Field and Stream:

I heard the following story at SHOT from a friend in the industry:

A man walked into a gunstore looking for 5.56 ammo for his AR. As is not uncommon these days, the store was out.

“How about that box of ammo there? I’ll take it,” said the customer, pointing to a lone box of .416 Rigby on the nearly empty shelf.

“Do you have a .416 Rigby rifle?” asked the clerk.

“Nope,” said the man, reaching for his wallet. “I’ll take it anyway.”

Whether the story is true as in “it actually happened” I don’t know, but it rings true enough. There are lots of stories of people going to gunstores with $1,200 in their pocket looking for an AR. When they can’t find one they just buy a gun – any gun – a bolt action, a muzzleloader, whatever.

My local store has been out of Ruger 10/22 rimfires for months and can’t get more. There was a lone pink-stocked ugly duckling of a 10/22 that remained unsold after all the others were gone, but someone probably realized they could put an aftermarket stock on it and snapped it up. Or maybe they painted it or are just shooting it in the pink. Who knows?

The unfortunate thing from my point of view is, aside from guns for 3-gun, home defense and zombie shooting*, shotguns are not getting much love in this current buying frenzy. I did find enough to fill a gallery we’ll be posting soon, but rifles and handguns are where it’s at these days, sad to say. 

One commenter says “That’s because the nimrods out there buying ARs and high cap pistols don’t know much about home defense. If they did they would buy a short barreled shot gun and load it up with 00 buck. one of the very best home defense guns out there. This is just the start of what is to come. With all these dumbshits out there buying guns and have no idea how to use them. No training, no nothing !! BTW did any one see how high the prices are going?? Gun stores are making money by the handfuls, so thank-you Mr president.”

Well, yes, but also no.  The commenter isn’t aware of or doesn’t care to acknowledge that the AR is a legitimate home defense weapon.  But besides that, I’m not so sure about the author’s thesis.  If there was “no love for shotguns,” they should be more available than there are and still be about the same price.

A couple of months ago I stopped by Shooter’s Express in Belmont, N.C., to do some range practice with my daughter.  I had been looking for the best price on a Mossberg 930 SPX.  I found it at Shooter’s, for $620.  I was tempted to put down some money right then and get this on layaway.  But, I reasoned, it’ll be there in a month or two.

Right.  One of the worst decisions in recent memory.  The last time I checked they were asking around $1000 for this same shotgun (it’s probably gone today).  And as for availability, there isn’t a semi-automatic shotgun within 100 miles of here (I say 100 miles because I haven’t been beyond that).  None.  Not even at the best gun shops.

I might go to the upcoming gun show to see what’s there, but you know how that goes.  Ninety nine out of one hundred shows are worthless, and you have to have money anyway.  I’m tapped out.  But I still want my Mossberg 930.  I really do.  The only way I’ll ever have a Benelli is if they give me one for doing a review for them.  This blog has a page rank of five.  If it was ten, maybe I’d stand a chance at that.