why hasn't gun drought turned into glut?

[ZombieZoo]

I've hearing about shortage and high prices for years now.

Shouldn't manufacturing have caught up by now, especially since many are imported?

What is the bottle neck? Barrels?

[john67elco]

If some are like me they are/have been buying for their children who won't be able to when they get older. I haven't sold any firearms since 1997.

[Merc1138]

I'm not sure where this shortage you've been hearing about "for years now" is coming from. There was a shortage in 2008 that lasted till around the end of 2009, and a shortage from the past 4-6 months. That's a pretty decent span of time where just about everything was readily available. Manufacturers aren't going to invest in equipment to increase their capacity for a 6 month run and then end up having overstock or equipment sitting idle a year later.

As far as high prices, yeah there's always going to be inflation. But if you're looking at prices and availability right now, this isn't exactly a reflection of the market 6 months ago.

[Fjold]

People are buying more guns every year.

[Fishslayer]

I know that in Ruger's case they can't make 'em fast enough.

[Merc1138]

I know that in Ruger's case they can't make 'em fast enough.

Ruger did say earlier this year that they weren't accepting anymore orders because they were backed up on production, but even just a couple of months ago none of their stuff was difficult to find, with the one exception being maybe their 1911.

[RMTactical]

demand is at an all time high. Record setting high right now.

[The Gleam]

Retail inventories have been depleted, many wholesalers/distributors as well, but it is likely many warehouses and the manufacturers' coffers are in sufficient supply with a slight shortage.

But with many of them closed from Christmas to New Years, many small machine shops close down during this time as well, and shipping takes double the amount of time due to the holidays, not to mention that weather this past week has created shipping delays, there are numerous reasons as to why a "false shortage" has existed these past two weeks.

Many manufactures and machine shops have already stated they will be putting less crucial orders without time-constraints on hold (car parts, appliance parts, tooling) and concentrate on firearm receivers, parts and supplies, while adding machines, hiring people, and even adding shifts.

They all want to take advantage of the demand as much as anybody else, especially when the economy has been in the crapper for many of them over the last 5 years.

January will seem like the shortage is continuing merely because companies will have to catch up to pre-existing orders, but come mid-February, things should be better in supply ....until the eventual bill starts making its way through the Senate, putting the scare/panic back on peoples' minds again.

[anthonyca]

Retail inventories have been depleted, many wholesalers/distributors as well, but it is likely many warehouses and the manufacturers' coffers are in sufficient supply with a slight shortage.

But with many of them closed from Christmas to New Years, many small machine shops close down during this time as well, and shipping takes double the amount of time due to the holidays, not to mention that weather this past week has created shipping delays, there are numerous reasons as to why a "false shortage" has existed these past two weeks.

Many manufactures and machine shops have already stated they will be putting less crucial orders without time-constraints on hold (car parts, appliance parts, tooling) and concentrate on firearm receivers, parts and supplies, while adding machines, hiring people, and even adding shifts.

They all want to take advantage of the demand as much as anybody else, especially when the economy has been in the crapper for many of them over the last 5 years.

January will seem like the shortage is continuing merely because companies will have to catch up to pre-existing orders, but come mid-February, things should be better in supply ....until the eventual bill starts making its way through the Senate, putting the scare/panic back on peoples' minds again.

I agree.

We also do not have the manufacturing base we once had. In WWII we had a glut of skilled labor and factories. It is not hard for a skilled machinist or manufacturing company to make standard "job parts", IE build from an existing print. We just don't have those people or shops like we did.

The FFL part of it makes it harder also. Before 1968, any machine shop could just build guns and any store could sell them or even mail them to you with no paperwork. Now you can sub out parts but the serialized part of the gun has to be made by a properly licensed FFL, and there are not enough of them. Getting a FFL takes so long that the panic would be over or a new law would be passed before enough were set up to supply the demand.

Imagine if there ever was another huge war. We are done. Does anyone think we could build liberty ships like we did? Much less all of the other supplies, jeeps, guns, ammo, food, radios, fuel, etc.

When I was a kid much of my family were machinists. They made canned goods,locks, aerospace parts, worked for the private airlines, and much much more. Now I don't think I know anyone who has those skills. In the past all of those shops could have just taken orders to fill this demand and work extra shifts if the profit was there or they could have put other orders on hold. Those business are all over seas now.

It takes time to find a reliable overseas supplier. Many times they will screw up orders or send substandard product.