By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com
Housekeeping Note: AK prices have spiked to a new record high this week after reaching a new high last week. The reporting of prices for used rifles for private sale reflects decisions based on the perceived value of the firearm. Why the AK has spiked, I have zero idea, especially in an environment in which the AR has received so much attention.
Recall last fall, when we witnessed a massive record setting drop in prices for AR-10 style semiautomatics. Those prices have recovered to a level still $99 below the current median price average. I know no reason for why the AR-10 is so much cheaper than nine months ago.
Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for president of the United States stood on the podium last Thursday night and proudly declared he won the endorsement of the National Rifle Association. The NRA doesn't give me a warm feeling because of the group's tendency to endorse candidates even though they are anti firearms.
The declaration, made days before Trump's acceptance speech said that Trump will protect the 2nd Amendment. Actually, whether or not Donald Trump is president, the only people who can protect their right to keep and bear arms are the people themselves. As a personal matter, I don't want to have my rights protected by a New York Rockefeller-style liberal who in the past has pressed for more laws against gun owners. His endorsement was not so much a come-to-Jesus moment but an open-the-door-for-Donald moment.
And as if to underscore what I have been saying about leftists and their firearms laws, Massachusetts attorney general Maura Healey said in a Boston Globe opinion piece last Wednesday that as long as AR and AK parts can interchange with other brands and styles, those weapons will be considered "assault weapons" and will be outlawed. The great cry from conservatives was that Healey was rewriting law, which is pretty funny. The whole deck of firearms laws intended to constrict sale and transport of firearms between states has rewritten the Constitution for more than 100 years.
The Massachusetts Assault Weapons Ban is nothing more than a state sponsored assault on firearms owners under the color of law. Leftists don't like semiautomatic rifles such as the AR or AK and they really don't like their owners, and they will use their offices to steal firearms and murder firearms owners if they resist.
Laws, all the laws, should be subject to the consent of the governed, especially when it comes to rights enshrined in the Constitution. No free man should have his personal property taken away, especially property explicitly defined as a right in the Constitution.
Next week the despotic party will have their little meeting, in which they will conspire to use the national government to further their agenda, turning the rest of us into even more wretched serfs.
Fun times.
Loads.
Rantburg's summary for arms and ammunition:
Prices for pistol ammunition were mostly steady. Prices for rifle ammunition were steady across the board.
Prices for used pistols were mixed. Prices for used rifles were mixed.
New Lows:
Texas, .308 NATO (AR-10 Pattern Semiautomatic, Bushmaster XM-10 ORC, $700
Pistol Ammunition
.45 Caliber, 230 Grain, From Last Week: +.01 Each After Unchanged (7 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Goose Island Sales, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .24 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: LAX Ammunition, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .24 per round (From Last week: +.02)
.40 Caliber Smith & Wesson, 180 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (5 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Ammo Mart, Buffalo Cartridge, FSFP, Brass Casing, Reloads, .20 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: Ammo Mart, Legendary, FSFP, Brass Casing, Reloads, .19 per round (From Last Week: -.01 Each After Unchanged (4 Weeks))
9mm Parabellum, 115 Grain, From Last Week: -.01 Each
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Cheaper Than Dirt!, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .15 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: FedArm, Store Brand, TMJ, Brass Casing, .16 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (1Q, 2016))
.357 Magnum, 158 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (5 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Cheaper Than Dirt!, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .23 per round
Cheapest Bulk: 1,000 rounds: Lucky Gunner, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel cased, .23 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (6 Weeks))
Rifle Ammunition
