[joelswork]

I travel all over middle and eastern Tennessee and have noticed several small town gun shops going out of business or only open a couple days a week. I enquired and what came to light is the owners and the current ammo issues. They said they can get the guns easier now but still can't get ammo. One guy said he needed a full time job to pay the bills and was just selling ammo online now when it comes in and selling guns on the weekend. This is 5 smaller shops I've seen go under in the past two months.

i talked to the owner of a larger online retailer who closed down for a few weeks due to the ammo shortage. He just couldn't keep staff there while waiting for ammo to maybe show up. My question is, is this planned? Makes perfect sense strategically. Big city gun shops can possibly stay in business but the little guys can't! If I were trying to destroy the gun culture and ammo markets this is one option. I'm not a conspiracy guy at all but this had me thinking....

 

[TrucksNCoffee]

My son works at a small, privately owned local gun shop. He tells me they are selling firearms at record pace, with no slowdown in sight. Ammo, however, is a bit tricky. Some of the staff spend a LOT of time online and on the phone, searching for and ordering ammunition as soon as they find it. No chance of them closing, however; in fact, the owner is applying for permits to build an indoor shooting range right across the street from where I work. And that's less than a mile from where I live! Once in a while, life is good.

 

[tservice]

That is strange, I live in middle TN. Within my city the lgs, stay very busy.

 

[Czechbikr]

I just heard something that confirmed my idea that ranges are having a hard time filling slots because of the ammo shortage. Our local range has stopped all hiring and has cut hours. They are a new facility and I am sure that they have tons of debt.

This thread by extension makes me think that gun sales will be affected soo also as people are probably not going to seek out new firearms to buy if they have nothing to shoot out of them...This combined with not having the profit that was made through ammo sales is going to put the screws to a lot of gun sellers.

It seems that BHO's plan is working.

 

[KLo]

I spoke to a small LGS owner last fall, before this uproar and he was doing most of his business on-line. He claimed the store made little money from locals and was more of a PITA for him than anything. It makes sense in a low population, rural area. The on-line business reaches the world and the walk-in store reaches only a small number of people. Also, the on-line business is much easier as those customers don't require you to be there when a customer comes in and handles a gun, haggles, asks about other guns, handles them etc. I hate to hear that but it's part of the world we live in today. 100 years from now things may come full circle and walk-in stores will rule?? Who knows.

 

[Texheim]

The ATF has been doing "spot" inspections like crazy in the Waco area after the Sandy Hook wack job. It's led to the closing of one specific shop I know about because of clarical errors. Another shop in town also closed down but I'm not sure why and every one in the business that I've asked doesn't know why either.

 

[Steyr]

That is what I`ve seen Ranges unless private or owned Ranges struggling to make the over head...Shame really I loved the two I used to visit both closed...

 

[rodfair]

There was one small GS here...been around for ages...may be 20 years...suddenly closed....why I do not know.....another opened up close to him....going strong!

 

[JFootin]

The LGS in my little town is only a small part of a thriving gas, grocery, farm supply, clothing, hunting supply and on and on business. They only deal in new guns, don't take trades, and the price is their cost + 10%. And they aren't going anywhere.

 

[kruizer]

Small LGS around are selling a lot of guns but ammo and reloading supplies are very scarce

 

[Mknight]

Since the idea that government is causing the ammo shortage has been pretty well debunked no it's not planned. Further proof is that so many other sellers are still going strong, including the new one that just opened up down the road from me.

 

[troutkiller]

It's part of an overall economic trend favoring larger, much larger, enterprises. Even before the current shortages, the buying power of chains like Walmart and Dicks gave them a price edge in those markets. And now with online sellers like Bud's and Gallery, it's gotten more difficult.

There's two indoor ranges locally around this area, and my favorite is struggling. The other I won't go near, for a variety of reasons. More gun laws in some states will only hurt. We'll see what happens.

 

[ozzy]

Tthere popping up like 7-11's around here.

 

[TexTwister]

This thread by extension makes me think that gun sales will be affected soo also as people are probably not going to seek out new firearms to buy if they have nothing to shoot out of them...
It seems that BHO's plan is working.

I have held off on buying a new gun with a different caliber due to this exact reason. Do not want to spend the money on a gun if I can not find any ammo or the ammo ends up costing just as much as the gun after a day or two at the range.

 

[bps1]

I travel all over middle and eastern Tennessee and have noticed several small town gun shops going out of business or only open a couple days a week. I enquired and what came to light is the owners and the current ammo issues. They said they can get the guns easier now but still can't get ammo. One guy said he needed a full time job to pay the bills and was just selling ammo online now when it comes in and selling guns on the weekend. This is 5 smaller shops I've seen go under in the past two months.

i talked to the owner of a larger online retailer who closed down for a few weeks due to the ammo shortage. He just couldn't keep staff there while waiting for ammo to maybe show up. My question is, is this planned? Makes perfect sense strategically. Big city gun shops can possibly stay in business but the little guys can't! If I were trying to destroy the gun culture and ammo markets this is one option. I'm not a conspiracy guy at all but this had me thinking....

Glad you brought this up. I hope my favorite LGSs make it through this but they are hurting without the ammo sales. We're talking small owner op stores here. BHO is actually VERY intelligent but his principals and beliefs are completely out of whack. It wouldn't surprise me if there was some design here on the part of the current administration.

 

[Lil Beaver]

The ATF has been doing "spot" inspections like crazy in the Waco area after the Sandy Hook wack job. It's led to the closing of one specific shop I know about because of clarical errors. Another shop in town also closed down but I'm not sure why and every one in the business that I've asked doesn't know why either.

The BATFE has closed a couple of shops that I know of in Minnesota supposedly due to minor clerical errors on paper work.

 

[Wingshot]

If you have a LGS, size is unimportant. What is critical to long term survival is being wired to the Internet auction sites and having a strong web presence. Even the small sole proprieter shops around here have a web page and will pull in firearms from the web for customers. Some seem to have gotten a handle on having at least some ammo on hand to offer to those buying guns as well as small quantity, limited sales to those only seeking ammo. Only the savvy shops will ride it out.

 

[Lil Beaver]

That is what I`ve seen Ranges unless private or owned Ranges struggling to make the over head...Shame really I loved the two I used to visit both closed...

Fortunately there are two club ranges in my area both have outdoor ranges and one has an indoor range that is only open only with limited hours due to having trouble finding enough people qualified as range officers to prevent some of the idiots from shooting the place up and not being responsible enough to secure it when they leave. The one with the indoor range is on land leased from the state and has been notified that they will be losing their lease due to a new mining operation wanting to use the iron ore tailings in their new facility. The good news is the state is working with them to find another location and the company taking over the current site has volunteered to due the site prep work on the new site. I don't know if that will include building a new clubhouse and indoor range or not? The memberships and fees are very low in both of these facilities.

 

[JHPRICE]

I was told by and econmics teacher i shoot with this could happen due to ammo issue. With shortage every one is buying every thing and pricing is so high. what will happen is bottom will fall out with so much ammo flooding the market every one will still hoard ammo and a year from now every one will have rushed out TO buy all the new guns and ammo they can afford or not afford those who have over spent will flood the market with used products and the lgs who paid thru the nose to get product wont be able to compete with new market prices or used gun prices and wonrt be able to sale ammo to support then selves due to every one has over stocked.

jh[p

up side we will be able to pick up a few good deals here and there

 

[Qwiks draw]

There are a bunch of small LGS around here, but they're doing a booming business. Pun intended.