Have gun people stopped buying?

[Agsalaska]

Had to do the math, but I have bought/acquired 9 guns and let 2 go since Jan 2021. The cheapest was a Glock 42 and the most expensive a 1968 unfired Python.

I have no plans on stopping any time soon.

But there is clearly some propensity issues in the market right now. I think what happens is people who have interest in firearms branch out. Maybe its shotguns or revolvers or ARs or whatever. But those striker fired 9mm are going to be over manufactured and sold at a loss in the coming years. That's my hot take at least. And with all this cash being kicked around the hobby guns will continue to surge.

Last, after the terrible Sandy Hook tragedy, the market faced a lot of scarcity. And I bought more cool revolvers, shotguns, pre 64 rifles, etc. for cheaper prices than ever. It lasted for years actually. Now all the cool stuff seems to be increasing in value at a higher rate than a Glock.

 

[tygranch]

The last new gun I bought was a Glock 43X. It was a table upgrade gun at a Friends of NRA banquet. Good deal at $400, no tax or transfer fee. I've pretty much quit on new guns but you put anything from a Garand to a Trapdoor, I get the urge. Plenty of ammo and components.

 

[borrowedtime69]

Cool, I just got a Glock 43X. I haven't shot it yet, I got it to go with my Glock 48 so I could share mags. I put a Shield Arms metal mag button in the 48 and am using the Shield Arms 15 round mags in that one, and will use the 10 round glocks for the 43X, not sure I'll put the metal mag button in the 43X, keep it as a lighter gun.

I love the 48 and got a chance to shoot that one, it performed very well. How do you like your 43X?

 

[45/30-06OKIE]

I notice at gun shows I keep seeing the same exact guns on vendors tables, over and over, show to show.

Yeah dad and I have an FFL and sell at gun shows as we don't have the money to afford a office space yet, and I have seen the same exact old as heck guns at stupid prices for over a year since we started in January 2020. Like 700 bucks for a used Remington 700 that looks like it was your grandpas hunting rifle in the 60s... And century drakos, if they are in stock, for over 1000!! I also see primers for 150++ dollars a brick for no reason, and powder is 60+ bucks a pound unless you happen to be at the show the same time as the actual powder retailer guy and get it for normal price 27-32 bucks a pound. 22lr is absurd and there has been a guy asking $12.50 for 50rds of federal gold medal match 22lr!? I can get CCI standard velocity 40gr for $4.99 a box at Atwood's and it shoots lights out bug hole groups out of my CZ 457 pro varmint!

 

[4v50 Gary]

I stopped many years ago. I can't enjoy what I have and the dog is scared of them. If she smells nitrates on me, she flees.

 

[45/30-06OKIE]

Oddly enough at a middle sized gun show the prices on new guns were not bad, but used and C&R guns were very high. I sold a Glock 17 there and a guy at the first table bought at $550.00 without bargaining. I noticed he had it for sale at $700.00 when I left. Chinese AK's and SKS's were sky high and the M-1 Garand's started at $1100.00 and went up. People were buying at these prices not just looking. Ammunition was high but not terrible. New S&W SD9VE $300.00, I bought one. This was in November so I don't know how much the situation has changed, but at that show people were definitely buying.

Holy cow that is highway robbery... We have an FFL and we have new factory rebuilt Glock 17s for 575... And we are selling at gun shows as we don't have money for an office space yet. We actually priced our 223 fmj ammo at the same as academy and that has helped with people complaining about pricing cause we honestly are barely making money at $12.99 a box for 223... If anyone here is or knows a wholesaler or distributor that actually has stuff in stock, please PM me... (Not sure if I can ask that here, mods feel free to edit this out if it's not allowed)

 

[vintovka]

Too late here gas is at or near $4

Diesel now approaching $4.50 and food is up like 20-35% with empty shelves appearing.

REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER

 

[HighRoadRover]

I was at Cabela's yesterday -- and the gun counter is full of guns again. The selection is pretty good, but Cabela's prices seem to be close to MSRP. As for reloading supplies, it looks like they have given up -- there are no primers and no powder, and no place on the shelf for them. Strangely enough, their gun cleaning supplies were sparse, too -- telling me that perhaps people are not shooting as much and thus don't need to clean as much!

Ammo has reached the point where it is a more expensive part of shooting than buying the guns! Cabelas had some 9x19mm (running around $27 for 50 rounds) and .45 ACP (running something like $56 for a box of 50).

 

[Terry G]

Cabela's is always high on gun's and ammunition. I have bought gun's from them because you can inspect the guns and walk out with them in about 20 minute's. Ammunition is better off being bought bulk on line from reputable sources.

 

[Insignificant bill]

I was at Cabela's yesterday -- and the gun counter is full of guns again. The selection is pretty good, but Cabela's prices seem to be close to MSRP. As for reloading supplies, it looks like they have given up -- there are no primers and no powder, and no place on the shelf for them. Strangely enough, their gun cleaning supplies were sparse, too -- telling me that perhaps people are not shooting as much and thus don't need to clean as much!

Ammo has reached the point where it is a more expensive part of shooting than buying the guns! Cabelas had some 9x19mm (running around $27 for 50 rounds) and .45 ACP (running something like $56 for a box of 50).

