Unbelievable Gun Sales Numbers!

[billt]

Yesterday when I was at Cabela's buying my new Springfield SOCOM 16, I got to talking to the salesman. Believe it or not it was the first time I've been in that place when the line at the gun counter didn't resemble the line at a general seating Rolling Stones concert. The guy told me it has died off somewhat, but still gets really busy on the weekends. He threw some figures at me that I thought were just mind boggling.

The Glendale, Arizona Cabela's hasn't quite been open three years yet. In that time they have sold over 60,000 GUNS! Using a 365 day year, that comes to an average of almost 55 GUNS PER DAY!, day in and day out. Remember there are a total of 30 Cabela's nationwide. Let's say each store averaged just 50,000 in gun sales in the last 3 years, that comes to 1,500,000 GUNS! (50,000 X 30 = 1,500,000). He told me when the ATF comes to a Cabela's they do a "1 in 10 check system". They only pull on average one in ten 4473's to look at, otherwise they'd never get out of the place. The incoming guns are checked, and serial numbers rechecked, a total of 7 times from when the gun is off loaded from the truck, until the customer is walked out the door with it.

I asked about that because it is also Wal-Mart's policy as well, to walk you out of the building after a gun purchase. He said it is done strictly to alleviate them of the legal responsibility of someone "going postal". Hell of a society we live in. Anyway, I just thought I'd mention it because it really shows just how many guns are being purchased, and how much money is being spent on firearms these days. I know if I was a politician and wanted to remain in office, that is one block of voters I wouldn't screw with. Perhaps Hussein isn't as dumb as many think. At least thus far when it comes to gun control. I would sure be afraid to offend that many voters, then wonder why I lost an election. Bill T.

[twyacht]

Hey billt, congrats on the SOCOM 16, saw the porn on the rifle thread, (thank you),

The Wally Worlds here don't sell firearms, (just bb, airsoft, pellet), but when they did, just like the Bass Pro Shop here, they walk you to the door.

On the gun sales note, the last gun show I attended, last weekend, had many "used" guns, especially rifles. AR variants, that were bought over the last year or 2 for 700-900 bucks, are getting 1100-1500 dollars.

I think, like the real estate market, there will be a correction as more used guns hit the market. Economic times being bad for many is a motivator for guns to go in the For Sale bin.

For gun buyers, I think that is a good thing. Maybe that will trickle down to the ammo market.

[blackwolfe]

I was checking out the bare ammo counter at WW the other day when they were getting ready to walk a kid out the door with his new gun..  He said he wanted to buy some ammo too.  They wouldn't sell him any untill the gun was out of the store and in his car.  Then they said he could come back in and buy ammo.  At this WW I wouldn't dare let someone see me put the gun in the car and leave it there.  It wouldn't suprise me one bit for it to be stolen before the kid even made it back into the store.  This WW used to be open 24 hours, but now closes at midnight.  I happened to stop there at just after midnight and was told by the manager when I tried to enter that they close at midnight now because of crime problems.     

[Texas_Bryan]

I was checking out the bare ammo counter at WW the other day when they were getting ready to walk a kid out the door with his new gun..  He said he wanted to buy some ammo too.  They wouldn't sell him any untill the gun was out of the store and in his car.  Then they said he could come back in and buy ammo.  At this WW I wouldn't dare let someone see me put the gun in the car and leave it there.  It wouldn't suprise me one bit for it to be stolen before the kid even made it back into the store.  This WW used to be open 24 hours, but now closes at midnight.  I happened to stop there at just after midnight and was told by the manager when I tried to enter that they close at midnight now because of crime problems.     

When me and my brother bought his PT92, Academy tried to sell me some ammo on the same ticket, until they realized they didn't have any 9mm.