Ask AR manufacturers and retailers about the state of the industry, and you’ll probably walk away with a slight sense of gloom. Most analysts have suggested the market is soft, noting sales are lower from the record highs of the Obama election years. The election of Donald Trump to the presidency hurt the potential windfall the entire industry was set to make under the surge buying and fear of gun legislation that would have occurred with a Hillary Clinton victory.
Despite the politico-business ironies of the election cycle on gun sales, the key takeaway for the average tactical gun enthusiast is that sales are off their “record highs”, which means they are still better than average. To be sure, the AR remains the darling of tactical-minded gun enthusiasts and remains the key driver behind all longgun sales. Nowhere was this more evident than at the recent NRA Annual Meetings in May where the guns and accessories made for their use, dominated much of the booth space and the interest of the attendees.