Did Assault Weapons Ban generate more Assault Weapons?

[winnre]

There was a time I went into the gun store and saw WWII guns, lots of hunting rifles, and maybe one or two AR-15s. They were nothing special and appeared to have a limited market.

Then, we ban them.

Sales soar. Everyone has one now. And now that we have these stupid laws, the manufacturers find a way to still make the AR styles simply by not being on the list. The OLL industry was born.

Now it seems everywhere I go there are AR/AK platforms for the asking. Stripped lowers, 80% lowers, complete lowers with guts and all. Every gun store has them.

I have to wonder, had the AW ban never happened, would there be this huge industry today anyways? Would the AR/AK series still be in demand? Or would it have quietly been a small segment of the market who lives quietly in the corner?

[Ziggy91]

I think you're right.

I don't have any professional input on the subject because I wasn't buying guns back then, but my idea is that people saw something they couldn't have and wanted it even more. Whenever I see someone with an SBR or FA weapon on YouTube, my jealousy hits the roof and I hate that I'm locked down in CA. Honestly, I would love to see stores with less than 20% of their stock being ARs or AKs. There are tons of other options out there, and people seem to stick to these basics because they are scared or intimidated of others. I know i was in the beginning.

[GW]

You bet they did. As soon as you tell gun owners this or that won't be available come January 1, then you can bet there will be a run on whatever it is the G is going to ban.
Were you buying in 1999?
Holy Moley! M1A mags were getting snapped up at $50 apiece Glock mags $40
It was nuts! In December FAL receivers were going for up to $350-$400 AR's were $1200
and that was in 1999 dollars. And that will be nothing compared to what will happen if things don't go well in November's elections
If Obama gets reelected then all bets are off.

[winnre]

In 1999, on the last day it was legal to do so, I sold my MAC-10 for $5,000, a profit of $4,765.

[Ziggy91]

In 1999, on the last day it was legal to do so, I sold my MAC-10 for $5,000, a profit of $4,765.

Holy Hell !!!

That's incrdible. But, i'm still glad the old man decided to keep a few specimens from those days.

[davek8s]

There was a lot of last minute buying back then. I saw a gun shop trying to sell a Tec-9 for $700. It was crazy times.

[Cuda440]

I think you're on to something. When I was growing up (during the 90s) AR15's weren't hard to get, but they weren't common either. it was just that gun your uncle had but never shot. Nobody really used them or cared about them. I remember going to Turners in Riverside when it was off Tyler, there was a 50bmg rifle up on the back wall. It sat there for years because it was too expensive- it was around $2500 if I remember right. Try to buy a 510dtc for $2500 now.

Back when they were available, it was no big deal. After the AW ban, now everybody wants in.

[bohoki]

i remember back in 1994 the mag makers and gun makers cranked up production since they had a couple months notice

but the during ban guns were not assault weapons so there was really no increase

but we all know that the ones without flashhiders between 94-04 were just as effective

not many people though very much of the tec-9 till after someone said you cant have one so people bought the dc-9 and ab-10 but what you are asking is kind of implying that the similar but not banned gun were "assault weapons" lumping in the loophole lookalikes

[Maltese Falcon]

There is nothing more tempting than the forbidden fruit.

I know every time I hear something is being banned, I feel compelled to buy it.

I have 50 x 100 watt incandescent bulbs, probably last beyond my lifetime.

Remember the CA ammo law that was overturned? I was buying cases per week. The UPS guy was getting pissed, I started having them delivered to work.

.

[ptoguy2002]

I never would have bought my 50 if they hadn't banned them.
Same thing with my December 1999 RAW purchase.
I met several people doing the same in 1999.

[acaligunner]

Man, I remember being at the N Hollywood B&B store and people where spending 2 thousand a PoP for FN's, H&K's and about 800 to 1,000 on AR's and 700 on AK's.

It was a madhouse. Thank the good LORD we already had what we needed.

So, a lot of CA people bought a Lot of firearms, and they still are.

acaligunner

[SanPedroShooter]

Let me put it this way. I used to get paper bags at the grocery store. Now that plastic is on the ban list, I get double bags and store them....

I have all kinds of crap, pre ban paint thinner, cap guns (I am convinced LA will ban them), pre ban magazines, stripped recievers...

Remember the South Park episode when Cartman gets a theme park and wont let anyone in?

[SanPedroShooter]

I read an article about gun manufacturers before the Klinton ban. The word was, order every standard magazine you can get your hands on, make as many as you can, work 24 hours a day, you will sell every single one.

And they did. They got more standard mags into circulation in a year that had been sold in ten.

I think you can credit Clinton for sparking the current craze for black rifles and super high cap mags, just like WWII made a huge market for surplus guns and gear that still lasts today. In the US with our gun laws, its not so much what the market wants, its also what we can get, or in this case, what we might not be able to get anymore.

[PolishMike]

Yes. Before the assault weapons ban nothing was an assault weapon. Without the bans it would just be rifle.

Assault weapon/rifle is legal definition. It does not actually describe a firearm.

[ClarenceBoddicker]

It all depends on your definition of what an assault weapon & ban is. The original "assault weapons" machine guns were Federally restricted by FDR (D) on 6/26/1934, banned from importation by LBJ (D) on 10/22/1968 & banned from new manufacture by Reagan (R) on 5/19/1986.

The Federal importation of military style semi auto long guns was banned by George HW Bush (R) on 3/15/1989

The sale of "named" military style semi auto long guns in CA was banned by George Deukmejian (R) on 6/1/1989 Owners were required to register them on 1/1/1991, which was extended to 3/31/1992 & even later for "special" cases.

There is a huge difference with what you can buy post 1989 & 1999 in CA, compared to before. The best time to buy imported military style semi-auto guns was 1987 & 1988, when supply was high & before the prices spiked due to the Republican Federal & CA bans.