“Clearly the biggest reason for the slowdown in demand is that previous years’ sales were driven by fear of reform, and consumers are starting to realize this is most likely not going to be the case. But also a lot of the existing demand has been satisfied over the past couple of years, so consumers won’t be spending as much.” – IBISWorld analyst Makshim Soshkin in ‘Demand For Guns Likely To Decrease In 2014′ [at dailycaller.com]
Never underestimate the Obama Administration’s ability to spur firearm and ammunition sales.
Just talking about it makes me want to go out and buy more
They say “gun control”; the only way for me to control guns is to buy more. Then I control my guns. 😀
In 2016,this ‘anaylist’ Says Hillary will displace Obama’s title as Gun Saleswoman of the Year.
Her homely daughter has better chance of getting the dem nomination than does the witch of little rock.
http://www.businessinsider.com/it-looks-like-chelsea-clinton-made-26724-for-each-minute-she-appeared-on-nbc-2014-6
I have just promoted myself to Analyst, and agree with your sentiment. As my first act as an Analyst, I would like to add there could be unsettling events with mid-term 2014 elections.
I’ve already purchased a couple of guns this year, so the slowdown isn’t me. Next up are optics and ammo. It turns out that crossbows and knives are pretty cool as well.
No, no, no need for ammo. Step away from the ammo counter… Nothing to see here. <>
It ain’t over yet. Odumbo is going to executive order BS. It’s not paranoia if it’s true. Barry is willing to throw his party under the bus- the lamest of a lame duck.
There’s next to nothing he can do by EO, particularly that he hasn’t already done. He’s paying lip service to his contingency because he knows his hands are bound.
Oh really? Who exactly will stop him from doing all kind of EO’s on imported arms and ammo? If he got away with legalizing 2-4 million illegal aliens with the stroke of a pen what makes you think he wouldn’t try that? Banning foreign arms is pretty arcane to the average non-POTG.
The bogus banning of 5.45×39 didn’t come close to making headlines in the MFM.
He has the legal authority to ban imports.
tdvina is right unfortunately. He has the authority under (I believe) the GCA.
And he’s routinely tested the waters with Congress and the Senate seeing how much he can do without drawing fire from his own allies, as we can see with this Bowe Bergdahl bullshit.
To Nighthawk’s point, the President has learned Congress is going to hold hearings and Hrumpf loudly.
Just bought a Glock42 yesterday for the spousal unit,who wanted it b/c her BFF got one a few days before and then showed a bunch of ladies, including 3 newbies at their scheduled ladies breakfast shoot. Yep. Slowdown.
This is anecdotal, but I see women in the gun store every time I go in there. In years past, it was far and few between. More in the last year than I can ever remember. And they are buying handguns. And coming in with other gal friends and without guys. This is encouraging.
my wife asked me to show her how to clean the guns . . . . that is encouraging. for the last year, she would tell me what she wanted to shoot with her friends, load her range bag with appropriate mags/ammo and targets, and then I had to clean the gun after she shot. However, I was out of the country recently on business, and she called me asking where a different gun was that she wanted to try and then mentioned that she needed to learn to clean them. that is called #winning in tiger blood when the Princess considers something like that!!!
not to mention, several of her friends went shooting with her the other day, and they are HOOKED!!!
And, of course, you asked her to show you how to clean the bathroom, do laundry, etc., in trade… 😉
Due to BS in MD we are moving to WV. Obeyme Democrat party is out of sight out of my life. That isn’t to say I Don’t care about good folks. I am just sick of their lies. I have a list of toys I want to buy. Hey with all the money from taxes. Call a knuckle dragger. Love it.
Oh, where at?
I live in Central WV, close to Clarksburg. Closest area I can shoot at is about 1.5mi away, out of “city limits”. Lived in Virginia Beach for 20yrs before coming here. Took a while to get used to the slow life, but I appreciate it now.
Reach out to new gun owners. New gun owners can help open the eyes of their friends. Don’t the “that guy” at the range. A simple impulse purchase can open the door to a deeper discussion. Why do some people argue for gun control, while protected by armed security? Because as far as those hypocrites are concerned, “F’ you and yours.”
Yes!
the “gun nuts” of the 70’s and 80’s already had their toys before Newtown – the current generation was able to experience the full-glory of gun-grabbing hysteria during this most recent (and biggest ever) panic.
Generation x, y & z do things a little different than previous generations. I’ve never been to a gun show – UPS drops off mass quantities of powder, primers & mags without any fuss, standing in lines, or state sales taxes. You’ll never see me fill a shopping cart with mags at Cabela’s, but you might notice Lanbo’s ran out of mags rather quickly when they had a sale..
My generation cut their teeth bargain shopping on the internet, so paying $3k for an $800 gun is a panic move, not a normal mode of operation.
I’d remind you that a 10% decrease from last year’s sales is a 10% decrease from one of the best years ever in firearms sales.
I am moving from NY to the beautiful state of VA in 3 weeks. I have a LONG shopping list ! No slow down from me.
Join the Virginia Citizens Defense League and the Virginia Sports Shooting Association when you get here. Both are great organizations that work hard to keep Virginia gun friendly. VA Gun Trader is an awesome site for buying and selling guns and gear.
http://www.vcdl.org
http://www.myvssa.org
http://www.vaguntrader.com
Welcome!
To echo surlycmd, VCDL is a MUST! Been a member and volunteer for the org for years. The only gun-rights group to which I belong where I know that 100% of my dues money goes toward fighting the good fight.
