Gun Demand Has TANKED - 5 Reasons Why 

For me, the issue is the cost of ammunition. The price has been so inflated for so long. I can't shoot as much as I like so buying another gun doesn't make sense.

There's a few firearms I'd love to buy, but unless it's a super good deal I'm not adding any new calibers till ammo prices come down.

Firearms have bottomed out due to overpricing

I visited 3 LGS today; there has been no price decrease in any guns, though few customers were present, which is consistent with a recession.

I learn so much from these videos not just about firearms. Keep up the good work sir.

556 and 9mm ammo have doubled in price. That's why.

Hopefully prices for both guns and ammo will start to go down.

Well eggs went from .68cents a dozen to 4.50. My propane bill went up 150$ a month, my property taxes went up 800$, my home owners insurance went up 1200$, my fuel cost went up 100$ a week, and my dental insurance denied coverage on my kids fillings which is a 4k bill. I wanted to buy a mk25 and a 226 legion this year, but thats being pushed to 2025 now.

I doubt very much whether 5% of the population could define inflation or recession, but they know that after filling the gas’s tank all month and buying groceries all month, there is very little left over for ammunition, forget a new gun. Those of us on fixed incomes are being hit hard and we just need to be happy with the firearms we currently own. I just had to replace my car so there goes $400 a month to the credit Union. Best Regards Chris

Maybe decreased demand has something to do with $350 pistol suddenly becoming a $550 pistol? I will wait till the price returns to $350 and then catch it on clearance for $270. And I mean, for example, a Turkish CZ75 clone made by SAR or a surplus Beretta 92S.

We ARE in a recession, but 1.35 million NICS checks in June 2022. Prices may go down, but demand is still pretty good. Ammo availability is the big question.

That is not a crash... it is a return to normality! Anyone who believes in continuous growth model is kidding themselves! Every year should stand on its own feet...

People have other obligations/food, fuel and ammo. Where are the reloading components? Where is the hunting ammo?

I’ve not seen any Ruger or Smith’s that I’m interested in purchasing. They have mostly been putting out polymer 9mms carry guns. Many of their revolvers have been absent from retailers shelves.

I would like to point something else out in regards to firearms. The issue with them from a business stand point is they last practically forever if cared for. No other commodity will last as long as a firearm. And there are limits to how many guns any one person desires to own, usually space lol. I have run into an issue where I have trouble shooting all the guns I have so I won’t buy any more. I have a few guns that are decades old and function like new. You take $1000 and spend it on anything chances are nothing else besides a firearm will be around in 20 years. A phone is lucky to go a few years and they cost a grand, cars cost 10s of thousands of dollars and are thrown away. Firearms will outlast you. It seems it would be hard to sell a lot of products that don’t break.

I bought 4 last week. Nothing tanked at my house.

Something else to consider for the future. Some folks will be loath to fill out any more 4473 forms.

Inflation and the cost of food and gas has eaten into my gun budget. Toss in the fact that ammo prices haven’t come down, has curbed my shooting. I went from shooting every two weeks to maybe every three months.

Wow dude, this is the first time I’ve heard an eloquently presented thorough explanation of all the relevant metrics that are impacting the state of the firearms industry. So many content creators are constantly opining on the cost of firearms or ammunition with very little consideration or grasp of the multiple factors that contribute to pricing, supply, demand etc. I’m an avid hunter, shooter, reloader etc. I’m also a retired financial advisor. It’s refreshing to see a young man in the gun business that has done serious due diligence on the state of his industry. If the retail gun store owners have conventions, you would make an excellent key note speaker! Is it too late to buy puts on SWBI or RGR? Ruger is just above its 52 week low but has a 5% dividend currently. Lots of uncertainty ahead!

As a life long firearms owner and small home based FFL I see a steady trickle of transfers. I don't have a store, so no walk-ins mainly people ordering and sending to me. However, things haven't stopped but they do sort of hiccup every so often. Recently, its been the talk of the AWB that has brought new clients and old one's back to my door step for another transfer. I would say with confidence without this going on things would have ground to a halt for me. Personally, I rarely shoot anymore, I can't afford it and I might get a slight discount on ammunition but still vastly inflated prices of 2+ years ago. I've personally turned my $$$ towards suppressors, so in hopes to protect my aging ears. I think .22 LR is the new OG round, since no one wants to shoot ammo that cost 1$ a round.

The cure for high prices is high prices. Pricing-out the customer obviously enables demand destruction, hopefully driving down prices. We’ll test that theory soon.

Prices are way too high and ammo prices are way too high

Mostly price gouging at gun dealerships !

