Right now we are seeing the markets begin to stabilize a bit. Three months ago Magpul AR mags were selling for as much as $75 a mag on Gunbroker. Today they are selling for about $22. This is only a few dollars more than what they retailed for before the end of 2012.
AR prices have begun falling as well. If you bought an AR at the beginning of the year, chances are you paid at least double what they sold for in 2012. Those guns will be sold at a loss in the near future. Best bet is to hold onto it. It’s going to be hard to recoup your money right now.
The used market is starting to get filled in. As time goes on the used market will be flooded with guns that are in great condition (barely shot). Those who are patient will probably be able to find what they want at a good price.
Ammunition has not corrected. In 2012, I purchased 500 rounds of 22lr for about $18. In January that number had grown to $45. Yesterday a local shop had some for $80. This was not match ammo. It was just cheap fodder. I left it there for someone else. The law of supply and demand has pushed prices through the roof. If you aren’t reloading, you might begin to think about it.
New guns are trickling into stores. In fact, one store told me that they are getting guns easily. The ammo is the main problem. They can’t get it, and when they do, it is priced extremely high.
The interesting thing is that the gun industry looks really strong on the surface. Sales have been up, and the stores couldn’t keep up with the demand. Now, you are going to see some really lean times. Watch for some stores to shut down, because they can’t get anything to sell. Customers have spent their gun budgets already this year for the entire year. If everything remains as it is today, I predict a great cooling off in the industry this year.