I take this as a sign of Deflation on the move

[ThomWV]

On an errand earlier this morning I was out and about in the truck. I had the radio on and an advertisement for a local general store came on. The particular store devotes about 1/4th of its floor space to hunting and fishing goods with half of that being a wall of rifles and shotguns on display and a room-length counter of pistols and revolvers. Its a very nice selection, they probably sell half the guns in this county. The advertisement said for the full month of August it would be 10% off on any shotgun, handgun, or rifle, new or used. I've lived here for 35 years and bought four five guns off them during that time, I'v never seen them cut a dime off the cost of one.

This is an area of very low unemployment, relative to the rest of the country. That said, there's one thing I'm pretty sure of. When they start cutting the cost of goods already on the shelf it won't be long before they start cutting the number of people behind the counter.

[virginia mountainman]

1. It's more of a sign..

If the gun and ammo buying craze, is finally abating, their is plenty of ammo and guns, to be purchased now (actually their always was revolvers, and "traditional" styled" firearms, it was the modern guns, and ammo for them that flew off the shelves, when the realization of Obama's PAST votes, the brain dead mention of a new AW Ban on a whitehouse website, and Eric Holder's inane statements sunk in)

Now the "rush to buy" is easing, and most anyone that wanted one, who could afford one, BOUGHT one, two , three or MORE....

I like many others, are waiting for the prices to drop down, before I make anymore significant purchases.

The ONLY gun related purchases I have made in the past two years has been reloading gear, supplies and dies... I am well stocked. And yes, I "bought it CHEAP", before the market went nuts. So now I am waiting for the glut. Which I think will start to put strong downward pressure on prices in the next year or so.

I am already seeing wholesale prices (on many items) down to levels not seen for about 4 years.

For example, $400 (plus shipping and FFL fees) buys you everything you see in the pic, except the floor..



Yes, it is a Romanian that accepts, the "hi cap" magazine, with siderail scope mount...

And your going to need ammo..

How about some Yugoslavian 7.62x39 ?



It is still a bit high...But no higher than it was 4 years ago...



62 pounds of fun!! for about $250

Or if you want something a bit more "American"... $700 gets you THIS..

[ThomWV]

2. You need to understand, this is a real country store, they never sold garbage like that.

This place has never had an 'assault rifle' in the counter, this is a store that caters to country people who hunt and to a lesser extent for personal defense. They sell guns from the inexpensive pistols to top of the line shotguns and rifles, but what they sell are useful tools, not idiot's trinkets.

[virginia mountainman]

3. I would not go that far.. Those are not "assault rifles"

None of those are selectable to full auto. To call them assault rifles, is very misleading.

The AR-15 platform is the most popular rifle in America, has been for years.. I myself is considering getting one, when the prices drop, just to play with, and see just how good they are!

I know of many country stores like you describe, the traditional rifles, do not "move" off the shelves like they did before the mid 1990's. The recent high price "event" was driven by "prattle" coming from the administration against semi-auto firearms. Basically, over the past 2 years, anything that accepted a detachable magazine was a "hot item"

The main effect of this, at country stores, was higher, and tight ammunition availability in "common calibers" as people bought into the "gun ban" talk.

Traditional styled weapons, where NOT seen as threatened, so, their was no crush to buy them.

But CCW pistols, and semi-auto ANYTHING flew off the shelves. While many traditional firearms has seen DECREASES in prices at the wholesale level over the past two years.

Just to let you know, I am very "in tune" with the wholesale firearms busness.

As I flip thru a gun dealers's publication, I can see ITALIAN O/U shotguns for under $700 NEW...

Some NEW Weatherby rifles for under $600 .....

Also, 3/4 of the ads in this publication are for importers, manufacturers and other wholesalers of what YOU called "Assault rifles"...

Understand that this is by far what the "public" is buying. If they was not, these ads would not be here.

[geckosfeet]

5. Take a full auto assault rifle and remove the full auto mechanisms.

What do you have?

A crippled assault rifle.

[virginia mountainman]

7. You do realize that..

The receivers, of full autos, and the civilian semi autos, are very different??

