gun gift present feat
Bigstock
revolver bow gun gift present
Bigstock

While the industry is in a better spot than it has been lately, firearms manufacturers still have a ways to go before they’re truly healthy again. That’s because much of the gain the industry is seeing this year — and what made a lot of buyers shop for guns on Black Friday — is being driven by the discounting of firearms by dealers.

During American Outdoor’s earnings conference call with analysts, CEO James Debney said it indicated people want a great deal before they’ll buy, so “we have a strong promotional strategy as well, which we think is very appropriate in this environment.”

It’s why Sturm, Ruger‘s (NYSE:RGR) earnings results, given last month, were comparatively worse and led to its stock getting battered. Ruger doesn’t really participate in heavy promotional activity around its guns and is willing to give up a few points of market share to preserve its profit margins. …

Discounts or not, the fact that gun buyers are back in the market is good news for manufacturers and investors. The stocks of both major gunmakers are down from the highs they hit in 2016 and have fallen further still in 2019.

The Black Friday rush was not something only department stores and clothing retailers experienced this year. Gun buyers were out in force, too, and firearms manufacturers might just have a very merry Christmas.

– Rich Duprey in Is This the Christmas Gift the Gun Industry Was Looking For?

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

32 COMMENTS

  1. It’s Looking Like a Very Good Christmas for Gun Makers and citizens who want to avail themselves of their 2 nd. amendment right.

  2. About Ruger: It is true that as much as I like Ruger I have not bought the PC Carbine because the price has stayed higher than I wish to pay.

    Also, it needs a 50 (or more) round drum magazine to mount flush beneath it. Constantly dropping out SR9 mags (have a bunch of those) while dealing with a Zombie infestation is just a bit much to put up with.

    • I’m still hopeful they will release a 10mm version. That might be worth the extra cost. Otherwise I agree. It’s a little pricey for a 9mm carbine.

    • I’m looking to put a pistol grip collapse stock for mine if only magpul would offer it. I think it’s well made and worth the money. The takedown feature is awesome.

    • I like Rugers. I own a couple and have owned quite a few in the past. They are a solid product for a good price.

      But their carbines are too heavy for a 9mm round. Wouldn’t stop me from buying one, if I could find one, but they’re too heavy.

      I advocate pcc’s for older folk and smaller folk to use for personal defense. Folks that may not have the physical capabilities to handle a full rifle or shotgun. Ruger is a tad too heavy for that role. IMHO.

      • Needs to feed up the grip as well. Beretta’s CX4 is significantly lighter, shorter and has an MSRP $100 less, although I’ve heard the triggers are pretty crappy on the Berettas.

        • They’re not that bad; just a lot of take-up. I think it’s at least as functional as a mil spec AR trigger.

      • jwm,

        You hit the nail on the head. A 4-pound pistol caliber carbine with a 16-inch barrel is the optimum self-defense firearm for people who cannot handle the heft of 7-pound long guns or the heft/recoil of handguns.

        I wish there were even more options in pistol caliber carbines for that market. As it stands, Kel-Tec seems to be the only manufacturer who is serving that market with their SUB-2000 carbines.

        I dream of a pistol-caliber carbine with a 14-inch barrel and decent trigger that weighs 3.5 pounds (and would not require a $200 tax stamp and 11 month wait). That would be absolutely perfect for pre-teens and elderly people — and even petite women for that matter.

      • There are YouTube’s of people trying to make Glock’ish drums work on the PC Carbine. They all experience numerous jams. My impression from watching those is the weight of the drum is poorly supported, hanging down there with much of the vertical length of the magazine stack being outside the gun. So it’s like a weight on the end of a lever and always shifting around, the top round not being kept in optimal position for feeding.

        So to have the drum work that long stack needs shortening, get the drum up flush under the receiver.

        I have seen the 30~33 rounders for Glocks and Pro-Mag has one for the Ruger SR9.

        I should probably try the Pro-Mag in my SR9 pistol, I suppose. It’s only the Pro-Mag rather low reputation that prevents me.

      • And what, then buy a damn Gluck? NO

        Would be interested in a 45 ACP carbine EXCEPT it would still be a damn pistol round “long gun”. NO.

    • ProMag makes 32 round stick mags for the SR series that I use in my PCC.

      I’m well aware of ProMag’s reputation, but I have four of them and they all work fine, so…

    • I’m a fan of the SR762, as long as the serial number is >5000. Pmags, .308, accepts AR furniture, etc. Its quite pricey but it works well enough. Replace the trigger, its the worst Trigger I’ve ever used, worse than mil-spec.

  3. Store closings and rebates have definitely increased my spending. I plan to use the rebates to buy the clays and a wobbler for the clay thrower. So Im sure I’ll be spending even more on ammo/shellls next year.

  5. Ruger tries to set and maintain reasonable MSRPs which provide solid values to the customer at all times.
    Many competitors start with really high MSRPs and then slash prices only when they are forced to.

    For 60+ years I have been blessed to own more firearms then I can remember much less count.

    Along the way there have been some “mistakes” but, I cannot remember ever regretting any Ruger purchase.
    Ruger value, durability, reliability, and customer service have always been second to none.

  7. Yesterday, I purchased a Ruger LCP II. I have been wanting a pocket pistol for some time, now, reading a lot of reviews. I had thought I would go for a Sig 9mm, but after handling the Ruger LCPs, I opted for the lighter weight and narrower build. High concealability for office environments was the goal. The price seemed right at $325 (a lot less that the Sigs); it included a one month extension on my range membership, also.

    I was disappointed only in the pocket holster that comes with. No matter how I position it, the holster comes out of the pocket with the gun. Will have to replace it with a sticky holster.

    So, that, and stocking up on ammo, is my contribution this season to the ‘gun economy’.

    Happy, happy!

    • The DeSantis Super Fly pocket holster would be my suggestion:
      https://www.desantisholster.com/super-fly/

      I’ve used one for a Kel-Tec P3AT for about eight years. The holster is sticky enough on the outside it has never pulled out of the pocket with the gun. The gun comes out easily. The flap that velcros to the holster makes it so any imprint that may happen thru a pants pocket will look like a wallet, never a gun.

      • Just picked one up because I was having the same problem with the factory pocket holster.

        Thanks for the recommendation enuf. You’re a good salesman.

  8. Only nice thing I can say abour being on a Soc. Sec. Disability pension, I have to save for months if not years for a new gun, so it keeps me from impulse buying LOL.

  9. Ruger has zero debt, uses domestic steel and sells guns to Americans – it’s tariff proof, and almost recession proof. Hard to go out of business when you don’t owe anybody anything.

    If the Trump administration opens up arms sales internationally, Ruger is going to see a nice sized jump. It’s the only pure play firearm maker around until Smith & Wesson gets spun off.

    Also, if Democrats win the Presidency/Senate/HOuse, Rugers best items are AWB-proof. Bolt actions. LCPs. Revolvers.

    Disclosure: ^ This guy owns a decent amount of Ruger stock.

Comments are closed.