Are We Coming Into A "Gun Glut"?

[brushmore]

I don't know about any of you but I for one won't complain about an ammo glut.  The cheaper it is the more I'll buy and use. 

[Rastus]

Part of the problem is that guns generally are one of the best crafted items in the US. They last forever so you only need one of each.
Let's hope they don't get the idea to go the way of Detroit and start making them so they wear out in 5 years.

Yeah, what Jay said.  Durability, which is required for liability at the least, insures fewer lifetime purchases. 

[tombogan03884]

Colt's story is nothing new. They've been on the verge of bankruptcy for literally decades. If it weren't for their government contracts, Colt would have gone belly up years ago. They can't make money on a bet. And they are not alone. Many firearms companies cannot turn a steady profit. Look at High Standard, Ithaca Gun, and more recently Remington Arms.

All made and sold great guns. They just can't seem to turn a steady buck doing it. Even Smith & Wesson was on the verge of financial collapse when it was owned by Tompkins PLC, and headed up by Ed Shultz. It took Safe-T-Hammer's near bargain purchase of it to turn it around into profitability once again.

It's not easy to make money in the gun business. Success stories like Ruger and Bushmaster are few and far between.

Don't base anything financial on Colt, their management has been a clusterf*ck since Sam was selling his first models in 1836.

[ExurbanKevin]

One thing to keep in mind is that the list of publicly-held gun companies is quite short (Ruger, S&W and a few more that have slipped my mind), so the usual insanity that drives quarterly earnings statements aren't there for most gun companies.

As for our shop, in talking with people, yeah, things are quieter now than there were for most of 2012 and 2013 before I got here. Will there be an adjustment and a slow period? Sure, we're in it now. But a lot of guns were sold before the greatest gun salesman in American history (Barack Obama) came into office, and a lot will be sold after he leaves.

We've turned a corner in "Gun Culture", and I think the same ideals of self-reliance, freedom and independence that so typify gun culture are spreading through the american parts of America. New York, California, New Jersey are trying to succeed by following the same big-government playbook that got them into this mess (what was the definition of insanity again?...) but the people themselves are seeing just how much control they have and can have over their lives. We're not just armed America anymore, we're empowered America.

[tombogan03884]

As events such as the riots in Mo continue to occur guns will enjoy periodic bursts over average sales numbers.

[Sponsor]

[billt]

Speaking of plenty with declining prices, I just got a flyer from Cabela's, and they've got PMC 115 gr. FMJ 9 MM for just $12.47 a box....No limit. Other calibers on sale as well.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/PMC-Bronze-Handgun-Ammunition/728483.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3D9%2BMM%2Bammo%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts%26x%3D16%26y%3D6&Ntt=9+MM+ammo&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

[billt]

I just got an E-Mail from J&G Sales. They've got S&B 9 MM for just $209.90 for a 1,000 round case. That's only $10.50 @ box of 50. I don't know what they get for shipping. Ammo is definitely coming down fast. And they said this is a, "inventory reduction sale". They're overstocked with the stuff.

http://www.jgsales.com/9mm-s-b-115gr-fmj-ammo,-1000rd-case.-p-487.html

[PegLeg45]

I'm glad to see some return to what many refer to as near normal stock and pricing. I hope it continues to move in a good direction.



**Watch out for another "Sandy Hook Crisis" to fan the flames of public panic buying.

[Big Frank]

I've been waiting for Midway to get some Ruger Mark II mags in. Ruger says they have some in stock but Midway is about $9 cheaper. I think Brownells were a dollar more than Midway but they were out of stock too and now it looks like they quit listing them altogether. Sooner or later Ruger has to catch up and have extra stock to distribute. I just hope it happens soon.

[billt]

I'm not getting why Ruger .22 pistol mags are in short supply? It's not like they're Hi-Cap or anything. (10 round). And with the current price and lack of availability of .22 ammo, you would think most of them would be staying in the case anyway.