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The reality of gun availability during ECR

I started Prepping, in-earnest, in 1997 and had been doing so willy-nilly for 5 or 6 years before.

Damn. I call 'HAT' on myself... (Hijacked Another Thread)

Lo siento...

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Sal Romaine said:
Ahh. so it is the distributors responsible for raising the ammo prices?
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It is not that simple. The answer is yes, but... Yes, many distributors have raised their prices. Manufacturers have raised their prices. Distributors dont have enough ammo for dealers to keep it in stock so dealers are seeking alternate sources for ammo. Dealers are buying from retail locations that have inventory to be able to have inventory themselves. Dealers are buying from gunbroker. Dealers are doing whatever it takes to have stock for their customers. Higher average cost of acquisition even when the distributors remain close to old pricing still drives up price at retail
 
wilson911 said:
Wrong. It might not have hit your bottom line yet, but all businesses are in a fragile position right now. I mean, unless you are a public sector employee.
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LOL. I am retired public safety, but that monthly check remains unchanged. Some folks here are aware that I do a lot of electrical/electronic/mechanical repair of hot tubs, jetted baths, sauna, steam and pool heaters. My backlog of work remains extensive (about two weeks) even though I have raised my rates significantly over the past six months.
 
n1oty said:
LOL. I am retired public safety, but that monthly check remains unchanged. Some folks here are aware that I do a lot of electrical/electronic/mechanical repair of hot tubs, jetted baths, sauna, steam and pool heaters. My backlog of work remains extensive (about two weeks) even though I have raised my rates significantly over the past six months.
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Yep. Tradesmen thrive when yuppies can't sweat a copper pipe, replace a 3-way switch or install a ceiling fan...
 
Woodsloafer said:
Same here, people should always be prepared for a natural disaster, sometime of "upheaval", a pandemic, etc. just like you should buy ammo when it is available at reasonable prices.
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Yep. there really is no difference between a Race Riot and a Hurricane... well, except for the caliber of ammo...
 
n1oty said:
LOL. I am retired public safety, but that monthly check remains unchanged. Some folks here are aware that I do a lot of electrical/electronic/mechanical repair of hot tubs, jetted baths, sauna, steam and pool heaters. My backlog of work remains extensive (about two weeks) even though I have raised my rates significantly over the past six months.
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This. I have 3 jobs, 2 tech service, one retail. all 3 are busy AF right now. The people -really- getting f***ed are hospitality/travel/restaurant/entertainment businesses... and anything intimately welded to those.
 
CrackPot said:
You have a couple choices

- call up and ask what is in stock that meets some wide set of criteria. I am looking for a high end 1911, 45ACP 5" barrel, stainless.
- decide what you want and ask to be put on the waiting list understanding that the list may be infinite in length or the wait may be infinite

I am a Nighthawk dealer. In January they had ~100 guns in stock at the factory and the wait time for a custom order was ~12 weeks. Right now the factory has nothing in stock and everything in production is already committed. The estimated wait time for new orders is 9-12 months. These are guns that start at $3,800 and go up over $10,000 a piece and they have a 9month+ backlog. If people are buying nighthawks like this, what do you think the practical backlog is for a glock 19 gen5?

I am not saying to not call up your dealer. I am saying it would be good if you had the right set of expectations when you do.
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Fair enough..so to paraphrase...don’t be a “Karen” if you can’t get what you want, when you want it, at the price you want it. [rofl]. I get it, you guys are doing the best you can in A tough situation..I hope things break our way and return to normal in a year or two..
 
kevblah said:
Or make enough money during the good times to be able to afford inflated pricing during the bad times.

Everyone with ammo acting like they have incredible foresight because they bought ammo at 250 a case and now it’s worth 600. Tesla stock can jump more than that in a week. Make money, buy what you want.
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It's not incredible foresight. It's just basic paying attention and learning lessons from the past. It's not like we haven't had enough events/issues recently for even the slowest of individuals to learn from.

