a great pace. If you see something you want and don't buy it you most likely won't get a second chance.
 
I believe manufacturers are neglecting certain types of guns so they can keep stock of the best sellers. Try to find a new Ruger Super Blackhawk in 44MAG. There is one or two here and there but plastic guns are everywhere. (DA Redhawks are more common too)
 
Last edited:
You can find guns easily, the trick is to find what YOU want. If I wanted a self defense gun it would take me about two hours to have it back at my home. But that means I would be buying what's available not necessarily what I want. Same with .22's. Heritage revolver's are everywhere, bit finding a TX22 or Ruger MK III would take a long time.
 
Last edited:
No, people are buying everything, guns, reloading equipment, just name it. The old gun club President sold his rifle primers at $5.00 a box of 100. He and I thought that was ridiculous, but they sold fast.

Firearms owners are not shooting their toys, or their ammunition. Attendance at the range is down.
 
I was at the Walmart outside of Bloomsberg Pa yesterday. They have a nice selection of guns. I almost bought a cammo 22 bolt rifle for 135.00. But resisted because im saving for a vehicle. No ammo on the shelves. And no Remingtons.
 
Terry G said:
You can find guns easily, the trick is to find what YOU want. If I wanted a self defense gun it would take me about two hours to have it back at my home. But that means I would be buying what's available not necessarily what I want. Same with .22's. Heritage revolver's are everywhere, bit finding a TX22 or Ruger MK III would take a long time.
Click to expand...
Well, Heritage's bread and butter is their .22 revolvers, they aren't going to stop making them to focus on something else cuz that's 90% of what they make. The bigger companies tho, Ruger, S&W, Taurus... they're cranking out the semi autos as fast as they can in 9mm because that seems to be the only ammo available.

Definitely going to be a while before Ruger and Taurus revolvers become more available.
 
I think it's the opposite. The increase in gun sales is contributing to an ammo shortage(as well as covid related disruptions)
 
I’m in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and several gun shops near me are very well stocked and people are buying. By Sunday they typically look pretty thin, but they seem to be restocking quickly and regularly.
 
My local walmart got three pallets by mistake destined for several stores of 3006. The shelfs are all full but only of Rem 3006
 
Went back to local LGS today. Every long gun rack and every pistol case is still full. They did have .45 ACP (20 for $26), SKS (20 for $9) and some shotshells. Also no customers at counter but me.
 
Things might have slowed, relatively speaking, but probably still on track to break records.

Also, with increased production, supply might have caught up to demand slightly better than before.

As others said, it could be the streamlined catalogue could make it appear like there is more stock.

But if things slowed, I bet it's buyer fatigue. New gun owners exist, but they may not make up the majority of panic buying. I would gander that new gun owners only bought one gun, maybe two. Or Ole Uncle Elmer decided to finally buy his AR after only owning a birdgun over the years. Enough to temporarily blip the stats, not drive them.

True panic buying will hit a saturation point sorta. How many gun nuts out there were buying a gun a month, or week, or multiple? At some point, people will be content with their panic purchase until it's time to panic again.
 
JeeperCreeper said:
Things might have slowed, relatively speaking, but probably still on track to break records.

But if things slowed, I bet it's buyer fatigue. New gun owners exist, but they may not make up the majority of panic buying. I would gander that new gun owners only bought one gun, maybe two. Or Ole Uncle Elmer decided to finally buy his AR after only owning a birdgun over the years. Enough to temporarily blip the stats, not drive them.

True panic buying will hit a saturation point sorta. How many gun nuts out there were buying a gun a month, or week, or multiple? At some point, people will be content with their panic purchase until it's time to panic again.
Click to expand...
I think people are just sick of paying 60 cents a round for any ammo that's not .22 LR. They're not going to go and buy a new or different gun that's going to cost them $40 for a box of ammo, not when the pandemic is over and there are no riots.

You're right in at some point people will be content, I've been buying guns the past 7 years and just last year I finally decided to start selling some and I'm looking to sell a few more this year as I just don't have the interest in them I once had. That aside, would I really like to get an RDB ASAP? Yes, but not for $1400, I'll wait for the prices to go down below a grand, I'm not panicking, I can make do without it and if there's a ban or they're locked behind the NFA in the future, NBD, I can live without one.

Where I was 7+ years ago tho, where all I had was a .22 rifle... that's who decided it was time to get more. The sad thing was it took Uncle Elmer to see LA style riots in his hometown before he decided to go buy that AR-15. I know over time people grow out of touch and still think it's the 60s, 70s, or 80s, but it's a surprise to see how many couldn't see a Communist Revolution coming before it was actually happening.

Seeing is believing, I guess.
 
It's causing a decline where I work. I have people all of the time walking out of the store without a gun since there isn't anything to feed it with. Makes for a pretty sorry paycheck, too.
 
JCooperfan1911 said:
NO it’s not.

The reason ammo IS so hard to find is the millions of new buyers with new guns who need ammo.
Click to expand...

Yes, as well as a combination of current gun owners stocking up due to uncertainty of current events and possible upcoming legislation, and supply chain interruptions due to covid. It's a perfect storm.
 
shafter said:
It's a perfect storm.
Click to expand...
Exactly, a perfect storm. Just looking at the numbers on NICS checks guns are selling and selling well. I am not in an area well surrounded by guns but I can say in most of my local gun stores the shelves are bare. I was in a friends shop a few weeks ago and a gent came in selling a really nice S&W Model 15-3 with original box. My buddy bought it and as the seller left I nailed my buddy for a price. I left with it at what I felt was a decent price of $500. We had a good laugh over it as he had yet to even get the gun on his book. You snooze, you lose. Fortunately ammunition is not a problem, I just load more. :) Before I forget, I am in the SE Cleveland, Ohio suburbs. I am getting emails for really overpriced ammunition I have no use for. I collect the Colt Series 70 guns and would like to find a nice one in 9mm, I have a 38 Super and a dozen 45 ACP but would love to find 9mm. :)

Ron
 
Previous post reminded me of when i worked in CA years ago. Most of time stuff did not make it into store before being sold. One more than one occasion a seller and buyer did show up at the store to transfer one or more items . Sometimes it was a "substantial" number requiring a cart. On hearing transfer costs (and other restrictions) they almost always uttered some profanities and promptly left. It was assumed they went elsewhere to conclude business in a manner that would not affect sales numbers. Makes you wonder if this practice continues today on a greater scale affecting reported sales.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

x_wrench
  • Locked
is the ammo "shortage" slowing firearm sales?
2
Replies
26
Views
1K
jim243
J
J
  • Locked
Ammo question
Replies
11
Views
926
TexasRifleman
T
hso
  • Locked
Gun sales finally begin to decline a little
2 3
Replies
55
Views
3K
Phaedrus/69
Phaedrus/69
hso
  • Locked
Interesting that Newsweek would publish an article on the ammo shortage
Replies
21
Views
1K
MAKster
M
V
  • Locked
Ammo shortage over, mostly, for me at least
2
Replies
26
Views
2K
justice06rr
J
Back
Top