What a difference a few days make.
At last weekend's gunshow, many firearms were up for sale. "I'm out of work." "I need money." "I don't know how to use this damn thing..."
I saw all sorts of specials and un-heard-of prices. $600 for a Colt SP1. $700 for a M1 Carbine folder... $100 for a preban Tec-22.
Gun shows were full of stock. The owners were commenting on the lack of funds coming in. Specials were to be had, but no one was interested.....
Cut to today.
2/3 of the shop is sold. All the ammunition shelves are empty; only a little odd-ball stuff and some crappy .308. All of the .223 battlepacks are sold. The $4.95 9mm is all gone.
Guns? How does an average of 5 sold per hour sound? On the day of the disaster, 25 hand guns were sold in slightly less than two hours! (They couldn't even keep track of the long gun sales!) They're selling more postban AR's (9mm, .223, and .308) in a day than they do in a typical week.
One memorable exchange:
Customer (C): "I need a pistol."
Shopkeeper (S): "We have both automatics and revolvers in stock."
C: "What's the difference?"
S:
C: "Umm, I'll take one of each."
S: "What caliber?"
C: "What's a caliber?"
But, to their credit, there was NO GOUGING. Prices stayed where they were; no price increases but no "friend of the shop" discounts either.
Bottom line is that sales are way up. Certain firearms are harder to find than others, but no danger of running out. I also haven't noted any price increases as of late.
How's it in your neck of the woods?