Returning To Normal? A Little?

The gun business has been wacky for everyone the last year or so. For those of us who thought it would be smart to start a firearms business right as coronavirus kicked off? Even more so. It has been a year of selling whatever you could get in while at the same time not being able to get your hands on anything at all. Distributors stopped answering calls and emails and then stopped accepting any new dealers at all. The really popular stuff was impossible to get or if you could order it, you were looking at a very long wait. For example something I ordered from CMMG in July of 2020 just arrived today in mid-May 2021. I would just keep hitting refresh on tabs, hoping to catch something in stock. That worked more often than you would think. The best of times, the worst of times.

For consumers it has been just as bad, everyone is out of everything and prices skyrocketed. If you do buy a gun, you can't get ammo for it.

But...it might be starting to let up. Here are a couple of anecdotal examples....

1. Classic Firearms sent out an email a couple of days ago talking about all of the Glocks they had for sale, and not just that shitty Glock 44 in .22. Most of the top faves were on the list, prices wildly inflated but available and that is saying something.

2. Backordered items at one of my distributors seem to be getting cutting loose for smaller operators. That means that the big shops aren't eating up all of the supply. We aren't back to the place where you can go online and order whatever you want but that is an improvement. 

3. Stag Arms has started to offer dealer pricing again after a long hiatus where we didn't get much offered to us. Today my rep called, I wasn't able to pick up the call but I knew it was him and having a rep call you is something that happened back in the quiet days of 2019.

Ammo is also starting to appear, still outrageous prices but available. I even started hearing from some wholesalers.

A nice little reprieve but one I am certain is only temporary. Maybe take this opportunity during the slight lull to upgrade your gear, replace old stuff or just get something new.