HOW WILL TRUMP EFFECT GUNS & AMMO SALES?

How will Trump effect guns and ammo sales? Badly, but not intentionally. Obama is considered to be the greatest gun salesman in American history: sales soared during his presidency because gun owners perpetually feared he would impose tough gun restrictions after every significant shooting incident. Now that Trump is in the White House, the anti Second Amendmenters have receded into the shadows (for the time being anyway) and sales of guns and ammo are sagging. Ironically, the presidential choice of many firearm enthusiasts was not necessarily the choice of manufacturers: the entire gun industry was literally banking on a Hillary win but distributors have been canceling orders left and right in the weeks since November 8th 2016. This may come to be known as the dog day afternoon to eight years of beautiful sunrises and sunny lunchtimes for the industry. Since the election Ruger and S&W (now AOBC) have seen declines of more than 20% in their stock values, and NICS background checks dropped by almost 20% this January compared with last year. Demand for guns and ammo was so strong over the Obama years that manufacturers couldn't keep up, resulting in long waits for firearms, backordered items and ammo shortages (we all remember those). Now, sadly, I think the industry as a whole will level off and some companies will even close up shop in the coming months. Donald Trump may be the NRA's golden boy so why are gun sales and stocks falling now that he's president? The answers is simple despite being counterintuitive - without the constant threat to our Second Amendment there is no fear-incentive to buy those firearms we worried we may not be allowed to purchase, and, resultantly gun sales will be flat going forward. The OLN conglomerate which owns Winchester Ammo reported that ammo sales declined 20% in the last quarter of 2016 compared with that quarter in 2015. Some of the big firearm manufacturers recently diversified into ammo production - though ammo sales might also be slowing at least bullets get used up but unfortunately the boom days of recent years generated stockpiles of firearms inventory that first has to be moved by distributors before demand necessitates the manufacture of more. This means manufacturing companies and their engineers may find themselves idle and hurting, and the buyer will over the longterm see less diversity in the market, BUT, I predict this in turn will spur a reinvigoration of the market 18 months hence. My advice to the manufacturers is, hang in there if you can and this slump will come to pass. Ed.