The Price Gouging/Everything Shortage Megathread

[Zappa]

Complete uppers out of stock everywhere too? WTH are we supposed to do with all these lowers?

I put in an order with Midway two weeks ago, I was looking for an upper too, but they were out of all the models they cataloged, and this was the week before the CT school shooting. Even LPK's were in short supply, I got the last Del-Ton they showed in stock, I'm sure they must be cleaned out on all of them by now.

 

[dcmdon]

Check this out.

$280 for 5 pMags. Not even the ones with the window.

These are $12 mags going for close to $60 each.

Last week, I could buy a 60 round Surefire mag for less than $70. Wow.

This has got me thinking about selling some of the p-mags I've got stashed.

 

[economist]

This has got me thinking about selling some of the p-mags I've got stashed.

Exactly. Somebody gets it.

Markets are incredibly complex. For every guy out there buying 1000 rounds of M193 for $800 we can find a guy who is sitting on 10,000 rounds who won't sell any at $800 per 1000. Which one is making the bad decision? We don't really know. Everyone who thinks prices are stupid right now should be dumping guns, mags and ammo to make a quick buck. They can always buy back later at a cheaper price -- that is if they are truly sure the price will be lower some day (or the product will be available at all). In reality, they can't be sure. Unless we are looking at a significantly manipulated market (-cough- LIBOR -cough-) then the price is telling us a best guess of value right here and now.

 

[dcmdon]

I'm only now realizing how crazy everything is. The demand curve has definitely shifted.

I've got a fair amount of commercial 9mm and .45 just sitting around. I'm thinking that if I sell it, I can buy a lot more primers and powder.

AR lowers for $300. This is worse than 08. This is the worst ever. Back in 08, I bought a dozen lowers as a hedge. I didn't really want to sell them. I paid $100 for them.
After the election I had people BEGGING me to sell them to them for $225. I couldn't believe it. I sold 4 and got most of my money back.

I can't even imagine what people want for pre-ban lowers now.

 

[davemata]

So I fell for the panic buying... since I have no sense.

I bought an AR-7 for $90 off over the weekend, and ordered a Leupold VX-3 for $300 off as well. Walmart here was doing a cost + one cent sale, and I did good.

 

[Rider]

In reality, they can't be sure. Unless we are looking at a significantly manipulated market (-cough- LIBOR -cough-) then the price is telling us a best guess of value right here and now.

The Fed is just pissed off that once again the traders were better at manipulating the market than they were.

 

[GM-GUY]

You free staters can still order 20rd 7.62x51 PMAGs from Cabelas with a 5-6 week backorder. The 5.56x45 is completely blanked out besides the Ranger Plates.

This got me thinking, if you ship to say the CT store the 20rd mags, and live in VT. You drive home through Mass (obviously) are you breaking the law?

 

[ColdDayInHell]

You free staters can still order 20rd 7.62x51 PMAGs from Cabelas with a 5-6 week backorder. The 5.56x45 is completely blanked out besides the Ranger Plates.

This got me thinking, if you ship to say the CT store the 20rd mags, and live in VT. You drive home through Mass (obviously) are you breaking the law?

Absolutely. Possession of post-ban mags is a felony no matter where you're taking them. MA is a big no no.


Sent from my POS iPhone

 

[bigtig50]

this is because AK enthusiasts don't have shit for brains.


FTR, I panic bought when the O Face got elected the first time around. Lost $450 on that rifle when I sold it. Won't be repeating that mistake again.

On a completely unrelated note, I have an AK for sale in the classifieds. It's listed at "the going rate" these days and should make a future buyer very, very happy.

I think one possibility is that people who don't know guns ( some things I have heard ) think AR stands for Assault Rifle, hence they see the AR as the primary offender. I guess they don't realize that AK means Assault Killer!

 

[1903Collector]

I think one possibility is that people who don't know guns ( some things I have heard ) think AR stands for Assault Rifle, hence they see the AR as the primary offender. I guess they don't realize that AK means Assault Killer!

One shop I went to had no 5.56 but still a ton of 7.62X39. My WASR is nice but I really wish I had bought the Arsenal milled reciever AK I was looking at last week......damn! Like that commercial on TV "avoid dissapointment and future regret"

 

[ntomsw]

I would definitely like some 5.56 for a cheap price. If anyone knows of a source let me know. All I know now is a bunch of steel cased WPA.

 

[AngelKing]

kicking myself for seling my SAR. ****.
Looks like Ill need some 762 x 51 and to find a lever action.

 

[Big_Red]

I could probably use another 1-2K of .223 but not at $700 a case.

 

[WanMan99]

I fell prey to the panic buying as well. I picked up a RCBS trim pro in .223 and the power attachment for it. Now I get to prep 10k cases while I am on Christmas vacation.....

 

[Len-2A Training]

Exactly. Somebody gets it.

Markets are incredibly complex. For every guy out there buying 1000 rounds of M193 for $800 we can find a guy who is sitting on 10,000 rounds who won't sell any at $800 per 1000. Which one is making the bad decision? We don't really know. Everyone who thinks prices are stupid right now should be dumping guns, mags and ammo to make a quick buck. They can always buy back later at a cheaper price -- that is if they are truly sure the price will be lower some day (or the product will be available at all). In reality, they can't be sure. Unless we are looking at a significantly manipulated market (-cough- LIBOR -cough-) then the price is telling us a best guess of value right here and now.

Total insanity!!

I didn't get an AR until 1998 since my first gun club didn't allow any CF rifles, so I don't know what prices were in 1994, just before the first AWB, however in 1998-2000 I was always able to buy pre-ban AR mags for $15-20 each, .223 for ~$100.00/1000. At first FS was selling PMC for that price by the case, later it was Wolf. I can't fathom paying $60 for a mag or $600-800/case of .223!

