how big is guns and ammo market

[horatioo]

I would like to make a point on another forum comparing something to the unavailability of guns and ammo now compared to a few months ago. How big is the market for guns and ammo in the United States? Since I cant find any of certain kinds of ammo, is that proof that the market for that shrank.

I would like to say something like, "two months ago, people were buying $xxx,000 worth of ammo each month and there was plenty available. Now there is only $xx,000 being sold each month and people feel lucky to find it."

Can someone tell me some numbers on how guns and ammo availability changed in the last few months.

Moderators, If my question doesnt make sense or isnt clear please delete it. Not sure how to ask what I want to know.

Thanks Steve

 

[Spats McGee]

I'm not sure just how useful an argument based on dollar amounts will be, given the shift in prices. Ammo that was $0.40/rd six months ago has passed the $1/rd mark. So buying $40 worth of ammo then got you 100 rounds. Now it gets you 40 rounds or less. That's just the price shift.

Further, if less money is being spent to purchase ammunition, part of that is because potential buyers cannot find the ammo they want. That's not a shift in the size of the potential market, but a shift in the size of the supply.

Spats McGee's Wild Guess Numbers*:
4 Million NRA members
100 Million legal gun owners
240 Million guns

*=These are purely my numbers, pulled from a variety of sources, both reputable and not, as stored in my hazy memory. Use at your own risk.

 

[sigcurious]

While I cannot answer the broad question of how big the market is, I can say that your premise is incorrect.

Since I cant find any of certain kinds of ammo, is that proof that the market for that shrank.

I would like to say something like, "two months ago, people were buying $xxx,000 worth of ammo each month and there was plenty available. Now there is only $xx,000 being sold each month and people feel lucky to find it."

The size of the market for something is roughly defined as the number of buyers and sellers participating. The lack of availability is directly related to the market size increasing. While the number of sellers, for practical purposes, has remained the same, the number of buyers and amounts purchased have skyrocketed. A huge spike in demand while supply remained roughly the same. Basic economic theory would indicate that both quantity, in number of units and price, have gone up in recent months. As evidenced by the sudden lack of supply available.

 

[lamarw]

I think for the wise shopper, there are still great deals to be found on some firearms. I just got the best deal I have ever scored on a new gun with a purchase of a Sig P220 (close to 1/2 off MSRP). Although, we know there has been a run on semi-auto rifles. Don't shop for a snow shovel when nature has just dropped a foot of snow.

Ammo is a different story since the shelves were basically cleaned to the bone on just about every semi-popular round/cartridge. This means ammmo producers have to refill 100% to every distributor and/or retailer. I suspect in normal times they were only having to resupply some much lower percentage of stockage. You might compare it to every service station selling every gallon of gas they have, and the refineries trying to catch up while there are lines of cars filling up as soon as it is delivered.

All of the above is just my personal view point and experience. Many of us saw it coming and took prudent measures to minimize the impact. I had orders placed for reloading supplies while it was still in stock or when backorders were accepted and later filled. Now, many suppliers are not accepting orders.