Thoughts on panic buying, and high prices

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Nine the Ranger

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Hello everyone, before I say anything I'd like to tell you all a few things about myself. I am 22 years old, I am not in college nor do I plan to go anytime soon,I work just shy of 40 hours a week at a minimum wage job, I am a firm conservative, and am one of the most avid gun rights individual in my circle of friends, I am by no means struggling to get by but I am by no means thriving and living the high life.

Which brings me to my main point: Panic buying and price gouging. It's depressing how the upcoming election has everyone talking about how much prices are going to go up and how their AR/AK/Tavor/SCAR could be work 2x, 3x, 4, or even 5x the amount they paid for it in a month or two. People often worry about our youth and why they do not engage in the shooting sports. Well let me tell you that very many like myself and others are very interested but when people are driving up prices for even the most basic firearms it makes it not worth the struggle. Sure, I could could suck it up and swing to afford a $1200 'budget' AR-15 but that woupd exhaust nearly all my savings and I still have bills.

Just food for thought next time anyone wants to tack on an extra grand to a gun during a 'panic'. You may be turning someone away from the sport, and thus losing that much more support for it.
 
I think it will not be a big panic early.

Too many guns added to collections since the last panic.

As far as pricing... whatever the market will bear is ok with me. I'm a capitalist, let the sellers set the price, see if it works.
 
1200 budget AR really.
Can buy a budget AR all day long for under 600.
Just bought one in 762x39 (wyndham src) for 650 and 223/556 cal can be had for close to 500 if you look

As for the panic just dont fall for it. Buy now while still low $$ and stock ammo a little at a time. I buy 2/3 boxes a week of the calibers I shoot and add it to the collection. Ammo doesnt spoil.


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Some guns go up in price, but look around and you will often see the same model by another manufacturer that is cheaper. Don't get stuck paying for the name when you can get the same quality from the X brand.

Bullets and other components are a little different. Iv's stocked up on primers and brass as well as powder. I remember the last time they were short in supply.

22 ammo is getting ridiculous so, when I find it at a decent price I'll buy a few bricks. (Many companies are restricting customers to only 2 boxes at a time.)
 
My points were:

With proce gouging a budget AR in the $500-$700 range would shoot up in price.

And that when you're young and looking at dropping what amounts to several months worth of income it makes you really hesitant and unlikely to do it.
 
$1200 'budget' AR-15
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I have to agree with the others, I just put together a nice AR for less than $500. It even has a few nicer than average parts.

With proce gouging a budget AR in the $500-$700 range would shoot up in price.
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There's a tons of AR's out there; tons of lower receivers stashed and lord knows how many 80% receivers waiting to be completed. There's nothing special or rare about an AR. And, I don't think they will be banned that quickly even if Hillary gets elected.

Look, if I were your age and had some money, I'd look at buying an interesting handgun; something that few other people have. Something with a capacity of 15 or more and imported. I like:

CZ 75B Glossy Blue or Stainless
Kriss Sphinx SPD
Grand Power K100 for a less expensive gun.

Here's why:

1. Regulating handguns is easier than regulating rifles
2. Large capacity will be the first to go
3. Imported large capacity semi-auto handguns will be #1 on the hit list
4. Everyone has an AR. A good quality, unique handgun is fun to shoot, useful, has better potential for appreciation, has collector's appeal, and will let you stand apart from the crowd when shooting. Oh, and the ones I've mention shoot well too!

So, don't go cheap. Don't go common. When ban has a good chance of coming, spend a little money on the "wow" factor.

When I was the OP's age, people my age told me to buy machine guns. I wish I listened.
 
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Less than 20 days to the elections and we already have 2 "panic" threads going!

If you buy at panic prices, stop by the local tatoo artist and have a giant " L " tattooed on your forehead!!! There's been plenty of time to buy and will still be plenty, just relax, take a deep breath and buy something else.