I'm going to sit out the insanity and see where things fall. I have no desire to step foot in any gun shop at this time. Perhaps I should think of shedding some pre-ban mags, I'll have to give that some thought.

 

[richc]

Exactly. Somebody gets it.

Markets are incredibly complex. For every guy out there buying 1000 rounds of M193 for $800 we can find a guy who is sitting on 10,000 rounds who won't sell any at $800 per 1000. Which one is making the bad decision? We don't really know. Everyone who thinks prices are stupid right now should be dumping guns, mags and ammo to make a quick buck. They can always buy back later at a cheaper price -- that is if they are truly sure the price will be lower some day (or the product will be available at all). In reality, they can't be sure. Unless we are looking at a significantly manipulated market (-cough- LIBOR -cough-) then the price is telling us a best guess of value right here and now.

C'mon, who would manipulate an ammo market. You're not thinking that distributors might be sitting on warehouses full of product, realizing the longer they wait the higher prices might be. You don't think they are that smart, do you?

 

[jdiggi]

I took a ride down to Cabelas in Hartford last night to finish my Christmas shopping. Bulk .223 was cleared out, most of the cheap 20 round boxes were gone too. Stock was low on all .45 acp, .40 s&w. Lots of AE 9mm cans left. Everything AR related was cleared out.

 

[Timber]

Exactly. Somebody gets it.

Markets are incredibly complex. For every guy out there buying 1000 rounds of M193 for $800 we can find a guy who is sitting on 10,000 rounds who won't sell any at $800 per 1000. Which one is making the bad decision? We don't really know. Everyone who thinks prices are stupid right now should be dumping guns, mags and ammo to make a quick buck. They can always buy back later at a cheaper price -- that is if they are truly sure the price will be lower some day (or the product will be available at all). In reality, they can't be sure. Unless we are looking at a significantly manipulated market (-cough- LIBOR -cough-) then the price is telling us a best guess of value right here and now.

Wait three to five months until a large portion of the panic patriots are unemployed. The NIB & LNIB market will be glutted at pre-panic prices or below on both ARs & ammo.

 

[Coyote33]

SHTF once we've seen what Joe "Where Am I" Biden's commission comes back with. Same thing with Fienstein's bill that's supposed to be introduced on Day 1. Depending on what we see there, then it's really SHTF.

- - - Updated - - -



Remember there's a crap ton of muni pension funds like CALpers that own stock in SWHC and RGR. They're in the process of divesting which is hammering the price.

Treasurer Grossman reviews pension fund gun holdings

 

[jar]

Absolutely. Possession of post-ban mags is a felony no matter where you're taking them. MA is a big no no.


Sent from my POS iPhone

You'd have a pretty strong case that you were protected by FOPA '86.

 

[NeverMiss]

Untill all of this, I often regretted getting my S/W MP15-22 this year. I thaught I cheated myself not getting a "real" AR, but see as there is no ammo out there, I am GLAD I can stock up on .22 for pennies compared to the big stuff

 

[seanc]

Total insanity!!

I didn't get an AR until 1998 since my first gun club didn't allow any CF rifles, so I don't know what prices were in 1994, just before the first AWB, however in 1998-2000 I was always able to buy pre-ban AR mags for $15-20 each, .223 for ~$100.00/1000. At first FS was selling PMC for that price by the case, later it was Wolf. I can't fathom paying $60 for a mag or $600-800/case of .223!
.

IIRC... I bought a used Colt HBAR in 1994 (after ban/ used) (it was a preban). I paid $1500 for it.

Before the ban, prices (again, going from memory) were @ 750-1000 (for colt) and less for others (like Bushmaster).

But for the most part.. until news of the AWB started, nobody really cared (about "black guns") and they just did not sell that well overall.

 

[bfm]

Untill all of this, I often regretted getting my S/W MP15-22 this year. I thaught I cheated myself not getting a "real" AR, but see as there is no ammo out there, I am GLAD I can stock up on .22 for pennies compared to the big stuff

Besides, a .22 is not that much smaller than a .223, I means whats .003" between friends?

 

[jmh992003]

I wanted to do some poking around some local places just because I enjoy looking around, but from everything I hear, I think ill stay home

 

[ninjatarian]

I just saw this gorgeous babe on gunbroker,

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=322196026
Its current bid is $11,500.
Location: Newtown, CT... weird.

This was made down the road from me by Turnbull Restoration. Super high end work there.

 

[atilla]

Complete uppers out of stock everywhere too? WTH are we supposed to do with all these lowers?

LRB arms has stripped uppers at least. still in stock as of maybe two days ago, they said they expect that stock to last maybe two or three weeks though.

 

[bullseye]

If Romney was on deck he'd be braying about it too, make no mistake about it.



Yeah,. we'll let him back right after Scriv comes back.

OH ,That would be interesting!

 

[Tarsook]

My very unlucky roommate's LTC came in on Friday.

He headed down to four seasons yesterday with wide eyes and big hopes to make his first purchase, all giddy.

He came back with a 1000 yard stare, gun less.

I feel for the people out there right now!

 

[atilla]

My very unlucky roommate's LTC came in on Friday.

He headed down to four seasons yesterday with wide eyes and big hopes to make his first purchase, all giddy.

He came back with a 1000 yard stare, gun less.

I feel for the people out there right now!

tell him to wait for a gunshow. there are all sorts of loopholes and he can get a grenade launcher without filing paperwork.

 

[Knob Creek]

For those of you looking to buy ammo and are not reloaders. It would be money well spent to get into it now.