What's Selling Where
WEST
IDAHO
Council Guns, Council
This northwest Idaho store stocks a mix of 200 hunting and concealed carry guns. Their two employees serve a clientele of ranchers, guides, and rural cabin owners.
Summer sales of MSRs are slow. The top-selling MSRs include Smith & Wesson M&P 15 Sport IIIs, LWRCs, and Andersons. Bolt-action guns are picking up, and the retailer is forecasting an increase in bolt-action sales throughout the summer. Right now, Ruger American Generation IIs and Glenfield Model As command the lion’s share of sales.
“We’re a hunting store when it comes to rifles. Our bolt guns continue to expand in multiple calibers per customer. They want at least four different rifles, usually in .308, .30-06, .270, and 6.5 Creedmoor,” said owner Brian Goodwin.
Handgun sales are steady. Smith & Wesson Shield EZs in .380, SD9s, and M&P 10mms are selling well, along with Ruger LC9s. Goodwin said Glocks have continued to fall out of favor in his store, even with the release of the new Gen 6.
Although shotguns have slowed, this store is still turning a few models from GForce as well as Winchester SXPs. Ammo stocks remain high at this retailer.
UTAH
J. Sip and Sons, Tocqueville
In business since 2008, this southern Utah custom gun manufacturer and retailer specializes in hand-carved wooden stocks, mechanical engineering, and specialty finished custom machining. As one of Blaser’s exclusive U.S. retailers (the brand is the store’s largest seller), seasonality is rarely a factor.
Sales of custom suppressors, one of the shop’s fastest retail sales trends, have continued to grow. “A decade ago, I would have never predicted the growth of suppressors in the U.S. market. Our customers are buying them in droves for hunting rifles. I don’t see an end to this segment’s growth,” said owner Justin Sip.
When their client owns a custom rifle with high-grade optics, they are curious about suppression. “Once a hunter experiences the pleasure and hearing comfort of a rifle with a suppressor, there’s no turning back. They add them to at least two,” said Sip.
In other trends, this store is experiencing an uptick in carbon-barrel bolt-action rifles, as well as a rapid increase in demand for PRC-caliber ammo.
ALASKA
Alaskan All Around Pawn, Big Lake
Keeping under 100 firearms in stock, this gun-pawn shop rests 50 miles north of Anchorage in the suburban Mat-Su Valley close to Big Lake. The store is a mix of ATVs, snowmobiles, and inflatables. This is their second year of business.
While it’s summer in most of the lower forty-eight, it’s still spring in Alaska. Traffic is slowly picking up with a mixed demand for large-caliber handguns, used shotguns, and big-bore lever-action rifles.
“We are a small shop that stocks very little from traditional distributers. We focus on transfers and direct orders with plenty of used consignment guns. It takes about a week to get a gun on order. For consignments, we charge between 15 and 20 percent. This has allowed us to move slowly and conservatively into our inventory as we develop relationships with new customers,” said owner Jesse Barnes.
Smith M&P Shields in .45 lead handgun sales. Additional strong sellers include Ruger Redhawk Alaskans in .454 Casull and .480 Ruger. Any 10mm handgun is in high demand. Bolt-action guns are slowly picking up, with import lever actions in .44 Mag. and .45-70 in the highest demand. Any used 12-gauge pump shotgun sells quickly.
MIDWEST
WISCONSIN
Superior Shooter's Supply, Superior
Located just one block from Lake Superior, a skip and a hop across the Wisconsin state line, this long-standing Duluth-area shop specializes in firearms, safes, reloading supplies, and soft goods. This retailer says the handgun market is evolving. “We see higher turns of revolvers from the many women coming into the sport. They have been harder to get, particularly from Ruger,” said owner Pat Kukull. S&W Shield EZs and 2.0 .380s, Taurus GX4-XLs, Smith 686 J-Frames, and Glock Gen 6s are all crossing the counter. Handguns sales have been better than expected for the spring and early summer.
