Sounds very similar to the gun show, minus the cold, that I attended a couple of weeks ago. Personally, I know prices went up even at the dealer level, and they have to try to sell "x,y,z" to recoup those expenditures.
But it may be time for a "Black Friday" type of sale for the gun/ammo/accessory/ buyer. Offer the consumer a good price and they'll come back to buy more from you.
Competition, is great in the firearms market. Even if a dealer has to break even or sell at a loss now, the key is to SELL the stuff to get more stuff.
The .380 ammo situation is a good example. Prices are sky high when you can find it. Eventually, the consumer will taper off the demand due to price and availability, and get a .38 or 9mm,... Than the price will adjust to move the product.
Thanks for the "tired & aggravated" follow up.