Hey Chris, big local fan here from Frankfort. First off I want to say my father and myself have bought several firearms from your store and from your website. You have a fantastic website that I check every other day for new inventory and try to make it to the store when I've got that "itch" that means I'm very likely to buy a new gun today lol. I really love your videos. There's so much information! Your unboxing videos with Randy (he's awesome) and Weekly Used Gun Reviews are the best on RU-vid. I love that it's all factual information and nothing speculative. Especially politically. You're obviously very knowledgeable and you could easily interject your own beliefs into the videos but you keep it objective all the way. That is incredibly refreshing. It's just empirical data and no filler. You've carved one hell of a niche for yourself in the YT firearms community and it's one that I'll stand behind forever. You're like a professor that gives you all the details but doesn't melt his opinion over the lecture. Amazing stuff.

My personal demand has tanked because I'm not finding anything I want to buy, including a new rifle and the ammo for it. IDK what gun makers are doing or making, but nothing I want is for sale.

Like you said we appear to be at pre-pandemic levels…..what is interesting is that we aren’t at pre-pandemic inventory level (just my experiences at my local shops). The inventory is still not what it is was. They have quantity, but not the variety. They have tons of G19’s but no G19 MOS’s or G20 etc. lots of DD4 V7’s but no MK18, or any other DD models. Lots of Henry 22lr’s but nothing else of interest (no 30/30, 357). Just my experience.

It will pick back up, once we hear from the senate.

I have to say, I'm not a gun "Enthusiast" but, I am a gun owner and like guns, though would like to see more responsible gun ownership. This channel is refreshing, No lengthy introductions of shooting stuff, cause who hasn't seen that before? Just no nonsense, relevant, non-partisan, good information about the industry. Thank you!

I am a disabled Veteran and I have found that my "extra" income after I pay all of my bills is very low! Inflation has finally creeped up to where I am noticing that I have almost nothing left. Unfortunately things are probably only gonna get worse, so hang on people and stay prepared!

Chris, Thank you for your presentation. Your communication skills are excellent. What did you do before you got into the firearms business?

That's good, prices went crazy.

I personally can't afford a box of 9mm these days, everything is 30% more except for income.

Very thoughtful analysis. Thank you.

Always enjoy your knowledge of firearms and market trends.

Very glad demand went down, I can find what I want to now and ammo is available.

You have some of the most perceptive and astute analysis of the market that can be found on RU-vid.

The gun industry has been selling guns of all kinds for the last three years in crazy numbers to the point of having a. Shortage of guns I think people bought what they need it and more.and now we have. normal sells

In my area ( s.w. Missouri ) gun prices are down and most models are in stock, but it's the ammo that is still hit and miss. Some ammo like 9mm, 10 mm prices are slowly coming down and are fairly easy to find but 380.acp, 38.scp, 357 , 45lc are still hard to find and when you do prices are ridiculous. And don't even try to find calipers like 25.acp, 32.acp, and other oddball ammo, no where to be found.

I appreciate that you are always level headed and your observation based on the facts in your commentary and not being "the little boy who cried wolf" like so many others who let their political views warp the facts. I actually send people to your RU-vid when they talk about how nuts so many gun channels.Thanks.

Around here the demand is still quite high and ammo is now fairly plentiful---enough so you can buy it as needed without having to stockpile.

Ammo is muy expensive

If only prices would drop to 2000s era levels. And have milsurp availability again.

This was honestly a very solid video on how the demand is going down. I have personally purchased more stuff this year than in the last couple of years, but I saw some good deals and I am putting money into keeping things secure and safe along with buying more stuff. I'm keeping an eye out for sales and promotions, but the surplus market is only going to go up sadly. I think that ammunition will likely level out in terms of pricing or go down a little bit as the price of raw materials and logistics go down.

Can't wait till the demand of reloading supplies tanks as well.

Price of ammo big big issue

Hell...where? Everything is still sky high where I am

Literally everything costs too much. My extra money per month is pretty much non-existent now.

Very Good!

Consumer buying is down. Well, imagine that! Food, gas, rent or food. What do I choose?

Really wish primers online would come down. Over 100 a brick after shipping/hazmat is ridiculous

All true points

As always an intelligent synopsis of what's happening in the gun arena, thx

Stuff is definitely expensive out there.

There's some real good reasons that are plausible but the biggest one is we just don't have any discretionary spending left in our checkbooks. Everything I pay for is double digit growth trailer twelve months. The minimum is 11 % for my electric and 100% fuel and mist everything else around 30% We just don't have money to spend on a firearm or ammo.

Thanks again Chris your last couple videos have been very informative where the normal guy can understand thank you for that !! BRANDON HAS EVERYTHING F@$KED UP 🤣🤣🤣

Ammo cost is what is holding me back. Once it gets to a more reasonable price I will be buying again...