Not interchangeable, if they where, the ATF would classify the semi auto, as a full auto.

[Taitertots]

11. You would have an illegal machine gun, once a machine gun always a machine gun

Unless it was already legal to own as a machine gun. Then it would make you a fool of epic proportions.

[Statistical]

16. You would have a machinegun.

BATFE considers a weapon that ever has been a machinegun to always be a machinegun forever.
Also BATFE considers any weapon that can readily be converted to a machinegun to already BE a machinegun.

The pics of the weapons posted above are no more assault rifles than putting a spoiler on a civic makes it a Formula 1 racecar.

[ThomWV]

6. What you say is absolutly true, but the idiots that buy them don't seem to know it.

And that is why they don't sell here. These people aren't idiots and they know those guns to be a general waste of money.

[aikoaiko]

4. Even classic hunting rifles and shotguns are coming down a bit.

idiots trinkets? Both of those rifles are decent rifles for medium game.

[Taitertots]

10. Are you really going to take the position that the AR-15 and AK variants are "idiot's trinkets"?

Those are among the most effective hunting and personal defense weapons that can be purchased.

"They sell guns from the inexpensive pistols to top of the line shotguns and rifles"
Obviously they don't have top of the line if they don't have the most popular and effective hunting and defense weapons that can be purchased.

[ThomWV]

15. Obviously you don't hunt.

It will be a cold day in hell when the 223 is the "most popular and effective hunting and defense weapons (sic) that can be purchased". In fact it is neither but in this context its the assertion that its a effective hunting weapon that is farthest from reality. Its barely suitable for deer hunting, and certainly not suitable for any game larger than a small whitetail. As a man-killer its not all that great either. I say that as a person who has had the unfortunate experience of using one to kill men*.

On Edit: I don't want to besmirch the .223 round, it in fact is a fine round when used where its appropriate. As for the AR/AK crap, that is a military design, not a hunting design. My local sore does not sell military hardware, they leave that to the Military. What they sell is hunting gear - and the AR/AK (I never mentioned an AK replica, but they are garbage for hunting too) design is crap for that purpose.

* I killed and wounded many men between 1967 and 1970, at first with an issued .308 (M-14) and later with the new M-16 (.223), the big gun would knock them down, the little gun that you are so enamored of didn't.

[Statistical]

17. You are aware that the AR pattern is now chambered in a dozen calibers right?

6.5mm Grendel
6.8mm Bushmaster SPC
.450 Bushmaster

as well as a half dozen others.

[sendero]

20. You might be right...

... but if you will recall, when Obama was elected the gun stores whipped up a "he's gonna take your guns" furor and sales skyrocketed for a time.

Even the stupid eventually figure out they've been had and all this brouhaha accomplished is the "pulling forward" of demand. Now, the gun nuts are well stocked.

Now, that aside I believe we are entering a period of deflation - I'm just not too sure this is a good example.

[virginia mountainman]

23. Their was good reason to nervous of Obama on this issue..

Look at his votes in Illinois, and statements he made during the primaries.

Granted, his actions since, has given me, and other Civil Liberty advocates, a sigh of relief.

Nowadays gun rights, are the rule of the day in congress, and the senate.

[madrchsod]

8. if i still lived in the country .....

i could have a lot of fun with that ak , ammo, and an old junker or two!

[sam sarrha]

13. i have updated the Caliber of my home Security System also.. got some Bear 9mm hollow points, $14/50

nice collection.. be sure to also have a case of gun cleaning oil with all that Russian Ammo.. i have a 9mm x 18mm FEG PA-63, i put 4 mags thru it an it made my hand black.. i'm thinking of a large container and just dipping it.. seriously grimy. that Pa-63 may not have the punch of a 9mm parabellum, but if the slug doesn't kill'm the muzzle blast will scare them to death. by the way.. DO NOT GET AN FEG, it is pretty, but get a real Makarov.. they are more accurate and you don't have to replace all the springs to get the trigger pull below 26 pounds, a real Mak is less than $200... and the clip falls out from the recoil http://www.snipercountrypx.com/showproduct.aspx?productid=3271 it is actually a 9mm Walther copy

i have been reading/and youtubing where the EU may end up with a Beirut style civil war.. within perhaps... 30-40 years. they are also going to be under a mile of ice before too long with Global heating out of control.

