How the Gun Industry is Responding to the “Trump Slump”

All the danger signs of an industry slump are out there right now…gun stocks are plunging since Donald Trump became president. CNN’s Money program said gun stocks were “tanking.” The fear of restricted access to guns  meant that a lot more people were buying guns in 2016 in anticipation of their being a new president who was not gun-friendly. Without that pressure, sales have turned into what some people in the industry are calling a “Trump Slump.”

Guns Today reported just a few days ago that “Gun Sales Are Down Overall” although more minorities are taking up arms. In January 2017 there were half a million less background checks performed than there were in January 2016.

In response, Remington has announced layoffs at its manufacturing plant in New York. According to Fox Business News, Remington laid off 120 workers at its plant there. That’s a lot of jobs in the town of Ilion, which only has about 8,000 residents. No one feels good about people losing their jobs, but the gun industry is a wide-ranging animal with a lot of arms and legs. Losses of “blood” in one arm results in a loss somewhere else, unfortunately. Remington also recently announced that it was building a plant in Huntsville, Alabama. Residents of Ilion who still work at the factory are worried that the gun maker might close the Ilion factory all together.

What can a regular person do? Not much, unless you all want to go out and buy lots of guns. But you can support the gun industry in other ways. For instance, if you’re going to buy a gun accessory, buy a new one rather than a used one (which we don’t recommend anyway). Join a gun range. Practice more (use more ammunition). Encourage your friends to get their concealed carry permits if they don’t already have one. AmericanConcealed.com sells concealed carry safety training to allow you to get your permits that are valid in Virginia, Oregon, Iowa, Idaho, Wyoming and Arizona and the states that those states have reciprocity with (which is most of them).