An excellent analysis. I just subscribed. One possible additional factor is stagnation of design. Once you have a black plastic rifle and a black plastic handgun, how many more copies of that design does anyone want? I find myself looking more and more among used and less and less among new. I have a ultralight black plastic carry gun for this Florida heat. I only need one. For my fun guns I look to steel, polish, fit, craftsmanship, high level accuracy, and beauty. I don't see much of that offered up in new firearms. They have exceeded saturation for black plastic.

Chris you could start contacting dealers in states like NJ, NY, CA and others that just recently had the 2nd Amendment restored. I'm in NJ and handgun sales have risen since the Bruen decision. Permits to purchase have risen to the point that I'm now waiting over 2 weeks to be approved in my town. The NJ NICS system is backed up much longer now too.

Very interesting... I agreed with you a few months ago, and I still agree with you now, demand for guns is LOW....too damn bad that wont bring the prices down at all. Gun COST is still stupid high, and none of the FFLs are budging on prices.

I hope prices get back to pre covid levels

I stopped being a vendor at gun shows. I figured the recession would not bring in buyers plus the cost to go and stay has gone up so much its hardly worth going anymore.

It's all about discretionary income. It's money not required for day-to-day living expenses - mortgage, rent, utilities, car payment, insurances and more. That money can be used for wants versus needs. You want to go to dinner, buy a new firearm, ammunition, TV, etc. The stimulus money put a great deal of money into the discretionary category for many people. It was obvious to me a few months ago when I started seeing firearm rebates. That last time I saw that was 2019. Demand is waning and will continue to fall off. Recession talk will keep people rather cautious on want expenses versus actual needs in the months ahead.

Primer prices still have not come down . Powder pricing is not as inflated . Projectiles are still up. I haven’t gone through my pre Covid reloading supplies yet, but once I do , my reloading costs may be up 50+ %.

Because everyone smart enough to see what's coming and buy one....has one.

B 4 the covid primers for reloading rifles or pistols were ~$35 per 1000 at my small local gunshop. Now I'm lucky if I can find them for $100 per 1000. Increases in every thing elese related to reloading. The shooting sports are becoming a rich mans hobby.

Great video. Just discovered your channel. I appreciate you getting to the point, avoiding long drawn out intros and steering away from politics

I agree, I believe that the major surge for the past 2.5 years has finally subsided. I also was looking at their financials, and the drop in demand is showing in their profit statements. Now where you may see a spike (temporary) is with the threat of the current AWB in the Senate. Although it may or may not be significant, ammo may be more of a player than firearms at this point.

One could read this a market correction. Also one should consider the recent scotus decisions for 2a. As restrictions and bans are overturned the market may open up.

My personal reasons are 1: ammunition cost and availability 2: The cost of another or bigger safe and where to put it. We don't currently have a big house.

The drop off in demand was extremely predictable following the early pandemic levels. Gun manufacturer promotions are a good start, but there needs to be some collaborative effort with ammunition manufacturers to reduce ammunition prices which would encourage more range time. You hit the nail on the head in that many consumers are oversupplied with firearms already and very few people are worried that anything will ever be done to restrict gun purchases and gun ownership because if nothing has been done over the last 23 years since Columbine and the hundreds of mass shootings since then, then nothing will ever be done. Gun lobbyists and some RU-vid influencers use the scare tactics to keep donations coming in and subscribers tuning in. Just my opinion after being a gun owner since 1982, and I hope everyone has one of their own.

Ammo is still a major problem, expensive and not available in many calibers. If you want a plastic wonder nine than most stores have plenty, same with ARs, recent SCOTUS rulings have helped kill off fear mongering so there is no reason for panic buying. And the recession and inflation has killed disposable income, average monthly Credit Card debt keeps rising as people try to fill their tanks just to get to work.

Another great analysis of the economic state of the firearms industry in real time. Your knowledge of economics and politics is a refreshing difference to the other channels in this venue. I am somewhat taken back that you chose to deal in firearms for a living with your depth, but very happy you have. Thank you.

Chris should offer 50% discount codes for his RU-vid viewers for in-store purchases only...

well said

I definitely don’t have any more stimulus checks laying around to buy guns with, but I’m still buying parts and ammo the same way I used to. Hopefully some of the parts I need start to pop up in the 100’s of email alerts I get from optics planet and Brownells 😂

You gotta love numbers to make it through this one...I think the whole deal is just too much trouble for people. Going through the process of getting the gun, trying to find a place to shoot it that's not a landfill, having to worry about other shooters, and then having to buy expensive ammo, having to be on guard all the time around a weapon that can kill you in a heartbeat. The real deal is that firearms ownership and usage is not for the casually committed. Those without some underlying purpose in taking up gun ownership would be better off starting a You Tube Channel.

