Why the surge in Sharps rifles?

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coondogger

coondogger

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This makes no sense. Am I to believe that any of the 8.9 million people who have bought their first firearm this past year shelled out a couple thousand dollars for a single shot replica firing cartridges the size of a small asteroid?

Nor do I believe that the paranoia that drives the lion's share of the panic buying of AR-15s, steamer trunks of ammo, shotguns, and handguns, has finally spread into the single shot replica market.

I do not.

I ain't laughing but there's something funny going on here.
 
Nuttin' funny at all. Just folks with a fair amount of expendable income(and/or stimulus checks) and a fascination with historical firearms. No different than the new craze with Mare's legs. Like with the increase in handgun hunting, there's also an increased interest in hunting with historical firearms and the calibers they are chambered in. With the increase in deer populations and the increase in opportunities to take multiple deer, some folks consider using weapons that increase the challenge of the hunt as opposed to the ease of using a modern weapon.
 
I have nothing to say about the sharps specifically but single shots seem hotter when ammo supply wanes. Ammo has waned a whole bunch lately. It’s even hit me a bit as I have doubled my contender collection in both frames and barrels, and I am finally getting ready to submit a form 1 to SBR the stainless frame. Folks I know seem more interested in bolt action and single shot rifles because the fun of a box of ammo lasts longer. A few of those guys are really asking questions about reloading as well.
 
Robert said:
What are you talking about?
Click to expand...

I think what he is talking about is the disappearance of firearms in every segment from air rifles and muzzle loaders through ARs. It is kinda weird you have to admit. Even reloading equipment is on a 9 month backorder! I can see the handguns and defense shotguns but muzzleloaders! Shelves are stripped bare of everything locally. But, lately I have seen some restocking, smatterings of ammo and yesterday, low and behold one of the 1911 that is on my list (so I bought it).

The only thing I can think of is people are bored at home, still have disposable income and are filling out their want lists in addition to the 10 million new handgun/shotgun owners, Covid disruption in factories/plants and supply disruptions due to Covid and now a snowstorm and the bankruptcy of Remington leaving a hole in the lever gun market the size of a .50 caliber and all of the shotguns and rifles and ammunition they manufactured, gone, yeah, it is weird.

Either the manufacturers producing Sharps rifles have been caught in Covid Limbo or there are a bunch of new owners of single shot rifles. I did add a single shot, but it is an inexpensive CVA .44 Magnum and two CVA muzzle loaders on deep discount.

And, I tell you, I think the AR, tacti-cool popularity is peaking. I think it was at a peak pre-pandemic but the fire was reignited by the specter of "zombies" and bans and imaginations of evil things running wild in people's noggins. Lever guns and single shots may well see a jump and hopefully Ruger will be true to their word and have Marlins rolling out later 2021.
 
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I’d guess it’s the double edged sword of
1) increased demand for all guns. Not everyone likes ARs and other modern designs.
2) manufacturering is slowed down due to supply chain problems for raw materials.
 
Pretty sure there’s always been a wait list for a Shiloh Sharps. Nothing new. But I do imagine they’ve seen an uptick of orders too... some people react to the thought of a ban by buying all the stuff that’s likely to be restricted. Others decide to prepare now by buying what is least likely to be restricted... before everyone else grabs it. End result: everything that goes bang gets real popular.
 
Mosin77 said:
Pretty sure there’s always been a wait list for a Shiloh Sharps. Nothing new.
Click to expand...
That is intentional. If you have a manufacturing base that can crank out 200 guns a day and employ 200 people then you become known as a small maker with attention to detail, and the guns are scarce because they are awesome and if you want one you just pay the asking price and get in line. It’s really no different than having 1000 employees popping out 1000 guns a day but because the guns are more readily available and more common in the market you lose that mystique and it’s no longer seen as a limited, small scale, high end product. When supply is kept low and demand stays strong the profit per unit is high. Yes more money could probably be made in mass production, but with that comes costs associated with quality, supply chain, liability... And expansion has monetary cost which is risk that people don’t want to take right now.
 
3Crows said:
I think what he is talking about is the disappearance of firearms in every segment from air rifles and muzzle loaders through ARs. It is kinda weird you have to admit. Even reloading equipment is on a 9 month backorder! I can see the handguns and defense shotguns but muzzleloaders! Shelves are stripped bare of everything locally. But, lately I have seen some restocking, smatterings of ammo and yesterday, low and behold one of the 1911 that is on my list (so I bought it).

