Originally Posted by
idahoron
He basically agreed with me, especially when talking about the 22 market.
I really hope that the quality gun manufactures don't go away but I am afraid they might. And all that will be left is AR's and boat paddle guns.
What I'm really interested in is what he might have said about profitability. What are the ways that guns can be profitable for a manufacturer?
The traditional taste for guns that last a lifetime creates a bit of a boondoggle for manufacturers of traditional hunting weapons. The hunting market has been shrinking (at least pre-covid) and the average age of hunters is going up.
This scenario is probably going to become more frequent: A Grandpa passed on a pre-64 model 70, his post-64 Winchester 94, and a Savage 110 onto non-hunting grandkids. It means there will soon be three used guns for sale at the gun shop. The grandson traded them for ARs. A collector quickly snaps up the model 70, but the other two may sit there at least till deer season. The gun buyers who did come in were in their twenties and thirties and barely glanced at the "old timer" guns. Instead, they head right for the AR rack. They might go for something labeled "creedmoor".