MSR sales have picked up slightly to five per month, with S&W M&P 15 Sport IIIs and models from Palmetto serving as the “go-to” brands. Ruger American Gen IIs and Savage 110s, in .308, 6.5 Creedmoor, and .30-06 garner the most attention. Kukull also mentioned gun safe sales have remained consistently high this year. She was pleased to report all ammo stocks are good, and 10/22s are selling exceptionally well this summer.
MINNESOTA
R H Kay Firearms, Burnsville
Established in 2010, this retailer stocks a tightly inventoried 500-square-foot store in metro St. Paul to meet the needs of a home defense clientele. MSR inventories are moving, at about six per month. A mix of Palmettos and S&W M&P 15 Sport IIIs hold the top spots.
“To capture all the traffic we can muster, our transfer fee is just $25. Our goal is to get customers coming back into our store. My shoppers are highly price sensitive, and this has been even more pronounced in the past few years,” said owner Rick Kay.
Handgun sales are steady for the summer months, with several Glock 6s on order. Shield 2.0 .380s and CZ 1911s are moving well. Used handguns are in higher demand than in previous years, and this retailer expects them to increase.
MICHIGAN
Trigger Time Outfitters, Traverse City
With fishing and archery taking up equal amounts of retail space, this north Michigan shop keeps over 500 long guns and handguns on display. It houses additional inventory for rentals on their 25-yard range. Rimfire is always hot in the summer. This retailer moves Ruger Americans in . 17 HMR and 10/22s across the counter daily. “We cater to a lot of families. We like to stock guns priced for the kid who is mowing lawns,” said counter salesperson Zach (Cookie) Cook.
Smith Bodyguard 2.0s in .380, Springfield Hellcats, and Sig Sauer P365s are turning heads at this store. In the summer, this shop always sells a small number of large-caliber Smith revolvers. Recently, M&P 10mm 2.0s for bear protection have hit the radar.
Sales of MSRs are picking up after a slow start this year. A mix of M&P Sport IIIs and models from Daniel Defense are seeing the most action. Bolt-action rifles are just starting to get attention. Browning X Bolts and Weatherbys in .30-06 are making turns, along with Christensens in .243. Rifles chambered in 6.5 PRC are also in demand. Cook also mentioned that rifle sales started earlier this year, in June, not September.
SOUTH
ARKANSAS
Guns Plus, Searcy
This rural North Arkansas retailer keeps 500 guns in stock with three full-time employees. The store has a mix of hunting, home defense, and reloading products. At three per week, MSRs rifles continue to make the register ring for this location. “We’ve seen a steadily increased demand with MSRs. As our customers add to their collections, they’re buying these rifles more and more for hunting,” said counter salesman Charles Bridgeman.
Bushmaster and Diamondback lead at this counter; Sport IIIs hold down third place. Bolt-action guns are hotter than they have been in the last two summers, with a mix of Ruger Americans and Tikkas turning higher mid-season numbers than usual. This store is seeing a constant uptick in demand for used Remington 700s and Browning A-Bolts. The two most popular calibers, .30-06 and .30-30, remain consistent for this retailer.
Handgun sals are steady, with Taurus G3s in the top spot. Meanwhile, Sig 3P65s are falling to Glocks. “We’ve really seen an increase in Glock sales. Our customers are choosing them three to one over Sigs and Springfields,” Bridgeman said.
TENNESSEE
The Gun Shop Trading Post, Livingston
Located in central northern Tennessee in a lake community near Dale Hollow reservoir, this rural store stocks 400 firearms with three full-time employees. The store specializes in hunting and home defense products. After a busy spring, this store uses the late spring-summer months to task administrative duties.
“The days of summer are a breath of fresh air after coming off tax season, one of our busiest sales periods. While much slower in the summer, we use the time for inventory, assessments, reordering, and restocking,” said counter salesperson September Bingham.
Handguns remain active with price-point Taurus G2Cs holding the top spot. Glock 43Xs and Ruger’s LCP Max have some heads turning. Selling close to one a week, MSRs remain slow with a mix of Sport IIIs and Radicals. “MSR sales have slowed notably,” Bingham said.