I make money, and buy what i want when I want it (within reason). But i'll be damn if i'm going to overpay for guns/ammo/reloading components later on when I can buy it cheap and stack it deep during times of plenty. Basic economics for something that doesn't go bad easily. Leaves me more money in my bank account to spend on something else.
 
enbloc said:
This ^

I had (5) 20-roll Scotts TP's in rotation on March 1st. (and had it well before The Panic) 250 n95 masks and more bleach and disinfectants than would fill a kiddie pool.
These things I've stocked for years...

Some of us are Deathly Serious about this level of 'Prep'...
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I spent 40 years in CT. Every winter we have the risk of downed power lines and impassable streets. Then I moved down to coastal GA where we have hurricanes.

So, I have a generator and gas for it. I have bottled water, filters, food, alcohol, toilet paper, matches, candles, batteries, bleach, disinfectant, masks, etc, etc, etc. Enough food in the freezers and pantries so that I don't have to go to the store for six months or so. Six months worth of critical meds in proper storage.

Guns (mostly) in the safe, loaded mags dispersed, ammo on the shelves; cash, passports, birth certificates and other critical papers in a grab bag in another safe. Silver rounds in yet another safe.

Books on the shelves that I could happily read again.
 
There are no less than five gun stores within five miles of here. I haven't been in any of them lately, but this morning walked into what I believe to be the smallest of them. Single guy with a shop in a stripmall. He had a bunch of Anderson lowers ($99 - I bought one), and at least a dozen handguns in his case. A few Glocks. A bunch of 1911's and various other semi-automatic black things as well as a few revolvers. He had maybe a dozen rifles and shotguns on the wall, including at least one AR-15. His ammo supply was fairly well stocked with odd calibers, but no 9mm or .45 or .22lr. He did have some 5.56 but I'm good.

I also stopped into another sporting goods store right after to pick up some fishing tackle and saltwater taffy. He also had plenty of shotgun ammo, oddball handgun ammo (.32, .41, .44 Webley(?)), and decent amounts of .243, .270, 6.5mm Creedmore, but no .223/5.56, or .308. Basically, all the "common" stuff is gone but he occasionally gets a bit of each, and sells on a one-per-customer basis.

That's what's happening here in Eastern NC. YMMV.
 
Yeah, I'm a very small FFL at the Mill and the Allocated designation has bit me in the butt a few times. I don't have enough volume to warrant an allocated firearm and was told so by one of my distributors. My agent had an allocated firearm I was looking to get for a customer, but wouldn't sell it to me. He made up an excuse as to it was going to be part of a larger order to another FFL. Wasn't sold yet, but would be. I get it. Bigger/higher volume customers get the orders they need over the small guy.
 
So what's the lead time on a Mossberg 500 with 2 barrels, 12g, in blue, not black- and with these sights?

s-l400.jpg


Ball busting aside, appreciate the inside look at how the channels to market are (not) working. I'm aware of some expanding production for firearms components as my business is supplying materials used in the process. Despite knowing the ones that have significantly expanded production, I don't see increased availability of their firearms yet. Even the high end, boutique AR components priced at NES Classifieds levels are out of stock. It's still cray-cray out there.
 
Biden wins, Dems flip Senate (and keep House) = no guns/ammo available for years (not just one or two). The attacks on the 2nd Amendment will be relentless and, even if only veiled threats, will impact supply/pricing. Plus we will get the "Green New Deal", etc.

www.foxnews.com

McConnell says Democrats have '50-50' odds of flipping Senate control

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the chances are "50-50" that Republicans lose control of the upper chamber with just five days to go until the Nov. 3 election.
www.foxnews.com www.foxnews.com
 
n1oty said:
LOL. I am retired public safety, but that monthly check remains unchanged. Some folks here are aware that I do a lot of electrical/electronic/mechanical repair of hot tubs, jetted baths, sauna, steam and pool heaters. My backlog of work remains extensive (about two weeks) even though I have raised my rates significantly over the past six months.
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I knew it...that kiss in the mail insulates people like you from economic realities. If this economy doesn't stay open, the first thing people will turn away from are luxury items like hot tubs.

