Economy: Price shrink on arms and ammo?

[ChamberedRound]

So with the economy taking a tumble and prices starting to drop on gas, and continuing to drop on housing, is anyone seeing a drop in prices on other things yet, like food for example? I have to believe it's going to happen at some point.

More specifically, does anyone think if the economy continues its slide, we'll see a reduction in what until now has been soaring prices on arms and ammo?

Thoughts and opinions please.

[bige64]

I dont see a foreseeable drop in any ammo/gun prices in the future. The ammo importers had gouged prices due to "raw material costs." Those "raw material" prices have since been cut in half or more the last 2 years. Ammo is still going up in price. Its all greed...

[kevindsingleton]

I think we'll see some reductions in prices, when the lower cost of fuel begins to filter down to commodity and component prices. It'll be a while, and it may not be much, on assembled ammo, but components will likely drop (lead shot has already dropped, considerably), particularly those that are affected most by transportation costs (bullets, shot, brass). Eventually, I think we can expect almost everything to go a little lower in consumer price, because of the lower fuel costs, but the question is whether inflation will negate most of the price reduction. Who can tell? Stock up, now, and, if prices go down, stock up, again!

[sluggie24]

I'm sorry to say that I think guns and ammo will stay up in price for a bit yet. After reading a few articles and talking with the owner of my favorite gunshop demand is considerably up right now and has been for a little bit now. He said everyone seems to be buying right now. I'm not going to say what may be driving that demand but until the demand drops the prices will stay up. If something happens to increase demand yet prices will climb even higher.

[seaotter]

I don't think the price will go down much. Once its up there companies hate to slash prices. Also, demand is up. I think people are buying more now because they are worried about the outcome of the election. After the election is over and if McCain wins, then the prices may come down some.

[J.W.]

I actually consulted my broker 2 weeks ago because i was considering putting more money into the market since it will eventually rebound. He told me that the only companies he would recommend dumping money into would be firearms/ammo, tobacco products, and alchohol. He basically said that no matter what happens to the market, people will always have a need for those 3 items. So yeah, i wouldn't look forward to a major price drop in guns or ammo.

[wizzegun]

I was just reading an article yesterday that food prices will not come down because producers have been "eating a lot of the cost" (yeah right) and now they are trying to "make some of their money back." It's kinda like gas stations. They get hit hard when prices go up and they are so slow coming down so they can make some profit. In other words its plain and simple greed. As far as guns, the closer to the election the higher the prices go. I was at a shop a few weeks ago that had a gun I was interested in. I was just in there today and the price WENT UP! You can bet the prices will still be high until the election. And watch out if Obama wins....

[dc dalton]

You would think prices would come down but I sure as hell aren't seeing it in anything. Commodities are dropping like a rock yet things like fuel only barely creep down.

What will be interesting to see is if gas and diesel can get back close to where they were before the run up (something I seriously doubt we will see) if all these shipping companies start dropping off their fuel surcharges ... who wants to bet they don't?

It's like mortgages right now, the average rate is 7% while the fed rate is almost the lowest it has ever been. Plain and simple all these companies are trying to make up for losses in profits they had this summer.

Now as far as food? No prices have not yet spiked because of the turnaround time ... what we are eating now was being grown and or fed 3 - 6 months ago.

Now here's a fun one I found a week or so ago. Records have ranchers slaughtering their animals at lower weights than they normally would because they couldn't afford to feed them. Lower weights means less food to go around which can actually raise the price of beef and pork (and chicken to a SMALL extent)

Then again there are those (Rogers, Roubini and others) that say because the FED and the world governments are throwing money at the crisis we could run into massive inflation in the very near future. Now Rogers I listen to but I always take what he says with a grain of salt... Roubini on the other hand has been dead nuts on accurate (almost to the week) with every prediction he has made about the economy over the past 2 years.

[imperialism2024]

Hmpf, and I'm thinking of making a large ammo purchase in the next day or two... decisions, decisions...

[WVneighbor]

I hope they come down, but with the uncertainty that is called the Presidential Election , I don't foresee any decrease in firearm/ammo prices.

I have already consulted with my better half and we decided that if the Democrats win in November, we are going to make a substantial ($3000-5000) purchase of guns and ammo.