While the prices on guns and ammo have skyrocketed, I've noticed that most other gun-related stuff seemingly hasn't, or changed very minimally. This first occurred to me when I recently saw Palmetto selling Vortex red dots for $120, which is pretty much what they were going for back during the salad days.

Gen M3 Pmags are $15 at Brownells. Various pistol-mounted and rifle-mounted lights seem to be about what they always were. Slings seem about the same. Various chest rigs, gear belts, and plate carriers are still highly affordable. IFAKs and first aid items don't look like they've changed at all.

It seems to me like since this particular panic has been driven largely by first-time gun owners rather than people like us who are into shooting guns, all those people seem like they just bought an AR15 with two mags and 5 or 6 boxes of ammo and figured they were set. Lots of them don't seem like the kind of people who think to outfit their new AR with a red dot, light, and sling. Even less likely to think about IFAKs, gear belts, chest rigs, and plate carriers. That's my theory, anyway.

So am I just imagining things, or do the prices on pretty much everything other than the actual guns and ammo seem to be pretty comparable to what they were during the salad days?

Did anyone buy stuff like Hesco plates, plate carriers, or gear belts during the salad days that can compare the price you paid at the time to what it costs now? I'd be particularly interested to see what Hesco 3810's were going for back then.

I think you’re correct, tactical gear prices have not gone up.

Some of the more well known gear manufacturers have had issues with maintaining items in stock. I’ve been waiting for a Ferro ADAPT Kangaroo or KTAR in Multicam since the start of last September (they have not restocked either item even once in all that time).

The other issue is that not as many new things have been released due to manufacturers just trying to get their popular items made to meet demand.

Frankly, a lot of tactical nylon companies are leaving a lot of money on the table. They could have probably doubled their profits easily in 2020 if they had greater production capacity.

Frankly, they could still double their profits now. Companies like Trex Arms still sell out of all their chest rigs and plate carriers literally within a few hours of listing them in stock on their website. If they wanted to they could easily keep jacking up the price until they reach an equilibrium point where stuff sells at the same rate they can produce it. God bless 'em for not doing that.

Hesco plates have gone up multiple times depending on the website you buy them from. I think trex was selling their l210s for 300 a pair before the covid stuff went full retard. It's 370 the last time I checked.

The plate carriers that I was searching for was only available on the EE or eBay for ridiculous prices.

I would pay more if spiritus actually had their micro fight available.  Only color they have had for weeks is black.  Fuck that.

Kota had them for $323 last month (still might with a coupon).  

I've helped a ton of people pick up their first pistol/rifle/shotgun over the past year.  I've suggested a good holster, sling, etc, to everyone but have had no one take my advice.  One guy picked a cheap amazon sling. The non-gun guy has no concept of the need for extra mags, holsters, lights, armor, and so on.  I think you're much more likely to find people who already own a lot just buying more than the new guy getting his gear in line.

@Brian01    I've noticed guns & parts have gone up, ammo skyrocketed & some of the tactical gear when up.   Like others have said the better carriers/plates fly off the shelves if they're not at absurd prices.   Some places get stuff in stock & its gone in hours.  Other places their stuff sits.

If you look at last summer with the riots you couldn't find armor that was 'budget' priced.  I know, I was looking for some L210s, I ended up having to wait until September to order some.

armor and extra gear is not for beginners. I have been shooting for 20 years, including some sponsored 3 gun a while back. We wore DAA belts, but not molle or chest rigs. Certainly not armor. It wasn't until this last 3 years that I started wanting to get more into the "tactical" side of things.

If you go to the range 1-2x a year, the gun comes out of the case you bought it in, you punch some holes in paper, you pack your shit, you maybe clean it, you put it back in the case in the closet or drawer, none of this other stuff helps. It's only when you actually want to focus on the martial aspect of shooting that you gain an advantage from other ancillary gear.

I have bought one gun in the last almost 2 years. I have spent more on training, lights, chest set up, plates, etc than the cost of the gun. I don't even really want to make a bunch of gun purchases any time soon, more of what you're talking about. I need to focus on using the gear I have and the software related to these things than I do anything else.

