Panic buying underway

[GJM]

My LGS is on the way to the range, I am friendly with the owners, and as a result, I tend to stop by regularly. As the week progressed, panic buying seems to have reached a fever pitch. Yesterday the background check system crashed. They have zero .223, pistol ammo, or shotgun buck. Everything Glock and AR is gone. Shotguns that look remotely defensive are gone. I have been procrastinating on selling extra guns I don’t use and figured the run up to the election would be the time. Now I would say the time is now.

Interestingly, the expensive stuff (STI, Wilson 1911, etc.) isn’t selling. Neither are the AK’s as we have become an AR country. The Glock shelves are bare, but there is a rack of P10’s untouched. Even a time to sell .40’s if you include some ammo.

Guy came in to buy a Benelli Nova shotgun while I was there. I watched him struggle and realized he was right handed and left eye dominant. We had some back and forth, nothing was working, and since he wanted THAT shotgun I suggested he just get some high brass number six and shoot from the hip, like on TV. That makes me almost an honorary gun shop sales guy.

[echo5charlie]

We are slammed. Waaaaaay too many zero-experience gun buys. We have actually shut down sales to people that are too stupid to comprehend "please do not point the gun at me and keep your finger off the trigger".

Patience left the building about 3 days ago:

Old dudes wanting to shoot the shit - kick them out for their own good.

"Please transfer your 20 plus years of shooting into a 5 minute sales pitch on the three 9mm pistols you currently have in stock. What's a barrel?" GTFO.

Are you guys busy? What do you mean you don't have a Glock 19? Can't you just order some? What do you mean the order I placed this morning at 0330 isn't delivered yet?

[pangloss]

Like many threads, this one is proof just how awesome PF is. Instead of "buy, buy, buy" here we say "sell, sell, sell." I've been so busy the past week, I didn't even know there was a panic until today. Maybe now would be a good time to sell a couple of guns I've been thinking about getting rid of.

[Totem Polar]

My favorite local place is reducing their hours, not just because of social distancing, but because the 3 guys manning the place are fried to a crisp. Crazy busy; out of ammo; only single shot shotguns and a plethora of bolt guns spread out across the racks: old 20-gauge, three empty spaces, over/under 12-gauge, three empty spaces. Way beyond Obama or Sandy Hook; mostly first time panic buyers. Then, of course, there is this:

[Trooper224]

Shot at my LGS/range today. Walls and display cases are two thirds empty. The only ammo left on the shelf are things like 10mm, .45 Colt and .22 mag. The vast majority of recent sales have been in the, "I need a gun now! Just give me any one." Realm. A year from now will be a great time for hitting pawn shops and gun shows.

[Lester Polfus]

I am hearing stories of people who have never owned a gun before walking out with things like .338 Win Mags because that is all that was left.

[Mitch]

Its crazy. All the gun stores by me have had lines out the door for days.

[Olim9]

I have an assload of handguns I don’t use but I’m always conflicted of selling to a random person as opposed to a buddy I know real well who isn’t an idiot, family member or someone from P-F. Am I weird?

[JohnO]

Connecticut gun store Saturday.




Quite a few people walking away with nothing because without a permit in CT you can't buy anything.

[Mitch]

I’m saving my money for “used” guns around Christmas.