Hey, gun store owners... Here comes the pain

[ericire12]

http://www.hometownannapolis.com/news/top/2010/01/04-17/Gun-sales-up-but-not-here.html

The Armory is stocked with everything a gun enthusiast could want, from collectibles to rifles, handguns to shotguns.
Joshua McKerrow — The Capital Though requests for gun-related permits and background checks are up throughout the state and nation, Hal Goldstein, owner of The Armory gun shop in Annapolis, says sales are off 50 to 60 percent at his business.

 Only one thing is missing from the Annapolis gun shop: customers.

Despite a national and statewide uptick in handgun-permit applications and a nationwide increase in gun-related background checks, local dealers like Hal Goldstein said they're not seeing lots of business these days.

Sales are off 50 to 60 percent at his business, which is just off West Street inside the city limits.

"I could have closed in August, and I would have saved money," he said.

If his shop is any indication, local gun sales are bucking the national and state trend. Though gun sales are not tracked statewide or nationwide, permits and other requirements are, and they're usually used as a sales barometer for the industry.

Maryland residents need to apply to state police to get a handgun permit. In 2008, 3,641 permits were issued; in 2009, 5,129 were issued, a 30 percent increase.

Federal law requires an FBI background check for anyone purchasing a new or used gun from a retailer. Those checks also were up during most of 2009, though numbers for the entire year haven't been calculated yet.

From January through September, almost 100,000 more people requested the background checks each month than had the year before, and each month set a 10-year record.

In 2008, 12.7 million people had the background checks performed; from January through November this year, the FBI has already done background checks on 12.6 million people.

Goldstein said he's not hearing happy news from distributors, whom he said are "singing the blues."

It wasn't always the case. After President Barack Obama was elected in November of 2008, people flocked to local gun shops, said Jeremy Woody, a manager at On Target in Severn.

The boom was "mainly because of everyone afraid of (the administration) banning the guns," he said.

Goldstein said his business was up beginning on Nov. 4, Election Day, which was his busiest day of the year.

He continued to be busy through the early part of 2009, but sales leveled off in April and May.

"The gun mania has gone away," he said, though people are still buying weapons, mainly for self-defense.

At On Target, Woody said the holidays helped sales. During the holiday season the shop sees about double the business of a normal day, selling maybe four weapons per day, he said.

And if the Obama administration brings up gun-control legislation, as some people originally predicted, "there'll be another spike in gun sales," Goldstein said.

The sluggish economy also has hurt business, as people are having trouble making ends meet in the recession, Goldstein said. But The Armory will soldier on.

"We're down, but we're not out," he said.

[twyacht]

Maybe they could have a sale, just call me crazy... Like "Black Rifle Friday, or .380 ammo, buy 1 get 1 1/2 off (yeah right).

Free box of ammo with purchase of any firearm.....

SOMETHING!!!!

I wheeled and dealed with the Gun Shop for the Taurus M85 I picked up recently. 1/2 off Hogue grips, free box of SD ammo, and discounted the pistol about 18%.

Gotta bargain and negotiate, as folks can go online, shop around, gun shows, etc... The gun shop who used to sell "x" for $700, maybe out of luck if I can find it for $500..

But the article has a point BHO could sent the market "spiking" again.

[tombogan03884]

 They can still count on ammo sales

[1911 Junkie]

On black friday Dicks had an ammo sale buy one get one 50% off up to 6 boxes.

Since I roll my own I ended up buying .22 shells.

[Discworld717]

I've been to the armory it is a very nice store. There has been a gun store in that location for over 30 years. Most of the time it has been a Class III shop. I didn't hear a suppressed Ruger MK I there. It was truly movie quiet.

[Sponsor]

[Tyler Durden]

Things will pick up after January once every one has their W2's in and starts filling out their 1040's and figuring out how much money they will get back from Uncle Sam.  People will just use their refund to buy more guns or ammo or both between about January 30th til about May 1st.

[TAB]

Things will pick up after January once every one has their W2's in and starts filling out their 1040's and figuring out how much money they will get back from Uncle Sam.  People will just use their refund to buy more guns or ammo or both between about January 30th til about May 1st.

what is this thing you call a "refund"?   I've never seen one.  this is the 1st year I don't owe them money.  of corse i lost my ass last year.