.223 Caliber/5.56mm 55 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (2Q, 2016)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: LAX Ammunition, Hotshot, FMJ, Steel Casing, .21 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: LAX Ammunition, Hotshot, FMJ, Steel Casing, .22 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (2 Weeks))
.308 NATO 150 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (9 Weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Outdoor Unlimited, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .35 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: JG Sales, Tulammo, Steel Casing, FMJ, .34 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (2 Weeks))
7.62x39mm AK 123 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (6 Weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Munire USA, Wolf WPA, Steel Case, FMJ, .24 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: SG Ammo, Wolf WPA, Steel Case, FMJ, .22 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (2Q, 2016))
.22 LR 40 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (5 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds (10 Box Limit): Ammomen, Federal, RNL, .07 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds (2 Box Limit): Ammo Fast, Aguila, RNL, .07 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (2Q, 2016))
Guns for Private Sale
Rifles
.223/5.56mm (AR Pattern Semiautomatic) Average Price: $551 Last Week Avg: $521(+) ($616 (2Q, 2015), $476 (41 Weeks))
California (208, 211): Smith & Wesson M&P 15 Sport II: $550 ($650 (1Q, 2015), $400 (46 Weeks))
Texas (240, 261): Bushmaster: $450 ($700 (1Q, 2015), $350 (2Q, 2015))
Pennsylvania (151, 153): Palmetto State Armory: $555 ($700 (2Q, 2015), $300 (3Q, 2015))
Virginia (151, 162): Palmetto State Armory: $600 ($750 (1Q, 2015), $475 (10 Weeks))
Florida (351, 356): American Tactical Imports Omni Hybrid: $600 ($650 (2Q, 2015), $380 (1Q, 2015))
.308 NATO (AR-10 Pattern Semiautomatic) Average Price: $990 Last Week Avg: $1,070 (-) ($1,359 (2Q, 2015), $820 (42 Weeks))
California (51, 51): Palmetto State Arms: $1,050 ($1,700 (4Q, 2014), $850 (51 Weeks))
Texas (74, 81): Bushmaster XM-10 ORC: $700 ($1,500 (4Q, 2014), $700 (CA: $800 (49 Weeks))
Pennsylvania (35, 39): DPMS SASS: $1,000 ($1,500 (1Q, 2015), $700 (43 Weeks))
Virginia (41, 35): DPMS: $1,000 ($2,750 (27 Weeks), $800 (38 Weeks))
Florida (60, 67): DPMS: $1,200 ($1,950 (12 Weeks), $500 (41 Weeks))
7.62x39mm (AK Pattern Semiautomatic) Average Price: $686 Last Week Avg: $668 (+) ($686 (CA: $668 (1 Weeks)), $450 (3Q, 2015))
California (28, 25): Lancaster: $770 ($800 (7 Weeks)), $320 (4Q, 2014))
Texas (54, 56): WASR: $700 ($800 (28 Weeks), $350 (3Q, 2014))
Pennsylvania (51, 53): WASR 10/63: $650 ($750 (1Q, 2015), $375 (1Q, 2015))
Virginia (32, 36): Saiga: $700 ($700 (9 Weeks), $350 (1Q, 2015))
Florida (80, 85): Noveske: $610 ($700 (21 Weeks), $300 (4Q, 2014))
30-30 Winchester Lever Action Average Price: $364 Last Week Avg: $376 (-) ($489 (1Q, 2015), $296 (3Q, 2015))
California (11, 8): Mossberg: $350 ($600 (19 Weeks), $180 (2Q, 2015))
Texas (17, 18): Marlin: $395 ($550 (1Q, 2015), $300 (1Q, 2015))
Pennsylvania (13, 15): Winchester Model 94: $300 ($450 (1Q, 2015), $250 (4Q, 2014))
Virginia (11, 11): Marlin 336: $425 ($670 (11 Weeks)), $250 (33 Weeks))
Florida (21, 22): Marlin 336: $350 ($500 (1Q, 2015), $250 (2Q, 2015))
Pistols
.45 caliber ACP (M1911 Pattern Semiautomatic Pistol) Average Price: $420 Last Week Avg: $430 (-) ($510 (16 Weeks)), $350 (38 Weeks))
California (183, 181): Bersa-Eagle: $500 ($750 (6 Weeks), $300 (51 Weeks))
Texas (211, 211): Tisas: $425 ($600 (4Q, 2014), $325 (48 Weeks))
Pennsylvania (170, 176): Tisas: $329 ($550 (2Q, 2015), $300 (2Q, 2015))
Virginia (125, 123): Rock Island Armory: $450 ($575 (25 Weeks)), $250 (4Q, 2014))
Florida (294, 318): Regent Arms R200: $400 ($500 (24 Weeks), $250 (1Q, 2015))
9mm (Beretta 92FS or other Semiautomatic) Average Price: $265 Last Week Avg: $306 (-) ($358 (22 Weeks), $245 (14 Weeks))
California (220, 206): Smith & Wesson SD9VE: $320 ($500 (21 Weeks), $200 (37 Weeks))
Texas (283, 296): Taurus PT-709: $285 ($355 (1Q, 2015), $200 (46 Weeks))
Pennsylvania (248, 266): Taurus: $250 ($350 (4Q 2014), $200 (3Q, 2015))
Virginia (234, 229): Sccy CPX-2 : $220 ($425 (29 Weeks), $189 (16 Weeks))
Florida (488, 464): Taurus 709: $250 ($400 (18 Weeks), $200 (7 Weeks))
.40 caliber S&W (Glock or other semiautomatic) Average Price: $320 Last Week Avg: $297 (+) ($399 (25 Weeks), $262 (6 Weeks))
California (100, 99): Springfield XD-40: $450 ($560 (28 Weeks)), $250 (4Q, 2014))
Texas (126, 125): Smith & Wesson SW40VE: $280 ($425 (4Q, 2014), $250 (32 Weeks))
Pennsylvania (76, 79): Smith & Wesson SW40VE: $275 ($450 (15 Weeks), $225 (7 Weeks))
Virginia (63, 62): Smith & Wesson SD9: $319 ($450 (2Q, 2015), $275 (1Q, 2015))
Florida (143, 153): Smith & Wesson SD40VE: $280 ($400 (1Q, 2015), $199 (24 Weeks))
Used Gun of the Week: (New York (!!))
BohicaArms Mk III Chambered in .50 BMG