Have Big Gun Sales Stalled?

The media focused a lot of attention on the pre-Obama assault rifle boom. Sorry, “modern sporting home defense gun that’s not used by domestic terrorists or Mexican drug lords or anyone else other than hunters and your 84-year-old grandmother.” Anyway, credit where credit’s due: American gun buyers bought-up ARs like they were going out of style. In the post-McDonald world, gun grab fears have simmered down. The AR-makers who made hay while the sun didn’t shine now face the inevitable laws of supply and demand. Demand is down. Prices are soft. That’s doubly true for the really big guns—the Barrett BMGs of the world. As you can see at impactguns.com . . .

The Internet gun site is holding a summer sale on the big stuff. There’s a whole page on Barrett rifles going for well below retail. An 82A1 .416 Barrett, Semi Auto, 29″ Black Finish rifle above msrp’s at $9k. You can have one today (if you hurry) for $7900.

An $8,299 Model 95 With 29″ Fluted Barrel Magazine fed bolt action rifle (1 in 15 inch twist) with 1913 accessory rail, Leupold 4.5-14 Scope with Barrett BORS System and Barrett Ultra High 30mm rings, Air/watertight carrying case, detachable adjustable bipod legs and cleaning kit can be yours for just $7,356.00.

Bottom line: that “extra” grand-in -the-hand has gone away. Dealers aren’t desperate, but they are a lot hungrier than they were last year. Granted, no one’s been charging retail for guns for a while now. And there’s still plenty of profit in this price.

I called Impact on a few of their deals and they ain’t wiggling none. Either the gunmaker and dealer have reached the point below which they cannot go (until they do) or they feel confident enough that the market has found its level, some 20 percent below suggested retail. Or both.

Is it a good time to buy? As always, wait ’til winter. If you can. Is it a good time to sell that spare BMG? No, but it isn’t going to get any better.