Since I finished my 300 BLK SBR, I no longer needed the full length version that I had been using. So I put it up online and a week later there were no bites. I was finally able to sell it — at $700 below list price. And when I walked into the local Cabela’s and saw racks upon racks of AR-15 rifles (pictured above) for sale, I knew why . . .
After the gun control scare earlier this year, demand for AR-15 rifles went through the roof. People were maxing out their credit cards on fears that America’s favorite firearm was about to be banned by the powers that be. This cleared the entire available stock of guns, and made manufacturers ramp up to meet demand.
It was good times for manufacturers, but now the AR-15 bubble has burst and things are looking downright depressing for manufacturers.
By now, everyone who “needed” an AR-15 has found one. Even if they emptied their bank accounts to do it, they have their rifle. But with sales slowing down, the price of an AR-15 is cratering. People are no longer willing to buy at the inflated panic-level prices, and dealers are starting to discount the guns in order to clear their shelves.
The good news is that cheap AR-15s are about to flood the market. If you’ve been waiting for the “right” time to buy a good entry level gun, this is it. Over-active manufacturing combined with people selling off their panic purchases to pay off their credit cards mean that you have the pick of the litter when it comes to guns.
The bad news is that ammunition is still scarce. It’s on the shelves, but stores haven’t lifted their “one box per person” limit yet. So while you can buy a gun, you still can’t feed it. And God help you if you need some .22lr.