Cabelas in Allen Tx had Varget, H335 CFE233 some alliant powders but no primers

 

[stonebuster]

I'm still finding reasonable prices at some small LGS on older revolvers and even reloading components on consignments.

 

[Reloadron]

Have gun people stopped buying?

I figure it this way. Gun people? No gun people will continue to buy. During the gun run I did buy a few and just a few says ago snagged a nice WWII GI 1911A1 which came along. All were private sale. COVID combined with a political driven atmosphere had millions of first time gun buyers. Just about everyone who was a first time gun buyer bought a gun driven by panic, fear and God knows what. Now they all have their guns so the only remaining buyers are what I see a regular gun people. Being older certain guns trip my trigger and when I see one that does I buy it and that might be maybe one gun in a year. Anyway driven by panic or whatever we just experienced millions of first time gun buyers who all now have their guns so I don't expect sales to continue as they were, they peaked and that's about it. What I see as "gun people" will continue to buy guns and ammunition and continue to shoot on a regular basis. That's how I see it anyway. Personally I had friends and family who are not what I would call gun people asking me about guns and CCW classes. People who know me well and know I am what we could call a gun person. People who while were never anti gun just not shooting and gun enthusiast.

Just My Take
Ron

 

[12Pump]

I went back to Scheels a couple days ago, and it was even more depressing this time. Ammo prices are through the roof! Nothing I'm willing to pay, so I guess I'm stuck with what I already have. But at least the Ruger 10/22 was down a bit from when I started this thread. Instead of $319, it is now $299. But check out the ammo prices for Winchester white box 9mm: https://imgur.com/a/VTp1EPT

 

[45/30-06OKIE]

I went back to Scheels a couple days ago, and it was even more depressing this time. Ammo prices are through the roof! Nothing I'm willing to pay, so I guess I'm stuck with what I already have. But at least the Ruger 10/22 was down a bit from when I started this thread. Instead of $319, it is now $299. But check out the ammo prices for Winchester white box 9mm: https://imgur.com/a/VTp1EPT

Academy is the same price here in OKC... They also have a whole ton(literally) of 223/5.56 for sale at astronomical prices... I'm sorry but why would I pay $14 a box for 55gr FMJ when I can get 75gr BTHP for $18?

 

[Insignificant bill]

It is rediculous

 

[12Pump]

It is rediculous

I was hoping everyone would think so and quit buying so the retailers would have to lower their prices to make sales. But when I was at Scheels, there was an employee unpacking quite a bit of ammo to shelve, so I guess people are buying.

 

[Mars5l]

In my observations lately I can get ammo cheaper at my LGS than Bass Pro.

 

[Bugster]

Things are coming back here too. Our LGS's have ammo on the shelves at the current prices. There is one that has better prices than the other. 9mm is the best price, 40S&W is one of the worst. I'd like to get some 38 Special for my wife's revolver but I haven't seen any of that yet. As for rifle ammo, they have 223, 308, 30 Carbine and a little 300 BLK. I'm not looking for any of them. No reloading components to speak of, a little powder here and there and some bullets but that's it.

 

[12Pump]

In my observations lately I can get ammo cheaper at my LGS than Bass Pro.

I wish I had that option. Even in a town of around 68,000 people, there's only 1 LGS, a few pawn shops, a Scheels, and a Fleet Farm. There used to be a few other LGS and a Gander Mountain, but they all went out of business.

 

[Balrog]

Ammo prices are down compared to the height of the pandemic, but I think we are going to see ammo prices increase over the next few years. We have some very poor economic policies in place regarding energy and raw materials under Biden. Half the people in the country voted for him, so I certainly hope they don't complain about prices, they are getting what they voted for.

 

[cc-hangfire]

There aren’t many good deals for the “gun people” that the OP first mentioned, and I expect they -like me- have tapered off any firearm purchases. I still found a few this last year, but I sold a few, too.

I’ll admit that I must be addicted to ammo, though. I’ll pick up a few boxes of 9mm and .22lr when I find them at per-round-costs of about $0.35 & $0.10 or less respectively. That lets me go the range occasionally and rotate my ammo stock.

 

[Mark_Mark]

When you have over 10 guns that still have not been shot. It’s time to slow down

 

[Ignition Override]

With the Defund da Po-Lease movement long gone and actually reversed in many large cities with much higher crime rates than in 2019, there must be tons of unwanted guns dumped by people who felt a bit nervous in mid-2020.

People here who mentioned high food, gasoline etc costs seem to have hit the nail on the head.

 

[Sniper66]

I have never bought a gun off the shelf at Scheel's in my area because the prices are high and sales tax is 10%. I've picked up the occasional pound of powder and a few bullets, a folding chair for my blind, and my wife has found shoes there. Maybe that's enough to keep them at least hopeful.
But, I have NOT stopped buying guns. I've bought and sold 10-12 guns in the last few months for myself and helping other people find guns they are looking for or want to sell or trade. I'm very involved in the shooting sports and will never sit and wait. I've ordered 3 new rifles, new releases in 2021 and 2022, and hope to get them some day. But, I will never just sit and wait for things to improve. Like Billy Bob Thornton said in one of his many fine movies, "You can wish in one hand and crap in the other and see which one gets full first."

 

[P5 Guy]

My last firearm purchase was in 2017.