Plates have gone up in price. I just sold some of my extra plates for 2-3x what i paid for them and have been unloaded other gear as well.

I paid 2x for a Crye SPC shipped from an over seas vendors because I wanted it in January, not Late July which is what Crye quoted.

Some stuff is still cheap, im shocked mags are still cheap and available.

@Spartikis  I think mags are still cheap because anyone who was worried stocked up after the last election.  I know I did (as did most of ARFCOM).  I mean, how many of us really NEED 100+ mags of every type?  Odds are that none of us will wear a mag out; but if they ban production of new standard capacity mags anything in private hands will definitely appreciate nicely.

Agreed, I almost pulled the trigger on a large mag order then stopped, went and counted how many I had and realized I still had mags in their original plastic and was really only using like the same 3-4 mags when I went to the range.

Kota still has those L210's in stock right now. List price $350, promo code GMLOGMD takes off $50 bringing it to $300, plus shipping brings it out to $322 a pair.

If any one company raised the price of their products a lot of folks would just go elsewhere.  There is a lot of competition in the tactical nylon world right now. There are lucky for us consumers many good options.  I don't think anyone wants to be the first to raise their prices and risk alienating their consumers and pushing them to other companies.  

Ammunition and Firearms might be a bit different. I think the Ammunition and Firearms costs are being raised due to the raw material costs going up and some of the increases are likely being made by dealers as well deciding to go above MSRP on a firearm, because they know that they can.  Usually in firearms and ammunition the margins of profit for dealers is pretty low and so I'm sure a lot of them are raising prices while they can.  In the tactical nylon world though most manufacturers sell direct and not just through a distributor to dealer network.

The thing is that all these new first-time gun owners obviously aren't buying guns because they suddenly decided they liked plinking at the range as a hobby.

I mean, I'm not necessarily complaining. Their failure to consider that there's more to "being armed" than just having a bare bones AR and 5 boxes of ammo is why the price of IFAKs, lights, and optics haven't skyrocketed like guns and ammo.

That's actually a really good point I hadn't considered. That maybe the dealer/distributor business dynamic could partly explain why guns and ammo seem to be the only things that have actually skyrocketed.

right but being armed with a gun and ammo is the first step. You can conceal by stuffing a gun in your pocket with a desantis or wear on the belt with an $18 Fobus paddle holster. Many people don't think about the support stuff. I sure didn't. For a long damn time I thought shit, I have a 357 in a fobus under my jacket (no reload or speedloader) and I was walking around the bad parts of Daytona Beach at night. Not sure I'd do that today for a lot of reasons, but still I considered myself armed and safe.

Now I know better and have more money in holsters than I care to admit. My other gear has been upgraded in the process as well.

I agree but we've only been in this for a year.  The panic isn't just new people and it's leaking over to a accessories and optics. People are putting funds towards upgrades because shooting is so expensive I think.


I don't expect a new shooter to get into armor other than the stuff that's heavily marketed and that's not really as likely. Not saying they won't get into it down the road though.


The run on armor hit a year before the pandemic and it seems like it's actually more available now.

Prices on Spiritus MK4 Micro Rigs and Haley Strategic D3CRM have gone through the roof lately.

You cannot find anything but bits and pieces.  On E-Bay you need mucho cash, plus donate a kidney.  I've seen some Spiritus and Haley rigs asking and fetching $300. or more for used ones.

I just scored a Spiritus MK 4 Rig in Black, with new with Fat Harness and 5.56 mag insert for just a little over $200. shipped.

Adding some Esstac KYWI 5.56 inserts, Spiritus Systems Esstac 5.56/Pistol Kiwi Adapter Kit and I thought I 'd be good to go.

But no, the rig was missing the Backstrap, and no OEM ones were to be found anywhere.  I got lucky and found a guy Texas that makes a fine copy and I snagged one for $22. + shipping

The Spiritus in Black is not too bad, as you can cover it with a full or half flap in a variety of colors that can still be found, without offering up body parts.