Gun Manufacturers Laying Off Employees

[nmkid]

This past weekend I visited 2 local stores and rifles and guns were on sale throughout. I purchased a nice Taurus Ultra Light for $256 out the door. The salesman said they were just loaded with over supply. Another store was selling basic AR's for just over $400. Nice time if you are looking and got a few extra $$. Oh...Primers, bullets and powder for the choosing.

 

[Iowa Fox]

We knew this would happen its just basic business. Ill be buying more AR parts when I see them on sale. The boys were home for Easter and pretty well cleaned out my box of new AR parts I buy when I see them on sale, LPK's, barrels, stocks, Upper receivers.

 

[BrushyHillGuide]

Where are these layoffs occurring - which big players? It seems most people are referring to AR related companies when I consider companies like Remington, Winchester, Sig Sauer, etc. big players. I hadn't heard this before so I'm really curious where, exactly, this is occurring? I do know there's been some considerable shrinkage in the suppressor market, post the implementation of the 41F ruling, that's led to some considerable layoffs. This will be some part of the layoffs in the firearms industry.

If the layoffs are within the AR segment of the firearms industry, I think it has more to do with a bloated industry than politics. There's just too many overlapping products in the AR market to be sustainable, IMO. The obsession with black rifles was certainly fueled by politically driven paranoia; and it enabled way too many people to get into the business. Now that there's less paranoia of bans, it's natural that interest has plateaued and real, normal market forces are coming into effect. If there's 100 different companies that are making bolt carrier groups that are all pretty much similar (notwithstanding the descriptions they put out) that just not sustainable in a normal market. The weaker companies will just not maintain enough sales to survive. Also, consumers have become more aware and are making better choices which means that market share will go to a more limited number of manufacturers who produce the products that best serve the market.

In the bolt gun market I think there are some big changes occuring as consumer interest in long range shooting has exploded. Largely, this is due to the growing interest in PRS and similar shooting and the interest in long range hunting as a result of shows on TV. These are natural consumer driven changes but many of the larger manufacturers are painfully slow at recognizing and reacting to these changes. This could easily lead to some layoffs.

JMO