The AR rush

The hottest gun selling now is of course, the AR.  We’ve sold hundreds of every kind, as many as we could get our hands on.  People have been buying them like crazy.  We are now completely sold out.  And we sold over 620 magazines… after limiting people to 3 each.  This is the craziest gun buying rush I’ve ever seen.  And the demand is not easing off.

If these sales were because of a spike in popularity… because of Christmas as everyone wants an AR because they are fun to shoot, and awesome to have… This would be great.  This would be a season to remember.  I’d be loving this.  But that’s not what’s been happening.  People are buying rifles like this because they are afraid of a possible ban and they are afraid of the Government.  That puts a sour taste in my mouth for all this.

This is not just here locally… this is Nation Wide.  I even had reporters call me at work and home.  Here’s one report.

As I said in the article, normally I’d be selling deer rifles, shotguns, and the like.  Now it’s all Concealed Carry type guns and fighting rifles.  All AR’s and AK’s are gone and all full capacity magazines.  This isn’t what normally flies this time of year.

 

15 thoughts on “The AR rush”

  1. They are having a gun show over in Fort Worth, Texas running through the 22nd and 23rd, the Fort Worth Star Telegram was saying there are so many people showing up it looks like it is going to be a “Black Friday” for arms sales. Anything “tactical” is really selling.
    The Firearms Blog has some photos of gun stores around the country:
    http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2012/12/21/gun-buying-frenzy-photos/
    What’s fun is the before and after photos and the disappearing rifles.
    I’m buying a magnet and a rope. I hear there are a lot of boating accidents involving firearms possible early next year. They’ll probably be on top of the gold.

    1. The people that I know, bought what they could. Most were first time buyers realizing what is going on. When you have a governor screeching about confiscation, it grabs your attention. Hey my coworker got his first xd, and he got a beretta for his wife. The smiles on there faces were priceless at the range. Thank you bronco bama. You gave another shot in the arm to law abiding gun owning citizens. Good luck trying to get the genie back into the bottle.

  2. It’s speculators

    Not up here in Alaska. Many of the buyers are first time AR owners buying a rifle, 2-3 mags and a few boxes-not cases of ammo. The guys who are already into ARs are buying lots of mags and cases of ammo.
    I have seen some ammo profit-taking on AlaskaList.com, one guy was trying to sell re-manufactured .223 for $.70/round (1000/$700). Another guy is selling a box of 50 30 round Magpuls ,unopened, for $1000. Pre-rush retail on these up here was $14.95. So, $20/mag isn’t THAT bad since no store in town has any.
    And that’s saying something. Anchorage has about 16 gunstores, including the big box stores in a 15 mile radius. Hey! By 2014 we’re gonna have a Cabelas and a BassPro! Whoo-hoo! No more huge shipping fees!

  3. Am NOT planning on buying any more weapons or ammo in the near future. Switching to foodstuffs and basic supplys, for now.

  4. The problem that all of these first time buyers experience is way over inflated prices and the inability to buy enough ammo to adequately practice and reach a certain proficency with their new purchase. It appears that no retailer is above charging crazy prices in the name of oppertunity and capitalism. I’m sure the money is super tempting, but it is fleeting as it can’t be sustainable. I don’t agree with anyone who tries to justify charging even 30.00 for a PMag that retailed for only 15.00 a week ago…I don’t want to say how I feel about the people charging 50.00-60.00 for a magazine. I see that even CDNN has raised their prices on rifles by 500.00 for no other reason than greed. Oh well, it is what it is and there is nothing I or anyone can do about it.

  5. This is not gouging. As much as I hate quoting Wiki:
    Price Gouging:…….In precise, legal usage, it is the name of a crime that applies in some of the United States during civil emergencies. In less precise usage, it can refer either to prices obtained by practices inconsistent with a competitive free market…..

    The term is similar to profiteering but can be distinguished by being short-term and localized, and by a restriction to essentials such as food, clothing, shelter, medicine and equipment needed to preserve life, limb and property

    Also not profiteering as this is not localized or for essentials. It is capitalism. The law of supply and demand. This (IMO) is also fueled by the time of year. I COULD have spent my ENTIRE bonus on lowers and mags and been able to retire. I think that some are doing this, but on rifles ammo and the others.

    I have patients. Lack of planning on your part does not make an emergency on mine. I sold parts and pieces, at profit. Why else would I sell it. If I asked too much then I would have still had the parts because no one would by at “crazy” prices. If people didn’t see this comming, then they are not smart. Obama has nothing to lose and was waiting for a “trigger” event. Look at when these mass shootings happen. Every how many years? Yeah, it was a matter of time.

  6. Early last week I walked into a Sportsman’s warehouse just to see. They had some variant of the SIG 556, an M&P-15, POF, and a few nothing special ARs on hand. All were moving while I was standing there. I could have purchased any of them, but I wasn’t interested and I don’t want to fuel the panic. One guy behind the counter wore the same unsettled look I must have had on my face as he asked me if I was interested in anything…..Uh, no but thanks. Seeing folks buy guns normally makes me feel good, but not this time.

    If they had an ACR there I would have scooped one up for the Mrs. My plan was to get another one after the holidays…..(sigh). Now I’ll wait, see and hope. I’m not going to pony up to panic prices. Perhaps I should have looked at that SIG as it is on my radar but farther down the list, but I refuse to panic buy.

    What I did notice was that a great majority of the buyers knew nothing about what they were buying……I have to wonder if they want it for themselves or to flip. By some of the posts I’ve seen, like a NIB Colt LE6920 for 6K, quite a few are trying make a buck. Or striped forged receivers going for 500.

    My hope is that this will all blow over and in about 8 months. Then those that maxed up their credit cards spending money they didn’t have will need to sell.

    Calm is good folks. I hope it settles down soon.

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