Who Bought All Those ’08 Election Guns?

[Mainsail]

I was recently discussing the mad rush to buy guns just before and after the elections in ’08 with a friend, and he asked who I thought bought more, people who didn’t own guns before (first time buyers) along with people who may own one -or- people who already owned several guns and felt the need to buy more.

I sort of expected the market to open up on a lot of pre-owned but seldom-if-ever fired guns bought during the Obama gun buy, but that hasn’t materialized. I was pretty confident that there would be a big sell by people who bought during the rush…because of the rush, and that by now they’d be convinced the White House isn’t so much a threat and look to unload their purchases. That doesn’t seem to be the case though. So it appears that, for now anyway, the people who ran out and bought guns during the ’08 elections have decided to hang on to them.

So who were all those buyers, new/few gun owners or people who already owned several?

 

[merlinfire]

These guns probably won't go up for sale until (if and when) the economy returns to normal, and a gun-friendly (not just gun-neutral) president is back in office. I won't be selling mine except for a gain either way, but the panic buyers who aren't gun folks will probably eventually sell

 

[GCMkc]

I bought two rifles right at the '08 election and definitely got the shaft.:banghead:

DPMS Panther Lite 16 A3 - $1000 (something like $700-$750 now)
WASR-10 - $500 (>$400)

 

[Owen Sparks]

If the Republicans regain The Whitehouse in 2012 there will be some great deals on slightly used AR's. Many owners will realize that they have money tied up in an expensive rifle that they have only fired a time or two and now they want a Harley or whatever.

 

[Mainsail]

Panic buyers; better description than I had.

GCMkc makes an interesting point, if you bought during the height of the panic buying, you probably paid more than you would have during ‘normal’ times. So then some people will hang onto theirs simply because they would be taking a loss to sell them. Good point.

 

[JellyJar]

I bought an AR right after the 1992 Rodney King riots. I have only shot it three times yet I still have it and have no plans to sell it. It is my SHTF weapon!

Here in Alabama we recently had some very bad tornados. I was not affected but only by luck. If where I live we had been hit as bad as other places I would now have it out and loaded to protect myself and my neighbors like others have had to elsewhere.

I suspect that many who bought during the panic will not sell because 1, they would lose money on the deal; 2, they realize they may actually need it in the future if not now.

 

[AlexanderA]

It was mostly just a question of timing the purchase. In other words, people who were already planning to buy the guns, at some time in the future, simply accelerated the acquisition because of fear of future lack of availability. OK, so they probably paid too much, but there's no reason for them to sell them now, when prices are lower, unless they really need the money. For those guns to reappear on the market, as used guns, either (a) the economy will have to get much worse, so that a lot of people become desperate for money, or (b) the economy will have to get much better, so that people have more money to spend and prices of the guns get driven higher. I wouldn't bet on either of these things happening.

 

[Owen Sparks]

Having a rifle is not enough if the S really hits the F. You need to practice! If you have only fired it three times since 1992, how will you preform under the stress of being shot at? Sure you may know how to aim and pull the triger but how fast can you change magazines, clear a jam or deal with multiple targets?

 

[RudeMood]

Speaking for myself, I bought a '58 Mosin M44, a Beretta P92FS, and a Mossberg bolt action shotgun at the turn of the '08 election, having never purchased firearms before. Obviously I did not buy for SHTF purposes, though the idea of spearing zombies/insurgents/whatever with my old Mosin does give me a fit of giggles. I bought them for hunting and a nightstand gun respectively, because that's what I needed and I got a good deal on all three. I watched on in amusement at the frenzy buying, the highlight of which graced my eyes as a gentleman wanting to buy a whole row of AR-15s at a gun show and the arguement with the gun show vendor that ensued.

Glad I didn't have an interest or need for "evil black rifles", as prices have dropped significantly since.

 

[rellascout]

I did not buy anything which was effected by the election in 2008. People are not selling now because they paid way too much for those guns and in the down economy will not come even close to recouping the money.

The gun industry IMHO played up the fear that a gun grab was going to happen and those who did not know any better belived it and paid dearly for buying into the hype. So many dealers fed the flames so they could make a profit from the fear and panic it was almost preditory. Selling cheap ARs at Colt prices.

