The market has changed in a way where some shops are going to be stagnant or in decline. One of the gun shops in my University town is staffed by old white guys who will preach about Trump and the NRA to anyone who listens. That's great if you're already a member of the choir, but if you're a new shooter or someone who is just there to shoot rather than join the hen party politicking it can get annoying. Multiple times I've hesitated to bring new shooters to their indoor range because I don't want someone whose on the fence to have their stereotypes about gun owners confirmed.
That same shop will sell you a Glock 19 for $590 plus tax. I ordered one last year for $430 after shipping and transfer to another FFL. I would happily pay a little more to support the right local shop, but a 40% hike is ludicrous IMO. Ammo prices are even worse.
Meanwhile, not far down the road is another shop. No indoor range, but they're clean and well-lit. They sell cans, modern sporting rifles, tools for building your own AR, and are staffed by younger people, most of whom aren't white, some of whom are veterans, and some of whom present as gay or lesbian. When you walk in the door, they're there to help, not to sell or to tell you what your politics should be. Prices are a little more reasonable too. Their typical customer is a lot younger, including many of the students and professors from the college in town.
If gun shops want to survive, there's a decreasing number of places where they can get by on high prices, Republican politics, and Fudd lore.
And yes, now is a good time as a buyer to be purchasing $350 AR builds and 9mm practice ammo for $.16/round. I anticipate it will change next year, and plan to add some AOBC (S&W) and RGR to my IRA accordingly.
