Gun Industry Experiencing Slowdown

By A.M. Uygongco | Mar 22, 2017 04:54 AM EDT

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The gun industry experiences a sales slowdown with Trump as president. Layoffs are also happening as the market changes.

With the result of the election being what it was, the gun industry is no longer experiencing a rush of buyers stocking up on firearms in preparation of a Clinton presidency. Unlike Clinton, Trump is a pro-Second Amendment, which means gun owners do not need to fear about stricter gun controls.

Mother Jones reports that the boom in gun sales during the year-end of 2016 evaporated as soon as Trump was declared the winner. The result is a slowdown in the gun industry, which is based on security background checks conducted by licensed dealers.

The website adds that the FBI's data showed a drop in the number of firearm checks for the month of January 2017 compared to November 2016. The Free Beacon, however, argues that the background checks are not an exact barometer of gun sales.

Bud's Gun Shop told the Free Beacon that sales for March 2017 are higher than March 2016. Bud's is reportedly experiencing a supply and demand stabilization.

The same might not be said for other shops seeing as Remington laid off more than 150 employees according to Mother Jones. Another company, Gander Mountain, closed down 32 stores, reports USA Today.

Second Amendment lobbyist Todd Rathner says that although the downturn is cyclical, the elections had a lot to do with it. He called Trump the firearms community's closest ally.

The market will soon stabilize, says Larry Keane who is the senior vice president of the NSSF. He adds that the valley floor is higher.

In a previous Jobs & Hire article, Gun Maker Marty Daniel spoke about how many gun owners were preparing for a Clinton Presidency but wanted a Trump one. Daniel cited that the market has been particularly slow compared to the previous year, but that it would correct itself within a year.

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