[virginia mountainman]

14. Well those are not mine...

Those are from a wholesaler, I used the photos as examples, of CURRENT deals available to gun buyers today...

I like the little "mak" too. But I prefer my Glock 36 in .45 ACP for "very discreet" or "hot weather" Concealed Carry work..

Here is a photo, of my near constant companions, in day to day life.



To the left, in the photo, two spare magazines, and my cell phone..

To the right, my Glock 36, wallet, and under the muzzle of my Glock, my Virginia CHL (Virginia Concealed Handgun License)

[customerserviceguy]

9. To me, it's a sign of the easing of the tensions felt by gun owners

leading up to the Supreme Court decision. The idea of "buy one now while you're still able to" is now at least asleep.

[virginia mountainman]

12. Very Correct!! I wonder, who will be the idiot with a national microphone..

That will try to wake it up....again...

After all, we have elections coming up, it is about time for someone to get on the national stage, and make it look like a "push for gun control" is in the works..

I sincerely hope this don't happen..

We in the gun rights community, thrive on knowing JUST WHO, will vote for what, we know, that barring unforeseen circumstances, any stricter gun control is HIGHLY, HIGHLY unlikely. As the Congress is currently VERY pro-gun, and the Senate is somewhat pro-gun now.

If any gun legislation that has hope for passage comes up...Odds are it will be to loosen some restrictions, not tighten then. But many "joe blow gun owners" don't realize that...

But that won't stop a Caroline "things that go up" McCarthy or another of her ilk, getting on the 6 O'Clock network news, and talk about their "pie in the sky" gun control hopes.

Her complete ineptitude on this subject, is amazing, and she don't realize just how BAD she makes us look when she "prattles" on the national stage about "things that go up" and not being able to even describe what her own signature legislation will ban and not ban.

[Statistical]

19. "and the Senate is somewhat pro-gun now." Reid is the key.

I have said it before but Reid is at least anti-gun control if not pro-gun. He controls what legislation gets to the floor. As long as he is in charge of the Senate the probability of gun control bill getting through the Senate is 0%.

The bad news is if Harry is defeated the posistion goes to seniority and the #2, #3, #4 Democrats in the Senate are very anti-gun. Still doubt they can muster 60 votes but you will at least see more attempts.

[virginia mountainman]

21. And you could rest assured..

That those "attempts" will lead to a reenvigorated, and strenthend NRA and other pro gun interests. It would rake in MILLIONS to the NRA, with thosands of NEW members, not to mention to smaller state, and national pro gun groups.

The gun control supporters just don't understand, how their own advocacy works against them.

For example, if a California Senater, starts preaching gun control....And it gets play on MSM....

I, along with many, many other activists, will mobilize, and call OUR Senators AND Congress critters, and start raising holy hell.. My senators, and congressman are both very pro-gun... They will feel much pressure, to not only vote against any gun control legislation, BUT, to prove thier "pro gun credintals" will push anti-gun control legislation in instead...

This sort of backlash, directly led to the votes nearly stripping DC of its gun control, and the national park carry legislation..

[Statistical]

18. Despite your attacks above on the AR-15 being junk the larger issues

is simply supply and demand.

Demand exploded through the roof but the demand (like cash for clunkers) wasn't sustainable it simply PULLED FORWARD purchases.

So people who would have bought say 1 gun per year for next 5 years bought 5 guns when Obama became President. Less extreme someone who was on the fence who might have bought a gun this year, or next years, or maybe in a couple years went ahead and bought one last year.

You are seeing a lull in demand and gun manufacturers have kept plants running 3 shifts to keep inventory in stock. I think gun prices will fall another 25% on some models and 10% across the board over next year or so.

[virginia mountainman]

22. Very much agreed.. NT