Don't buy into the hype. You see it with ammo all the time. You will see it again with the black rifles and standard capacity pistols in 2012. Think about those who benefit from the hype they will be the loudest voices.

 

[Sheepdog1968]

Most firearms don't take up too much room in a home and can be handy if things do go bad so I suspect many will keep them. All you need to do is look every 10 years or less, there is some sort of disaster or riot in the USA and suddenly the firearm you bought 15 years ago but really don't shoot seems worth keeping.

 

[TexasBill]

I bought a few guns that I would have bought anyway. Looking at prices today at the places where I bought them, I didn't pay too much. Looking at places like Bud's, I could have saved a few hundred dollars. The only gun I probably paid too much to get was a First Edition Walther PPK380 at $440.00. However, since I never saw another one, I don't regret it.

Ammunition is the one thing that's come back down in price. I can finally walk into most any of the local stores and get things like bulk .380, CCI MiniMags, etc., and not get hosed.

Why would people run out and sell the guns they bought? I don't see the Republicans falling all over themselves to do anything for us (like shut down the BATFE's work on new restrictions) or stand up to Schumer and McCarthy. Heck, the Republican majority in the Texas legislature can't be trusted to pass campus carry or legislation to allow workers to lock their guns in their vehicles in their workplaces.

 

[Frogomatik]

I already had the guns I felt I needed, so I bought exactly jack squat at those over inflated prices.

 

[azmjs]

The paranoia is going stronger than ever.

 

[loneviking]

Things sure are different where I live. Every week I see ads for 'NIB' 'Never Fired' 'Like new' along with 'Bulk Ammo---1,000rds for $$$'. I would guess that most were speculators hoping to make money selling these guns when a new assault rifle ban ala '94 went into place. Hasn't happened and the economy went in the hole, so they are now trying to sell off something that they don't ever use.

 

[gunsnukes]

It was great excuse to tell the wife " honey we better buy them now"!
I felt like a kid in a candy store.

 

[Ohio Gun Guy]

There is not one single demographic, in my opinion. The buying has remained high (look at the FBI stats). I think there was a bit of a "Panic" buy, a little of the get them while you can, but also if you remember there was the Heller Decision that I believe also pushed sales up. Kind of a scary scenario if the decision didnt go in the way of the 2nd amendment.... Also, in 2008 the economy was still in free fall. Some were likely buying to hedge against the increased crime sure to follow. The last thing (IMO) was/is the victories in many states for concealed carry.

So, with the threat of a hostile gov't in Washington (2008), the Heller decision which spotlighted guns & our right to own one, a worsening economy (2008), increasing crime and the Attention of the Heller Case; created a buying frenzy. (Just my .02)

 

[Lord Teapot]

me! i had no guns until barack obama won that election. 21 guns later...i'm wondering if maybe they arent coming for the guns afterall.

 

[hso]

The reports at the time indicated it was folks without firearms or without EB firearms that rushed to the gun shops.

 

[rogertc1]

i bought a couple..but i have been buying since 1994 so WTH

 

[shiftyer1]

I got rid of every possible extra I had, mostly to people who couldn't convince themselves to buy "assult" type weapons until they thought the option was going away. I had planned on buying alot of sks's back around now, but it seems the prices aren't going to crash back to 150 any time soon.

 

[wow6599]

I did........but only because my wife "understood" the need to expand!

 

[Tennessee Ned]

I had one pistol beginning the summer of '08. My philosophy is that every man needs at the very least a pistol, a shotgun and a rifle so I bought a CZ 452 and an 870.

Since then I've bought a few more pistols and a couple more rifles. I starting to think my shotgun's getting lonely Might be time for another

 

[earlthegoat2]

The only ones I bought then were ones I got good deal on that were good deals pre-election as well.

 

[Safetychain]

I bought a little Taurus TCP for pocket carry but Obama didn't have anything to do with it except for possibly getting my wife a bit more agreeable to the purchase.

Though, I never do or will sell my guns. The money is not that tight and as long as it cost nothing (no tax) to own, my pride of ownership and being able to handle and shoot the fine guns I own far outweigh the little financial gain I possibly could get for them. I look at it as if I sell them, they are gone forever and I will never be able to "play" with them again. Even though my other "Big Boy" toys like the boats, RV and camper do cost me through their property taxes, I still have a hard time selling any of them even when they sit unused for years at a time.