Once you already own a few firearms, there is no longer any need to buy any. Anything I buy after my core 5 guns (pistol, .22 rifle, shotgun, deer rifle, and defensive rifle) is just a discretionary purchase because I enjoy it as a hobby. And when people are uncertain of the future, spending on hobbies and other non-necessities decreases. There’s already a very high level of gun ownership, and everyone has the firearms they need. If gun demand is falling off I don’t think it has as much to do with guns themselves as it does the average person’s feeling for the economy.

Big box sporting goods store last eight months SE Wisconsin. Dozens of like new handguns in the used case. Most never fired.

Ammo is too high tbh. Nobody has it in bulk online anymore because vendors at the gun shows buy it all up and resell it back to you at store price🤬It’s not cool knowing every time you wanna take your guns to the range a have a little fun it’s gonna cost atleast $100 in bullets wasted not including entry fees at the range 🤦🏾‍♂️. Sure it’s cheaper to get a monthly or yearly membership but then you have to waste bullets on the regular to get the best use out of your membership. It’s a lose lose when bullets are so high.

I never played golf. It simply was to expensive. It's the same now with shooting. More people would get into the hobby if the price of ammo was alot cheaper.

plenty of sales where Im at , not enough arms

I’m saving up for an smg after the NFA gets abolished. 👍

Can’t afford to buy another one. Not to mention the ammo.

I agree. Thank You.

FJB! He’s destroying the working class.

Thanks for the insight.

At this point I've actually started downsizing my collection. My work hours got cut. was doing 50- 60 hours a week for the last five years and they cut me down to 45 at most a couple months ago. I hardly get that either. It's been tough but we make products for the housing market which is always one of the first markets to get hit in a recession. I Gave up on my goal on buying each nation from Ww 1 to WW2 bolt guns. Then I started selling guns to get some cash in and get rid of calibers that hard to find or duplicates. So far I sold my smle, Turkish Mauser, and tokarev. I'll keep my carcano( hodge podge of parts it won't be worth much), mosin, Lee Enfield no 4 and sks. I'm focusing on what I need at this point. It's also nice to get rid of some guns whose calibers are hard to obtain making it easier to just to buy main stuff ( 22lr, 9mm, 5.56, 7.62x39, and 12 gauge.) . I'm focusing more on hunting this year because of how bad meat prices are right now so I've been just focusing on arrows, 12 gauge, and 22 lr. Also it's a bad time to own anything eastern bloc. All of that cheap 7.62x39 and x54r is gone. All of the prices on it have skyrocketed. And we will prob never see Russian ammo again anytime in the foreseeable future. So I'm just trying to get as many of those rounds as possible. While it doesn't scratch the itch of shooting bigger stuff. I've just been shooting a lot of 22 and I might even stop that soon because hunting season is coming up

Excellent information and analysis

Great info. Thank you 👍

Stimulus money had a factor in all the " panic" buying too IMO. I had many people buy gun from me, because as a private sale, I was cheaper, I was willing to meet for a transaction, unlike big box stores that were closed, and my price was reasonable. I also was able to pick up many " unwanted" firearms because people needed cash. Another factor is the "1st time gun owner" . They got the handgun or shotgun they wanted, and that's all they needed. The ammo shortage had many factors, o e that's overlooked is the 1st time gun owner. 20,000,000 new gun owners in 18 months ( as I have read) take stock off shelves. It's like anything else, prices come down, but will never come down to the level everyone wants. It's not feasible in manufacturing as stayed here. Look at it this way, gas is coming down and that's good, but it will never be under 3.00 a gallon again. It's just the way it works.

They changed the meaning/definition of inflation on wiki 🤦🏽‍♂️

Glad I sold my Ruger stock at 75

Prices too high Chris also if ammo going to cost you 50,60,80 dollars a box most can’t afford to buy but I’ve done my part lol thanks enjoyed the video

Just bought a gun for the first time in a couple of years. They are back to more normal prices. At this point though I feel I have what I need and it’s more about something I just want. Just wish ammo would come down a bit. Still not shooting a lot

Its also tanking because nobody wants a NICS check right now even though they are legal as apple pie.

Let’s go Brandon!

My former job was at a gun range. Most if not all transactions were transfers, per day we did 15 to 20 background checks ( not in store inventory)

PLEASE discuss Measure 114 on the Oregon ballot !!!!!! We NEED awareness on this.

The prices are still extremely high here. The gun and ammo prices have not fallen in mu area.

If I had an outdoor place to train I would buy more