But thanks for reminding me. I need to check the pH and turn it up to 103 to get ready for the snow day.
 
It's not just guns. Amazon has spoiled everyone. I deal with the same stuff at work every 10 minutes:

"Can you order XYZ?"
"No, it's out of stock everywhere."
"Oh ok, so you can order it?"
"No they're back-ordered from every vendor. ETA is May 2021."
"I don't understand why you can't just order it for me."
"We already have 2000 on back-order. We expect to receive them in the spring."
"Fine! I'll just try another store!"
"You might want to call around first because no one else has them either."
 
enbloc said:
My folks were a little older than yours, but the worst thing was going to a restaurant for a family gathering..
Every salt, pepper, napkin, ketchup and marmalade packet made it into a purse or suit-jacket pocket... Cannot comment on silverware at this time...
View attachment 405181

Green Ridge Turkey Farm in Nashua and Hilltop in Saugus were the worse. God I miss those days...
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When you are 10 years old, starving and standing in line for 3 f***in hours in a hallway!!!....hearing your families named called for a party of 4 to Souix City was better than music to the ears. I miss those days too sir!!😂👍🏻🇺🇸
 
Even during good times most stores don't have exactly what I want (for some reason Taurus revolvers aren't very popular) and I don't bother waiting for someone to make an order with the distributors/sales reps to get it a month later when I can go online and buy it from a place that has them in stock ready to ship and get it next week.

Oh, and no sales tax added on to that to go into Maura's, Gina's, or whoever else's coffers to fund more "gun violence" studies that all come back and say that guns r bad and kill and need to be controlled.

I really don't see how the current small LGS inventory system can survive outside of panic buying for knowledgeable buyers. It's all set up to get first time prospects in to buy their first gun and those newbies get to choose the slim pickings being offered due to inventory and demand issues. These first time buyers don't know the deal with buying online and get stuck with something that's not really a good choice, but between what's in front of them and nothing is an easy choice.

I just feel that the structure isn't doing these people any favors.

Now NES can go ahead and blame them for not having been born a year or two earlier and able to buy a gun when they legally could or blame them for not working hard enough to get the money to buy what they wanted when it was available.
 
For dudes that are new to the game the reality is that if they have the funds they can get what they need. They don’t “Need” to strictly go to a dealer and get ass raped, they can look in classifieds and find rifles, handguns and ammo but the lube is going to be missing there too. I’ve been to plenty of Gun stores and ammo is nonexistent but guns are available. If you get off your ass and look around shit is available. Me and my buddy brought a newbie out to a few shops just two nights ago and he bought everything he needed to build a rifle and he is happy as can be, he spent about $1100 and got a quality build
 
T-Unit said:
Now NES can go ahead and blame them for not having been born a year or two earlier and able to buy a gun when they legally could or blame them for not working hard enough to get the money to buy what they wanted when it was available.
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Nah, wouldn’t blame newcomers for simple bad timing. It’s not like they’re seasoned gun owners who proposed an ongoing business model with them as interim dealers with gun buybacks as their end customers and Walmart videogames as their end goal. [rofl]
 
wilson911 said:
I knew it...that kiss in the mail insulates people like you from economic realities. If this economy doesn't stay open, the first thing people will turn away from are luxury items like hot tubs.

But thanks for reminding me. I need to check the pH and turn it up to 103 to get ready for the snow day.
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There are enough people who are weathering the storm, have the funds to splurge on a single luxury to de-stress at home during stressful times to provide work for the limited amount of tradesmen.

Just realize that not everyone is in a bad spot like you. Yes, lots of people are without jobs. But there are still LOTs of jobs that remain largely untouched.

drgrant said:
...The people -really- getting f***ed are hospitality/travel/restaurant/entertainment businesses... and anything intimately welded to those.
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Some of those are doing okay. My brother does conference management. While the conferences have dried up, they’ve pivoted to organizing/running large digital meetings and are very busy agan
 

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