This is NOT an April Fool’s story. I promise. I already got that one out of my system. From what I can tell, it looks like the shortage on AR-15 rifles and the like is winding down at long last. However, the ammo shortage continues unabated and only seems to actually be getting worse . . .
According to my sources, some of the more popular mass produced AR-15 rifles are back in stock at the distributor level at the pre-panic prices. A Bushmaster AR-15 can be had for as little as $800 to the dealer, and Colt rifles are once again reasonably priced. In short, if you were pissed that you missed your chance to buy an AR-15 before the panic buying spree, you will have the opportunity to do so again very shortly.
It looks like AR-15 rifles have, for the moment, reached the “saturation point” in the market. Just about everyone who wants one has one, or doesn’t have the money to buy another. With a decrease in demand, production and the available supply catch up and prices will begin to drop off.
At this point, two things can happen. Those who’ve been waiting on the sidelines for prices to drop could swoop in and buy up the newly available supply, thus pushing prices back up (or keeping them at their panic-level highs). OR, we really are at the saturation point, in which case AR-15 prices will come down.
So while the news is good for the Evil Black Rifle™, the news isn’t as cheery for ammunition. The ammo shortage is having a compounding effect; those who weren’t hoarding ammo before are snapping up every round they can find now. And those with ample ammo stashes are seeking to add to their stores. In short, we’re still screwed for the foreseeable future.
So to recap, the good news is that you can buy guns. The bad news is that you can’t feed them.