Ammo is the same, you've had plenty of time to buy. Why are you panicking now?!:rolleyes:
 
And that when you're young and looking at dropping what amounts to several months worth of income it makes you really hesitant and unlikely to do it.
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When I was young I was poor too. I didn't have the internet to complain to either. Being young and having as much money as you would like to spend on things is a rare combination. I think you have to prioritize what you really want and why you want it.

Gun prices I have never seen prices so cheap.

in 1994 a decent AR of which there was very limited selection of (make that about four choices) cost around $1200 or $1960 in 2016 dollars. Pre-ban base model prices (say 1987) would have been $400 or $850 in 2016 dollars. By any measure of the cost of the rifle you are still coming out ahead.
 
Yes, if the price goes too high some will not be able to buy. What is the alternative? There will always be those willing to gouge anyone willing to be gouged. There are huge numbers of ARs and AR components available. As long as that is true, prices will remain relatively stable. If the government gets more involved, prices will go up unless it is some kind of entitlement program for low income folks to purchase weapons. Then the price only goes up for the rest of us.
 
Its been said that things are worth what people are willing to pay. In '13 people hoarded .22 ammo like it was gold. Guys bought up hundreds of thousands of rounds, some folks paniced and payed $70 for a brick of 500. Many more folks sat back and waited. In '14 many of those knuckle heads who hoarded were trying to sell that same .22 ammo out of their truck in gravel parking lots for next to nothing. Sme happened with ARs, glocks etc. Relax. Save up and get a better paying job. You'll do fine and your collection will grow.
 
The one positive from the last panic, all the reports of Walmart employees buying ammo, and then reselling it at inflated prices has led me to stay clear of Walmart for purchasing anything. :D

I haven't seen the panic yet but I am sure it will come. On the positive I'm not in the market for anything to be panicked over (except ammunition). I frankly never understood the ammunition shortage though.
 
One of the panics my local Walmart let the same guy buy all the ammo everytime a shipment arrived. The guy then sold it on Craigslist
 
There needs to be a shock/surprise to induce panic. It's like boiling frogs... turn the heat up slow and the frog tolerates it until the end. Drop said frog into already boiling water and it bounces right out.

I don't think there will be a panic. Recovery has shown us we don't need to. And there will be no real surprises this election.
-SS-
 
I would rather have the option to pay five times what I think a product is worth to purchase it than be unable to buy a product at all because there is no product left at what I think the "fair" price is.

You don't want to pay more than what you think something is worth? Then keep your money in your pocket until the price is what you think is appropriate - that's a simple and effective solution.

Having said that, not even a month ago PSA was selling a complete upper and complete lower, with everything but rear sights and a magazine for $460. That's $90 cheaper than I paid for my first AR15 clone over three decades ago (i.e. the equivalent of $1,211.55 in 2016 dollars for an HBAR 11.5" Olympic with A2 upper). It isn't all that often that prices on a product go DOWN after 30 years of steady inflation. If you are waiting for the right time to "buy 'em cheap and stack 'em deep" then that time is here right now. It is also true for AR15 magazines as well.
 
There is a TON of new shooters it seems and hence a larger demand on ammo. That and places trying to restrict online orders or making ammo purchases go through some instant check system blah blah. People are stocking there shelves for every perceived threat.

I think that is your primary ammo driver.
 
My points were:

With proce gouging a budget AR in the $500-$700 range would shoot up in price.

And that when you're young and looking at dropping what amounts to several months worth of income it makes you really hesitant and unlikely to do it.
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Maybe this will help. Say I sell guns for a living, if I can sell 100 guns a week and make $100 profit I can stay in business. Now say a panic hits and I can only buy 50 guns a week to sell because the market is bare. I now have to sell for a $200 profit or go out of business. The store owner's expenses have not gone down, but his inventory to sell has. Its not just the buyer who suffers during a panic which is why NOW is a good time to buy or don't complain later.
 
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