Panic buying - good for guns?

In my opinion more legal gun owners is always a good thing, for lots of reasons. The only negative is waiting for arms and ammo manufactures to spin up production. It will happen though, the market abhors a vacuum.

The panic is over. The current level of interest is the result of people realizing during the panic that they were not prepared.

It's all good.

I follow your line of thinking.

more guns = more money.

more money = profits

profits = fat wallets, but also some investment in R&D

perhaps even investment in cost-cutting equipment, materials, etc...

now if i could just get my hands on some doggone 9mm or .223!!!!

In the long run it'll be a good thing. More gun owners means more people who understand firearms and part of them will vote with guns in mind. The pro gun crowd has gotten mobilized and there are more of us now than ever.

It is also good because gun stores have gotten a huge influx in business and the NRA has gotten tons of donations. The NRA can use their influence and the money they've gotten out of all this in order to protect us from legislation against guns.

Hopefully they won't have to worry about cost cutting as much and can start investing back into the business. I guess its good for them if they don't flood the market so it keeps the shortage going. Until the prices on bidding sites come down to where its not worth it I don't see the panic calming for a while.

I agree that more gun owners is a good thing. I've been giving CCW classes every week end for 4 weeks. New owners are both interested and responsible.

I am VERY DAMNED TIRED of the characterization of people who suddenly decide that they need a gun or ammunition as "panicking".

"Panic" is generally defined as an irrational, unthinking fear state which leads to inaccurate and damaging decision-making.

I ask you: WHAT is wrong with a person's sudden realization that he (or she) NEEDS something which he lacks? This sudden realization is not "panic"... it may be an indicator of poor thinking prior to the time of crisis or danger, but it's not "panic".

The abrupt intrusion of dangerous reality into one's daily life, and the subsequent decision to "DO SOMETHING", is simply a belated appreciation of the fact that one's personal situation needs adjustment immediately.

Lousy preparation, and the steps taken to correct or at least minimize the problem, do not constitute irrational or unthinking FEAR. Rather, they are simply the reaction to a perceived problem.

It's a good thing, seeing that so many of our countrymen have had this sudden epiphany which is leading them to arm themselves. The effect on the firearm/ammunition markets is unfortunate, but it will pass.....and there are now MANY more Americans with rifles etc than there were, not all that long ago.

also a great time to buy virtually unfired "used guns" at a bargain price.

I am VERY DAMNED TIRED of the characterization of people who suddenly decide that they need a gun or ammunition as "panicking".

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I agree that deciding that you need a gun or more ammunition is not panicking.
However, paying $80 for a 525 pack of .22 lr or $3,500 for a $800 AR, thinking that all of a sudden the President is going to take them all away is panicking. It is the perfect example of this statement you made.

"Panic" is generally defined as an irrational, unthinking fear state which leads to inaccurate and damaging decision-making.

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Anyone who has been in the game for the last five years knows that this has happened before, and will happen again. The key is to be prepared so you don't take part in the panic buying. And that's exactly what this mess is. I've stood in line at gun stores and heard the guys behind the counter spreading the BS even further, convincing people to buy into it.

As for the OP, yes I believe that more gun owners is a good thing.

Sorry, Bruce...

Regardless of how "Very Damn Tired" you might be, your description of panic is quite acceptable to me. I believe it's accurate.

"Panic" is generally defined as an irrational, unthinking fear state which leads to inaccurate and damaging decision-making.

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Now, if that doesn't describe a guy that's never owned a rifle before paying a thousand dollars too much because a law MIGHT get passed, then I'm curious what does.

Sorry, but Mamma always said "Panic Is What Panic Does", and this is panic.

Plain and simple.

So, tell the truth, Bruce. Did you buy an AR at panic pricing?

In every shift there are winners and losers.
It is too early to predict who those will be but the industry will look very different on the other side of all this. Specifically it will be a smaller industry with more fixed pricing.
Many medium sized retailers are closing up, unable to get product to support their overhead and quitting while they are ahead. Smaller FFLs who recently opened find themselves shut out of the market because they lack long relationships with distributors. Distributors find themselves shut off from certain product lines as manufacturers cull their customers. Manufacturers will take the opportunity to fight price cutting with min advertised pricing and global pricing of one sort or another.
Added to that is the coming internet tax, leveling the playing field between in state and out of state retailers.
Say good bye to $10 transfers from Bud's.