And, please, when you move down here, don’t vote for the same kinds of social and fiscal policies that tanked NY state. Virginia is turning bright purple already. 🙁
Great! May see ya.
I’ve already bought 6 guns this year and I have several wish items that are just waiting for the right deal to come along.
The DC elite aren’t slowing their disdain for ordinary freedom-loving Americans, so I don’t suppose we should do any slowing down of our own. Buy that gun you’ve been wanting…for America!
If any slowdown happens it will be because of the continuing crappy economy, not less distrust of Obama. If anything, that distrust is getting worse.
Buying just the gun is never the end of it.. there’s optics, accessories, mags (most of the time) and of course ammo. Preserving ownership often involves NRA and state associations and others, gun safes, extra insurance, carry permits, sometimes state permits just to own/buy, legal advice, targets, eye and ear protection, carrying cases for the range, carrying cases for the airlines, sometimes special clothing and footwear, tools for maintenance, disassembly, and repair, lubes, solvents, cleaning kits, and if you reload there is the equipment and components for that. Buying the gun is not the major expense of it at all! lol
Exactly. There are 4 main “sectors” of purchasing (I don’t know what else to call it). Firearm, accessories & parts, ammunition and reloading components. Powder and bullets are still hard to come by especially for pistol reloading, parts and accessories are still hard to come by depending on what it is, so that tells me that there is still a lot of demand not being met. I think the distrust is still there, it is just that the purchases are being made in the other 3 sectors. It will only take the upcoming election going badly, or politicians to start another high visibility disarmament push to get everything spun back into panic mode again and the shelves will be empty once more since the distrust is still there. I also tend to agree that many people have bought “the guns they want before they are banned”, so both these concepts are working hand in hand.
Those thing aren’t “accessories”.
They are “necessaries”!
Isn’t that the truth!! Couldn’t agree more!
Hey, that’s an old pic of Ultimate Defense’s rental wall!
I would LOVE to be buying more guns. There’s a LONG list of firearms I want to add to my collection.
Unfortunately, when you take home a thousand bucks a month and have $800/month in static bills (rent, car, insurance, phone, Internet) you don’t have much left over for toys.
What’s stopping you from picking a little side work?
Get creative – there are always ways to make a few extra bucks…
With last month’s purchases I have pretty much obtained all of my first tier wants. My second tier stuff is going to wait as my other guns need accesories. I also bought a few AR lowers for build projects. Sure I could just swap uppers in one lower but I’m lazy and don’t want to pop pins. Plus you can bring friends to the range and everyone gets their own rifle to learn on and shoot. AKs are becoming very affordable. Sub $500 for certain rifles. Wal mart has .223 for the same price as 7.62×39 which means I can give both AR and AK platforms lots of love. Even if sales drop I think we will continue to see steady sales with falling prices.
Surlycmd and Mike, I have joined the VCDL. One of the first things I did after accepting my job offer. Will be in Richmond. Can’t wait ! Oh and I’ve never voted for a Democrat and or a Rhino.
Great to hear IronGiants! I’m in the Hampton Roads area. I have dealt with some great gun guys in Richmond. You will not be disappointed. You may have an interesting Congressional race this fall.
How many credit cards were maxed out buying in a panic last year that now have to get paid down? Things will level off until the next big scare, hopefully that is a long, long time off.
Sales may be slower that at the height of the rush/panic, but are they really slower than it was before the recent hysteria?
I wonder who will fight the wars that are on us if parents are cowards. Already children are calling other parents cowards.
Private contractors. Outsource war! It’s good business.
For the children!
“Fears of reform”?
I, for one, do not fear opening the machine gun registry, or Constitutional carry.
Ha!good one
It is the case though, sadly! But you just need 4 firearms and we all know what this is a handgun, an assault rifle a shotgun and a long rifle an mg if your lucky ha. On a more serious side that’s all you really need what people should supply up on is ammo but don’t buy it online support your local gun store not Cabela’s or Sportsman’s warehouse. This is the case though and if it does not happen keep your firearms in pristine condition they hold their value pretty dag good. Keep up the support. This Muzzie has no healthy plans for America.
So, a million sales a year plods on for a decade…
Then for two years straight you sell 5 million thingies.
Then you only sell 4.5 million thingies.
OMG! A slowdown!
You’ve perfectly encapsulated the entire business of stock market analysis.
That’s why everyone knows that a downgrade to “hold” on a stock really means “sell.” They use the term “hold” to keep the retail investors (whom the Professional Money views as suckers) in the game until the big boys get out.
Maybe gun sales are down because everyone bought everything they wanted already
There’s that word “reform” again. It used to mean fixing what was wrong. Probably not since the 1950s context of “reform school” has that word been used to mean what it means. Now it means doing what you want to do and conveniently defining implementation of your opinion as an improvement.
Today, firearms law reform means registration and confiscation. Immigration reform means amnesty. Any kind of regulatory reform means more regulations and government control.
When you hear the word reform used in public policy, look closely at what’s actually being proposed. 99% of the time, the “reform” offered up is either to abandon completely doing anything, or more typically is to do an awful lot more of what’s already uselessly being done. Almost never is there any proposal to do anything different with a logical expectation of improving the purported objective.
I actually own fewer guns than I did last year….but they’re MUCH ‘better’ (at least more expensive) guns – trading up I guess..
Also, gun manufactures have had no need to introduce whatever new products they had planned as they could sell everything they made anyway, when those new products come on line it may have a positive effect on sales.
AAAAUUUUUGH! Stricter gun control is not “reform!”
It’s good to see ammo prices falling off a bit too.
REFORM=REGISTRATION and we all know what happens next…