On the other hand, this store always has requests for walnut-stock Remington 870s and wood-stock Browning BPS shotguns. Turkish tactical shotguns are also attracting attention.
GEORGIA
Sidney's Guns, Augusta
Founded as a haberdashery in the late 1800s, this uniform and soft goods company began to handle firearms in the 1960s to fill duty-belt orders from their local police department.
Today, the firearm side of the business keeps more than 1,000 guns in stock. There are more than one million SKUs throughout the store. Spring to summer has handguns moving, with this retailer featuring Smith 642s. “We sell our share of Glock 6s and Sig P365 Micro-compacts. But without question, Smith revolvers continue to move consistently,” said owner Steven Fishman.
MSRs are steady but holding to low price points. Del-Ton sits in the highest sales position. Fishman noted that kit gun owners, looking to trade in, are disappointed with his store’s offers. “These customers have spent $800 building a custom rifle that we can barely offer them $175 for,” he said.
Shotguns are steady year-round for this store, with a mix of Beretta Super Pigeons and A300 Tacticals. Additional sellers include an increasing variety of higher-quality Turkish shotguns from Huglu.
EAST
MAINE
Jackman Hardware, Jackman
Stocking 250 used and new firearms, this small-town store specializing in hunting firearms and hardware is located on Main Street, just five miles from the Canadian border. Handgun sales are consistent, with several Browning Buckmarks crossing the counter. A few conceal carry guns, such as Kimber Micro 9s and Charter Arms Chic Ladies, are making turns.
“There is always demand for short-barreled large-caliber revolvers like Ruger Alaskans in .44 Mag. or .454 Casull being purchased for bear protection. Just to be clear, we will never stock a gun or gun part from China. My customers simply refuse to buy them,” said owner Mark Giroux.
Rabbit guns are always hot at this store. A mix of Ruger 10-22s, used H&R 20- and 12-gauge single actions, and Savage Model 10s in .223 are finding new homes. M&P 22s and Rock Rivers are on the rise at this store.
VERMONT
Parro's Gun Shop & Indoor Range, Waterbury
Located in north-central Vermont, this small-town gun shop displays 900 guns in 4,000 square feet, keeping seven full-time employees and three part-timers busy. Parro's also has a full-time law-enforcement sales staff, supplying much of the upper New England and upstate New York area.
Like much of the country, these area departments are continuing to transition to Glock MOS 9mms. The modular Glocks are optics-ready and are the significant leader for this supplier. “The change stems from the need to move from iron sights to improved sight-acquisition platforms. Most departments have also moved to 9mm from .40,” said counter salesman Kevin Brown.
As for new pistol sales, M&P Bodyguard 2.0s are leading this counter, followed by high numbers of Glock G45 Gen 6s. Sales of Sig P365s also remain consistent with high turns. Regarding MSR patrol rifles, the current leader is the Ruger 8587 equipped with Yankee Hill Suppressors. Other sales are going to Daniel Defense and Q LLC. This store also has large numbers of used M&P 15s for sale.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
White Birch Armory and Range, Dover
Located in southern New Hampshire just a few miles from the Maine state line, this large retailer and range keeps over 2,500 firearms in stock. The company serves a wide audience in training, shooting, and retail, both in store and online.
While handguns always rule at this retailer, MSRs are making particularly brisk turns this summer. “I’m aware that many smaller stores are seeing falling activity with MSRs, but we market our rifles and promote them seriously. Even in this market, we’re selling up to 20 rifles a week,” said director of sales Joe Dichiara. At White Birch, the rifle leaders are a mix of M&P 15 and Ruger 556s. Daniel Defense also sees weekly turns.
Handguns are always busy for this shop. The highest numbers are a mix of Glock 17s, Sig P365 Compacts, and M&P Shields. While summer is not the busiest time for handgun sales, this retailer reports sales are trending up. Tactical shotguns are slow, but steady. Mossburg Mavericks and Winchester SXPs are selling the best. Dichiara noted suppressor sales continue to grow substantially with the improved federal registration system.