I'm not just talking about the new gun owners, but also about the fact that just about everything factories can make gets bought up practically as soon as it gets on the truck. Could this lead to better guns?

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On the contrary, it could lead to pieces of crap because they're trying to produce them so fast to keep up with demand. Not sure if that makes sense or not, but it seems reasonable to me.

MaterDei said:

In my opinion more legal gun owners is always a good thing, for lots of reasons. The only negative is waiting for arms and ammo manufactures to spin up production. It will happen though, the market abhors a vacuum.

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As I understand it at least Ruger and S&W have no more production to spin up. They're balls to the wall & have been. Ruger stopped taking new orders last year. The ammo makers claim they're at full production.

They'll catch up eventually. Sooner or later the jackwagons flipping ammo on gumbreaker are going to run out of suckers to sell to & we'll get at least half a chance at it in the stores.

Good thing I've been panic buying for going on 5 years now. Not overly concerned just yet...

Dang.... if it sounded like I was trying to explain or justify MY OWN behavior, that's an erroneous impression.

Y'all will note that my participation here on THR dates back to 2004, so I've been around the block a time or two.

My first AR-type rifle was an ORIGINAL (circa 1950s, Netherlands manufacture) Sudanese-contract AR10 which I bought in the late '70s. I wasn't at all impressed, and didn't buy another AR-type for many years. Finally deciding to see what all the fuss is about, I bought myself an Armalite "M15A4" as a Christmas present in 2010. It's a nice rifle, and much more refined than my early AR10 from years ago.

As to the current supply situation, the only personal supply issue I have is being very light on .22 Long Rifle ammo; since I shoot my .22s only rarely, it's not a major problem. I have ample stocks of powder and primers, and most of my center-fire shooting involves CAST bullets, so most of my bullets are self-manufactured. I'm not really a very good candidate , as far as "panic buyers" are concerned. With an annual consumption of up to 10,000 rounds of hand-loaded ammunition, I'm still good for at least several years with just my present on-hand supplies.

I still think that a CONSCIOUS DECISION to buy (or not buy) does not constitute "panic". However, that's both semantics and personal opinion, I reckon.

I remember when every kid in the country had to have two, three or four Hula Hoops in different colors. Parents were desperate to get them for their kids and there was a thriving black market for them WhamO company could not produce enough. Then one day the market became saturated and stores that got their orders filled by the manufacturer could not give the things away. Won't be long before the shelves are refilled and ammo sales will slow way down and the black guns will be filling the racks.

I ask you: WHAT is wrong with a person's sudden realization that he (or she) NEEDS something which he lacks? This sudden realization is not "panic"... it may be an indicator of poor thinking prior to the time of crisis or danger, but it's not "panic".

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Bruce, you pose an interesting question. Yet when 1,000 of people do the same thing that most of them would not normally do, based on one incident I believe that could be rightly called an panic action.

I can understanding buying: food, water, batteries,..... before some kind of disaster. Panic buying guns and ammo is for .... .....

BruceB,

I have your back on your comments in Post #7.

Unfortunately some of the remarks show that many forum members still cannot wrap their arms around the fact that Obama and his supporters have declared war on gun owners and intend to disarm as many Americans as possible during his second term.

It seems to have escaped many that Obama through V.P. Biden has even stated the only firearm Obama and his followers would allow Americans to own...a double barrel shotgun.

"The NRA can use their influence and the money they've gotten out of all this in order to protect us from legislation against guns" reflects the Alfred E. Newman attitude "What? Me Worry?" and justification not to get involved. The reality is many of our rights to own firearms could suddenly vanish. All it takes is for a few Republicans to "compromise" and join with the Democrats in Congress. It is happening now in New York and in Colorado.

I kinda wonder on a couple of levels about the impact/effect.

For instance, if a fella has priorities against possible government sanctions on firearms, has Marlin noted a failed relative market uptick due to their now widely known quality issues?

Point being, a fella has limited opportunity due to the craze and doesn't want to waste it on a Remlin...?