The biggest gun shop in the USA (their words not mine) is fairly local and does a spot on the local news occasionally. They have no range, no fancy lighting, no ice cream or fancy cotton candy machine etc. They say things have slowed since the huge increase during Obama but are ok. I was in Buds in sevierville a month ago. It was packed but I honestly didn't see anyone buying. Plenty using the range. Online sales and such have certainly cut in too. Prices are low too. I've bought two sig 320 cpo guns for 300 bucks. (I prefer Glock but they were cheap...) Stores aren't making much per unit. In the last year I've bought sig 22x series, HK USP, Glock and Beretta and the most I've paid is 450 bucks. 10 years ago I don't think I could have gotten any of them for 450.
I can't imagine how that market would be. I work in textiles manufacturing and see changes in the market/ slow downs/material preferences etc. But The gun market is a different beast. John moses browning died nearly 100 years ago. Most every gun sold today is still using his designs. Innovation means cutting off 1/2 inch of grip and calling it a glock 423.2c.x. mos.gen.... you get the point(or if your another company just copy a glock as close as possible without getting sued for it
...looking at you smith) or taking a hundred year old 264 or 223 bullet and changing the case and powder and convincing everyone it's now suddenly more relevant. Or coming back out with a new version of a weapon that failed 50 years ago. How many markets are dominated by 50-100 year old designs. Cassette tapes, VHS, 14 foot satellites, carbureted cars, all 25 years old/all ancient history. 1911, AR, hi-power, mauser action, 10-22, sig 22x, any revolver (except the rhino) even the Glock is pushing 50. I'm not complaining, I prefer most of the older guns. Just making a point
The guns themselves aren't even viewed as consumabes anymore. I'd bet 90% of privately owned guns never even wear out a magazine or recoil spring, much less the gun itself. Most are looked at and traded like baseball cards. Even here on a gun/ shooting forum many of us have old guns that are still like new. It's not a problem to find a 100 plus year old gun and still use it.
I say all that to get to the point of market saturation. If nothing new (especially new and innovative) is coming, and our old ones aren't shot enough to wear out, then the market can't stay "Obama era". That was a bunch of old guys panicking and driving a market. We spent a bunch, so companies reinvested and came out with new (not innovative but new-ish) guns. (Your welcome btw) How many of us bitched about 22 ammo and kept looking for it. I opened up a new case a couple weeks ago, the date on it was 2004.
