What will happen when the AWB dies, Opinions?

[Landric]

Well, since it looks like there is a pretty good chance that the "assault weapons ban" will expire in September, I have been thinking about how things will play out when it does.

Some questions:

Will "post-ban" weapons drop in price? A prime example is the shorty AR15 rifles. With fixed stocks, no flash supressors, and Klinton mags they are not going to attract much attention from gun buyers. However, there will likely still be a lot of them on dealers shelves and with wholesalers. They will still need to be sold. Sure, they can be modified "in shop" to some extent, but that would cost money and drive the price up over that of a "new pre-ban".

Will we see handguns turning up with one standard cap mag and one Klinton mag in order for manufactures to be able to ship more handguns ASAP with full capacity mags?

Will handguns with Klinton mags in transit before the ban sell at a discount?

Will we see a run on "pre-ban" items as people stock up for the next time a ban shows its ugly head?

I have a plan myself, and it goes something like this:

Stock up on LE marked and new full capacity mags for all my handguns and any that I plan to purchase in the near future. I will only buy mags at regular prices, I'm not going to pay inflated prices for mags that should be selling for the same price as a Klinton mag would today, just because there is a run. If I have to wait for the fever to die down, I will.

I'm going to buy several AR complete lowers with telestocks. I can buy several lowers for the price of one rifle, and it keeps me in business in case there is another ban, which could very well happen at some point in the future, especially if we see President Kerry.

I had just gotten into guns when the 1994 ban came about, so I didn't have all I wanted before it went into effect. I'm not going to let that happen this time. I AM NOT going to go into a buying frenzy, but I do plan to build a stock of items that might be banned in the future, just in case. It might take a while to do, but I am going to get it done.

So, what are other peoples' thoughts?

 

[TallPine]

Personally, I'm going to lock in the hubs and shift to low range so that I can ford through all the AK47s and Uzis that will be flooding the streets.

 

[Werewolf]

What will happen?

Not much. I doubt if 90% of folks in America have even heard of the AWB let alone care that it is going to expire.

All that will happen is that eventually hi-cap mags will show up for sale. So called assault weapons will become available with flash suppressors, bayonet lugs and collapsable stocks. For a little while some gunsmiths may get some extra business adding those dreaded features to some post ban weapons.

The AWB is important to us. It is important to the anti-gunners but - well - we truly aren't that large of a group.

It is said that there are 80 million gun owners in the US. My guess is most of them own shotguns, .22's and hunting rifles all of which get used for hunting only. Those guys could give a hoot about the AWB - hell - most of them assuming they even know what it is are PRO AWB (at least most of the ones I know are that way - and they're even more hard headed about it than the anti-gunners are - go figure).

The overall impact of the AWB sunsetting will be so miniscule IMO as to go unnoticed by the vast majority of Americans.

 

[halvey]

So, what are other peoples' thoughts?

I'm hoping people get into the wondernines again with the overstuffed mags. Then I can buy a used 1911 .45 for a discount.

 

[outofbattery]

I tend to agree with Werewolf but would add that there are potentially quite a few people who get up in arms < er , so to speak > and they could possibly lead quite a few fence sitters to the anti-side with a * they didn't have these things for the past 10 years and look at how much less crime there is * message . Personally , I'm not going to be affected much at all by the ban/ its expiration . I don't like it , but it hasn't in any way altered my gun ownership . I don't think the anti's who don't understand that it was 95% meaningless will suddenly get that point though .

 

[Black Snowman]

I'm hoping for a wider selection of double stack 10mms at affordable prices . . . CZ? You listening

Also I think guns like the Storm and other pistol caliber carbines will increase in popularity since they're just so FUN with a lot of rounds on tap and more practical for home defense when not neutered.

For a while 10 round mags should be real cheap once the market is flooded with standard capacity magazines again.

 

[whm1974]

Personally I hope the prices on Post-Ban stuff gets real low... I want an AR-15 but not willing to pay four figures for one. And I want to buy as many standerd magazine as a can afford, although having a few 10 rounders might be a good idea for "legal" reasons.

-Bill

 

[DragonFire]

I know New York state and I believe at least a couple of others, has already passed legislation will similar restrictions to the Federal AWB, so not much will really change in NY when/if the Federal ban lifts.

If enough states keep the restrictions, we may not see a "flood" of anything, but maybe more of a "trickle" of things like hi-cap mags etc. If the market is kept small enough prices maybe not come down all that much.

 

[BryanP]

All that will happen is that eventually hi-cap mags will show up for sale.

I would be shocked if they weren't already manufacturing new hi-cap mags in anticipation of filling the shelves in September. I can think of several I would buy, even for guns I don't currently own but do plan to buy.

 

[ninenot]

Not ONLY will you have to use 4WD/lockups to climb over the millions of AR-15s flooding the streets and highways---you'll need it to climb over the hundreds of millions of dead LEO's and other victims of these killing machines.

There probably are not enough semi-trailers in the country to haul the zillions of rounds necessary to feed the millions of AW's their continuous stream of ammo...

 

[Sam Adams]

All that will happen is that eventually hi-cap mags will show up for sale.

There are already probably hundreds of thousands out there - all of which are marked "Law Enforcement Use Only." These will be sold after the sunset as perfectly legal mags. I want some, because they'll probably be collector's items someday (or not, but it will be fun to show my kids how stupid the law was).

I plan to stock up on mags for my AR and M1A. What are now pre-bans should go down in price by quite a bit, since all they will be is old, used magazines. I can easily see getting 30-round AR mags for $5-$7, and the 20-rd. GI M1A mags for $15 or so. I also will get more mags for a couple of handguns, and some 20- or 30-round mags for .45, under the assumption that Marlin will once again build its Camp Carbine in .45 (HINT, HINT), or that someone else will make one that accepts standard Colt mags.

