And I'm still encouraging those of you who have not yet subscribed to this excellent Shooting Sports thrice-weekly shooting-sports related newsletter to subscribe.
This week, Mr. Shepherd postulates that the Obama-Boom in firearms sales is winding down. With notable exceptions:
Over the past few days, I've been running one of my extremely non-scientific, non-comprehensive, not-representative-of-anything-other-than-what-people-tell-me surveys of the firearms retail business.
And the research tells me what everyone already knows: gun sales are slowing again. It seems the "Barack Boom" has started to go bust. No real reason, other than maybe the fact that everyone has all the AR-style rifles they can shoot, store or afford, but there is an undeniable slowdown --virtually across the board. One exception, the still-ubiquitous .22 caliber rifles. They are selling quite well - probably because we've all realized that our assorted thumper guns have become the "gas guzzlers" of the shooting industry.
OK, I know some of you are going to take a shot at me for that analogy, but it's a simple fact- even to a writer who's been fortunate enough to have enjoyed lots of chances to shoot up someone else's ammo - that the days of "here, I don't want to haul this last 100 rounds of (your caliber here) back to the office, so you take it" are as gone as the roaring twenties.
Today, when an event's over, the ammo, and in some cases, the brass itself, is gathered up, boxed up, and shipped back to the office - or on to the next event. And the number of "events" isn't what it used to be, either.
Handguns, especially those little ones we've written so much about, continue to sell through very well. And as the calendars count down to hunting seasons across the country, there is a moderate amount of interest in the traditional-style hunting rifle.
Along with those rifles and some shotguns where mandated for deer hunting, scopes and other accessories/necessities are also moving pretty well.
The most positive thing I'm continuing to hear is the steady demand for qualified firearms training. It's reassuring to know that many of the first-time gun buyers aren't just sticking them away for future reference. They're getting real instruction and putting in some basic trigger time. That will make them considerably more inclined to get off the sidelines and start shooting for recreation.
As Rob Leatham says, he's never had anyone he's invited out to the range tell him they've had a bad time. Ditto everyone else with the possible exception of a few former military instructors. Their training's a bit too intense for most, although it's quite effective.
But it's very quiet out there in the industry right now. Discussion with other observers attributes that to several factors, not the least of which is companies working on their 2010 budgets, preparing their materials for 2010 rollouts at SHOT Show, and getting the last-minute kinks out of new products.
A couple of things worth noting....Legislation headed to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's would eliminate all gun shows at San Francisco's Cow Palace. According to the Oakland Tribune, SB 585 stipulates that no more than five gun shows may be held at the Cow Palace during 2010, 2011, and 2012. All gun shows would be out in 2013. According to Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) the bill outlawing the shows is "about respecting local values and local standards."
The whole stink is over a series of gun shows called "Crossroads of the West" which are held periodically at the Cow Palace. They regularly draw between two and three thousand Bay Area residents. In fact, the next show is scheduled for September 19-20. No word on what will happen for the shows scheduled for November, January, March and May. If the law passes, that will fill the five show quota, effectively eliminating all gun shows there. Alameda, Marin and Los Angeles counties have already enacted local ordinances banning gun shows at county-owned facilities.
As I've written before, it never stops, and we'll keep you posted.
--Jim Shepherd
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