# Folks betting on an assault weapons ban are buying up guns to re-sell for big profits **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 18, 2009, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/folks-betting-on-an-assault-weapons-ban-are-buying-up-guns-to-re-sell-for-big-profits/493499 "2009-04-18T03:12:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![JXJohns](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jxjohns/32/469_2.png) [@JXJohns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JXJohns)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/folks-betting-on-an-assault-weapons-ban-are-buying-up-guns-to-re-sell-for-big-profits/493499/21 "2009-04-21T16:28:18Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > Your post insinuates that the current prices are at their ceiling. > > Not true. > > Once a ban on new manufacture is implemented (and a few years after supplies of pre-ban items start to diminish from the market) todays prices will seem like chump change. > > This will especially be true if the next ban has no sun-set clause like the last one. > > I have an FFL, and while wholesale prices have gone up, they have not gone up to a level where the investment is not worth it. There is still money to be made, and there will be for quite a while. I said serious money, I guess that is a subjective term. I was buying stripped AR lowers for sub $100 prices RETAIL a year ago. One could slap together a Frankengun for under $600. Even those things are selling at $1000 now for net of $400 per. Without an FFL now, one is looking at double the cost of a lower, if they can find any for sale, and crazy wait times for completed uppers to finish it. One now has to make a considerable outlay in both time and money betting on the fact that an AW ban _might_ happen. I really wish I would have picked up a dozen WASRs when they were selling for $250 instead of the three that I did get. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/folks-betting-on-an-assault-weapons-ban-are-buying-up-guns-to-re-sell-for-big-profits/493499/22 "2009-04-21T19:53:11Z")
> [@PatriotGrrrl](#): > > No, because it means the firearms and ammo manufacturers and importers are working overtime making and importing more goodies than they ordinarily would. Surely said firearms and ammo manufacturers and importers would not be looking to increase a business that might be considerably legally curtailed in the near future? And logically speaking, if those organisations are doing that, then there’s no need to stockpile, thanks to the increased avaliability of those goods. I don’t think your notion follows through. ---
**Author:** ![JXJohns](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jxjohns/32/469_2.png) [@JXJohns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JXJohns)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/folks-betting-on-an-assault-weapons-ban-are-buying-up-guns-to-re-sell-for-big-profits/493499/23 "2009-04-21T20:55:36Z")
> [@Revenant\_Threshold](#): > > Surely said firearms and ammo manufacturers and importers would not be looking to increase a business that might be considerably legally curtailed in the near future? > > And logically speaking, if those organisations are doing that, then there’s no need to stockpile, thanks to the increased avaliability of those goods. I don’t think your notion follows through. If any new ban follows the same path as the last one, the only thing curtailed is the sale of new scary looking things. The existing ones are not affected at all. The buildup now is everyone trying to get their products into the market prior to any measurable change. Stockpiling now is not such a bad idea. I’m just not sure that it is the best money making venture out there. I have purchased a quality AK clone and AR-15 and a case of ammo per gun for each of my three kids to insure that they will have the opportunity to own one some day. The kids are aged 7,2 and 1. Of course, the .gov may come in and make a new law or two to totally f it up my plan before they are old enough too. I guess I am willing to take that risk. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/folks-betting-on-an-assault-weapons-ban-are-buying-up-guns-to-re-sell-for-big-profits/493499/24 "2009-04-22T01:01:15Z")
Snopes recently had an interesting article about the government [cutting off supplies of used casings](http://www.snopes.com/politics/guns/casings.asp). Apparently it was temporary and merely a matter of bureaucratic process, but it evidently had some people panicked. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/folks-betting-on-an-assault-weapons-ban-are-buying-up-guns-to-re-sell-for-big-profits/493499/25 "2009-04-22T02:16:25Z")
Oddly, I’ve seen no evidence of ammunition or gun shortages in KC at all. I remember 1994 very well, and how I was offered a cool $2,000 cash for my Mini-14 Stainless Ranch Rifle with factory folding stainless stock which I had bought years before new for $400. I’m not seeing any markups like that. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/folks-betting-on-an-assault-weapons-ban-are-buying-up-guns-to-re-sell-for-big-profits/493499/26 "2009-04-22T14:46:47Z")
> [@Una\_Persson](#): > > Oddly, I’ve seen no evidence of ammunition or gun shortages in KC at all. Really? What kind of ammo are you talking about. Here in the Milwaukee area the store shelves are almost bare, especially for handgun ammo. My wholesale suppliers are also back ordered. ---
**Author:** ![Miltonyz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Miltonyz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miltonyz)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/folks-betting-on-an-assault-weapons-ban-are-buying-up-guns-to-re-sell-for-big-profits/493499/27 "2009-04-22T17:02:17Z")
It’s getting pretty rough up here in Michigan too. My local range had up a sign a little while back limiting ammo purchases to 5 boxes at a time. I took the girlfriends sister to test out an SR9 yesterday and we couldn’t rent one because they had no 9mm ammo in stock. ---
**Author:** ![tjcoop3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/47e85d/32.png) [@tjcoop3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tjcoop3)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/folks-betting-on-an-assault-weapons-ban-are-buying-up-guns-to-re-sell-for-big-profits/493499/28 "2009-04-23T05:39:42Z")
> [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > If prices and business sky rocket due to this fear, I would bet against it. Obama isn’t taking our guns. An ETF is a collection of stocks that can be traded. Unless prices, especially food increase a bunch, businesses tank and unemployment goes into mid-double digits. In that case people might get really pissed off and head to the streets. Dems haven’t dealt with riots since the race riots in the 60’s. Very different than a nationwide protest if people freak. ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/folks-betting-on-an-assault-weapons-ban-are-buying-up-guns-to-re-sell-for-big-profits/493499/29 "2009-04-23T07:09:37Z")
Yeah. Local gun shops are saying merchandise is flying off the shelves. Interesting approach to economic stimulus. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/folks-betting-on-an-assault-weapons-ban-are-buying-up-guns-to-re-sell-for-big-profits/493499.md?page=1)