I might also pick up an AR lower or 2, just to have in case the AWB's evil twin gets enacted. As for modifying existing rifles, MAYBE I'll get a flash suppressor for my AR. Frankly, the cosmetic features that were banned never bothered me much from the practical POV (though they bothered and bother the **** out of me regarding the rights aspect of things) - it was and is the mag ban that raises my blood pressure (and empties my wallet).

 

[Swamprabbit]

I really don't think much will happen. Dealers will still try to get top dollar out of "post bans" because they sunk too much in them to begin with. They will probably try to compensate by selling post-post bans at a premium.

Standard 30rd AR mags may be some cheaper though prices have already come down somewhat. GI mags for the M14 are already in short supply and, to my knowledge, more aren't being produced so they will probably stay in the $35+ range.

 

[Werewolf]

The prices of weapons impacted by the AWB probably are not going to change after the AWB sunsets. The costs to manufacture those weapons will not change just because the law goes away. If anything adding the extra features will increase manufacturing costs.

Prices will not IMO go down but they very well could go up with a little bit of marketing effort by gun manufacturers though I consider this unlikely (the market is just too small to waste marketing dollars on).

Why? With effective advertising the demand for so called assault weapons might spike for a short time. If that happens the prices will definitely go up - at least until manufacturers can fill the supply pipeline full at which point prices might begin to go down some but IMO not below current levels.

When push comes to shove - 6 months after the AWB is just a bad memory price and availability of AWB weapons and related products will have changed little if at all.

 

[J Miller]

The gun makers have never stopped making standard capacity mags. Think about it. Para Ordnace has offered one or two std cap mags for every gun they've sold new since the ban became law. And they want us to believe that all of these were PRE-ban. Sure they were.

Every were you look there are std cap mags for this or that gun. And all of these are PRE-ban. I can't believe that. Not for a minute.

When the AWB sunsets, (if it does), the only thing that will change is that full capacity factory magazines for everything but Rugers will be commonly available again, and we won't have constant reocuring threads like this one.

Joe

 

[Hkmp5sd]

What will happen when the AWB dies, Opinions?

Every year from now on, some Democrat is going to introduce legislation to create a new AW ban. The news media are going to flood the airwaves with "statistics" and stories that swear these guns cause more deaths than AIDS, cancer, heart disease, drunk driving and old age combined. Once we get a Democrat controlled house, senate and white house, we will get another ban.

 

[Bainx]

Bottom Line

We need to make sure and block any movement to ban guns on account of cosmetics, function, size or any other word the antis can use.

 

[whm1974]

The gun makers have never stopped making standard capacity mags. Think about it. Para Ordnace has offered one or two std cap mags for every gun they've sold new since the ban became law. And they want us to believe that all of these were PRE-ban. Sure they were.

Every were you look there are std cap mags for this or that gun. And all of these are PRE-ban. I can't believe that. Not for a minute.

When the AWB sunsets, (if it does), the only thing that will change is that full capacity factory magazines for everything but Rugers will be commonly available again, and we won't have constant reocuring threads like this one.

You I was wondering about this. Online I've seen AK mags for under $10 and AR-15/M-16 Mags for around twice that. Not cheap(AR-15 mags), but hardly an "arm and leg". And most AK type rifles come with a couple of Hi-Cap mags.

You know, if Ruger will make Hi-Cap mags once the AWB sunsets I might buy a Mini-14 or 30.

-Bill

 

[Reno]

Eventually, it will probably come back. It could be as little as 4 months, or, hopefully, never.

As soon as the AWB sunsets, work needs to begin on the 1986 MG ban. I don't see much progress being made on it though. It's been hard enough to get the AWB to sunset, actually having to repeal a law will be 10x harder.

 

[possenti]

TallPine:
Personally, I'm going to lock in the hubs and shift to low range so that I can ford through all the AK47s and Uzis that will be flooding the streets.

ninenot:
Not ONLY will you have to use 4WD/lockups to climb over the millions of AR-15s flooding the streets and highways---you'll need it to climb over the hundreds of millions of dead LEO's and other victims of these killing machines.

You forgot about the BLOOD! Blood running in the streets!

You better get your breather tubes above those windshields if you expect to keep the engine running! Tall exhaust stacks too!

 

[Denko]

My guess is that prices won't drop much, high cap mags will be much higher in price than before the ban.The ban will return in Jan. after the election no matter who is in the White House.

 

[Kenneth Lew]

Depending upon the elections in Nov., maybe a stricter ban will be introduced in 2005. Antis are now attacking the SKS :banghead:

 

[Tom Bri]

Me, I'm designing a new handgun, with a new round to go with it. It has a full sized frame and a grip like a P13, but it is in a lengthened ultra-velocity .25 caliber with a solid copper hollow-point bullet. It will have a triple-stack magazine that holds 85 rounds.


;-)

 

[Muzzleflash]

I'm designing a .22 short machine pistol, for ultracompactness and firepower at close quarters. Oh, and a few hundred rounds in a gun that would be about as big as a 1911 with some added bulk in the middle and back.

The funny part is, it wouldn't be that bad because of the sheer amount of rounds, assuming you know how to make .22 short work as semiauto.

 

[Tom Bri]

Muzzleflash, how ridiculous! Everyone knows that .22 is just too puny for use in self defense. Real men carry at least a .25.

.22 short. Bah.

 

[Muzzleflash]

150 rounds of .22 short or 30 rounds of 9mm?

And remember, that .22 ricochets around inside the skull like a little hyperactive superball. I read it on the internet so it must be true.