Woah, something's going on!

[ZeSpectre]

Made my usual once a month or so rounds of the local gun places.

1) Co-op that has a small gun selection at the best of times. Down to about 20 rifles and maybe 15 pistols. Been selling a LOT of stuff recently, especially the CZ-82 pistols (9x18 Makarov) that he had.

2) Mom n' pop shop. Consignment rack was full and still a good stock of rifles but the majority of his revolvers and smaller caliber semi-auto pistols were sold. Same statement about them "flying off the shelves" in the past couple of weeks.

3) Wal mart. Manager I know says he's never sold this many rifles in the post-hunting season before. Also says the Henry 001 lever action .22LR is extremely popular all of a sudden.

4) Mom n' Pop #2. Only pistols on the shelves were the seriously high dollar stuff and a few Glocks (because he usually carries a LOT of Glocks). Everything else either sold outright or on layaway.

5) Pop store. Good stock of everything as usual but when I comment on the high sales at the other places I visit he smiles and takes me back and shows me his "layaway" shelf. Or rather shelves, plural, as he's had to expand onto a couple of additional shelves to hold the merchandise.

I guess people are in a buying mood all of a sudden. Weird part is the super wide variation in choices.

 

[poor_richard]

Was in my local last week, and they said that they had been doing brisk sales also.

Interesting...

 

[BridgeWalker]

Election year jitters, imho

 

[sierrabravo45]

Lots of Black Rifles will go off the shelves also.

I work at a gun store and sales seem to be up about 10% or better over last year.

We get the normal lookers, but it seems lots of people are just coming in and buying.

 

[kd7nqb]

This is great news.

 

[mekender]

economy is up, and everyone is terrified that the dems will win the white house and subsequently start passing more gun control laws...

 

[chris in va]

People are worried about the new .gov and tired of all the shootings going on.

 

[TimboKhan]

economy is up

uh... what? There is nothing but discussion about how we are getting ready to plunge into a recession, so I hardly think that the economy being up is the cause. If anything, people are socking in for some bad times....

 

[LeonCarr]

I was in the local Wal-Mart, and all of the .223 and 9mm was sold out, but that is not unusual really, being the cheapest in town. I told my wife if Hillary was elected, I was getting another 40 hour a week job and spending it all on gun stuff .

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[average_shooter]

There is nothing but discussion about how we are getting ready to plunge into a recession...

Getting ready to? Depends on who you talk to. Some are feeling like we're already in "recession" heading for "depression." Remember, the talking-heads on TV aren't going to report it until it has already happened. Don't want to panic folks, y'know.

After all, if people think everything is peachy they'll keep buying Hummers and SUVs and racking up the credit card debt. "Support the economy" and all that stuff...

 

[Slinky]

uh... what? There is nothing but discussion about how we are getting ready to plunge into a recession,

It's up right now, but looking to down-turn so there may be a certain amount off "get 'em while you can afford 'em" going around. Personally I think its just election year jitters.

 

[NGIB]

I've been noticing the same things at shops I frequent. Last Saturday there was not even a place to park at the largest store. Finally went in and pistols were literally flying off the shelf. It's to early for tax refund time isn't it???

I'm hoping to see some new traded-in stock this weekend as they're are a few I'd like to add to the collection...

 

[Jdude]

Same here. Sportsman's warehouse had a single black powder pistol kit and half their normal b.p. firearms were gone. The shelves weren't empty of the EBRs, but they sure weren't full either. I've had 2 local pawn shops mention to me the unusual shortage of inventory (due to sales) so far this year.

I see this as good news. I think I'll go pick something up this weekend.

 

[AStone]

If anything, people are socking in for some bad times....

Y'ep.

<said in my best sittin' on the porch,
chewin' on a straw, nodding approval voice>

 

[PercyShelley]

Seen the same sort of thing at a couple of stores here.

At one of them, interestingly enough, it was the non-EBRs that were flying from the shelves, while the EBRs were selling merely briskly.

Hard to draw a solid conclusion from a bunch of unorganized anecdotes, but it's darn hard to shake the feeling that something's up. I agree that election jitters seem like the most sensible explanation.

 

[Mojo-jo-jo]

Yep. Election year jitters, especially when it looks like a gun-grabber will be elected--regardless of party. Mall shootings and the flood of news hit-pieces on "assault weapons," as well as HR 1022 and the pending DC v. Heller case aren't helping either.

I just bought an AR15 and have been stocking up on 30rd mags while I still can.

 

[Standing Wolf]

People always stock up on guns and ammunition before the sky falls.

 

[tinygnat219]

Just picked up my Saiga .308 rifle last night.

Store had usual amount of new guns / rifles for sale. What was surprising was that the Used handgun Case had been picked over. Range wasn't that busy either.

 

[308win]

Ammunition has been hit or miss for a while. Reloading supplies, especially primers, brass, and certain types of bullets - forget it. Pistols and revolvers were picked over after Christmas. I think it is a combination of uncertainty over how the election is going to go and how segments of the population are going to react to the results; increase in the number of crimes against persons and the publicity that the home invasions are finally starting to get; consumers last hurrah. It would be interesting to know what percentage of gun sales were credit card or X-days same as cash. For years our credit card sales have ran about 30-35%; this year they were 40-45. Many I talk to think the coming months are going to be unsettled in terms of the economy and civil unrest especially related to the election.

 

[Phil DeGraves]

Been in the business for years. Every election year brings a marked increase in sales. Even the Libs come in saying they want to get them before they are banned.

 

[PTK]

You know, I don't really much mind what the reason is. I simply like it when citizens buy more firearms.

 

[cyclist]

Election year jitters, imho

Yep +3 (or whatever the count is up to currently)

 

[30 cal slob]

1) didn't get what they wanted for xmas.

2) people got paid year-end bonuses and blew it on shooting iron.

3) people got some more 0% APR credit card deals in the mail.

4) people expecting a bumper-crop of tax refunds. spending that refund on shooting iron.

5) VA folk saw UFO's just like those TX folk did the other day. what gun for bug-eyed greys?

6) people catching up to keep their one-gun-a-month purchase pace.

 

[Mt Shooter]

Get um while you can.

 

[Guitargod1985]

Some poeple on various forums have been saying that the wait for a Springfield 1911 is up to a few months. This could be another indication of the increased demand.