The only thing I can think of is people are bored at home, still have disposable income and are filling out their want lists in addition to the 10 million new handgun/shotgun owners, Covid disruption in factories/plants and supply disruptions due to Covid and now a snowstorm and the bankruptcy of Remington leaving a hole in the lever gun market the size of a .50 caliber and all of the shotguns and rifles and ammunition they manufactured, gone, yeah, it is weird.

Either the manufacturers producing Sharps rifles have been caught in Covid Limbo or there are a bunch of new owners of single shot rifles. I did add a single shot, but it is an inexpensive CVA .44 Magnum and two CVA muzzle loaders on deep discount.

And, I tell you, I think the AR, tacti-cool popularity is peaking. I think it was at a peak pre-pandemic but the fire was reignited by the specter of "zombies" and bans and imaginations of evil things running wild in people's noggins. Lever guns and single shots may well see a jump and hopefully Ruger will be true to their word and have Marlins rolling out later 2021.
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Right, but high end Sharps rifles, Shiloh, C Sharps and the like, have always had big wait times. I'm not sure about the Italian reproductions, but I know the US made Sharps rifles have always been a long wait.
 
Robert said:
Right, but high end Sharps rifles, Shiloh, C Sharps and the like, have always had big wait times. I'm not sure about the Italian reproductions, but I know the US made Sharps rifles have always been a long wait.
Click to expand...
I waited two years for my Shiloh Sharps. Of course that was back in the '90s, not long after "Quigley Down Under" came out. If there's a run on Sharps rifles nowadays (and I'm not at all sure there is), maybe it's because "Grit" TV has been re-running Quigley at least once a week lately.;)
 
My .02$ about a rise in Sharps or similar rifle sales is that a segment of the market has moved from the 'need' to 'want' category.

As an aside on the general supply problem, this week my friend Bob and I are teaming up to interest another friend (newly-retired LEO) to begin reloading. Our friend mainly shoots 9x19 and .40 S&W and already has a quantity of fired brass; I'm donating a starter supply of powder and primers because I stocked up on them during the Trump years and they still can't be bought locally, but neither I nor my buddy Bob have suitable bullets to spare. Bob did a quick round of the local suppliers and stumbled onto a just-delivered supply of Berry's plated bullets in 9mm and .40. He called his friend, who decided to visit the store himself rather than have Bob purchase them for him. As you could probably guess, all the new bullets were sold out within the half-hour. With that kind of demand, supply doesn't have much of a chance yet.

Speaking for myself, I'm still acquiring rifles across a fairly broad range of categories (when availability and funds permit). FWIW my most recent two purchases were 150-year-old Swedish Rolling Block rifles. I bought 'em partly because they were cool, available and relatively cheap, but like the various Sharps they are old single shot designs using weird ammo (8x58Rd).

CarlGustavRB.jpg
 
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Stan Rosen said:
I thought it was just that Netflix has been showing Quigley Down Under for the last couple of months.
Click to expand...

.308 Norma said:
I waited two years for my Shiloh Sharps. Of course that was back in the '90s, not long after "Quigley Down Under" came out. If there's a run on Sharps rifles nowadays (and I'm not at all sure there is), maybe it's because "Grit" TV has been re-running Quigley at least once a week lately.;)
Click to expand...

This.

If one is privy to Shiloh Rifle company books there is probably a "QDU" line item on their marketing ledger.

Communication within Shiloh Rifle Company

Inventory Manager: Boss we are stacked deep back here, no more room to put any inventory
Marketing Manager: Free up some funds in the QDU account and I'll make a call to GritTV
President/CEO: Make the call
President/CEO: This inventory hickup will be cleared up in a matter of weeks

Few weeks later...

Shipping Manager: We need more staff
 
Even imported repros of Sharps easily approach or surpass $2K.

I’m guessing the average guy that wants one does some deep soul searching at that price point before they’re able to commit.

Now, all of a sudden a couple of unexpected stimulus checks show up in the mail and that soul searching probably becomes shallower and the commitment to purchase easier.

That’s my theory and I’m sticking to it....for now.
 
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