By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com
Not a whole lot to report on guns this week. Politics keeps pushing guns away from the headlines, even though guns are an existential civil rights matter, and thus a political issue. At Rantburg, we had some fun at the expense of a Wisconsin professor who wanted to stampede hunters into pushing for registration of hunting rifles as an example of how responsible gun owners should be.
His proposal makes no sense, using governmental resources for the doubtful purpose of registering the one firearms type almost never used in crime. Indeed, I can't see hunters being so angry about something they would gather at a public area in, say, Oregon, to protest. I can see AR and AK owners doing that, but not owners of Remington 700 bolt action rifles.
I guess if you live in a country where the king is sovereign and you are a subject, there is little you won't do to protect him from rubes who hold firearms to keep tyranny at bay. Our leftist opponents constantly say, "We don't want to take your guns." That is equivalent to the saying that diplomacy is the art of saying "Nice doggie" until you find a rock, presumably to strike the dawg. It is a well defined tactic used by domestic enemies of the Constitution in the past. They will continue to use it in the future, because it works.
Loads.
Rantburg's summary for arms and ammunition:
Prices for pistol ammunition were steady across the board. Prices for rifle ammunition were steady across the board.
Prices for used pistols were mixed. Prices for used rifles were mixed.
New Lows:
None
Pistol Ammunition
.45 Caliber, 230 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (5 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Goose Island Sales, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .24 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: LAX Ammunition, Tulammo, Steel Casing, .24 per round (From Last week: Unchanged (2 Weeks))
.40 Caliber Smith & Wesson, 180 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (4 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Ammo Mart, Legendary, FSFP, Brass Casing, Reloads, .20 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: Ammo Mart, Legendary, FSFP, Brass Casing, Reloads, .19 per round (From Last Week: -.01 Each)
9mm Parabellum, 115 Grain, From Last Week: +.01 Each After Unchanged (4 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Outdoor Unlimited, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .16 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: Cheaper Than Dirt!, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .15 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (4 Weeks))
.357 Magnum, 158 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (9 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Cheaper Than Dirt!, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .23 per round
Cheapest Bulk: 1,000 rounds: Ammunition to Go, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel cased, .23 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (2Q, 2016))
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, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .22 per round (From Last Week: +.01 Each After Unchanged (3 Weeks))
.308 NATO 150 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (2Q, 2016)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Outdoor Unlimited, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .35 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: LAX Ammunition, Tulammo, Steel Casing, FMJ, .34 per round (From Last Week: +.03 Each After Unchanged (3 Weeks))
7.62x39mm AK 123 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (2Q, 2016)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Ammunition Depot, 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 (2 Weeks))
.22 LR 40 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (9 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds (10 Box Limit): Ammomen, Federal, RNL, .07 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds (2 Box Limit): Ammomen, Aguila, RNL, .07 per round (From Last Week: +.01 Each )
Guns for Private Sale
Rifles
.223/5.56mm (AR Pattern Semiautomatic) Average Price: $525 Last Week Avg: $520(+) ($616 (2Q, 2015), $476 (45 Weeks))
California (226, 217): Palmetto State Armory: $550 ($650 (1Q, 2015), $400 (50 Weeks))
Texas (240, 219): Ruger 556: $475 ($700 (1Q, 2015), $350 (2Q, 2015))
Pennsylvania (136, 135): Smith & Wesson: $500 ($700 (2Q, 2015), $300 (3Q, 2015))
Virginia (162, 158): Mixed Build: $650 ($750 (1Q, 2015), $475 (14 Weeks))
Florida (372, 373): Mixed Build: $450 ($650 (2Q, 2015), $380 (1Q, 2015))
.308 NATO (AR-10 Pattern Semiautomatic) Average Price: $950 Last Week Avg: $950(=) ($1,359 (2Q, 2015), $820 (46 Weeks))
California (66, 69): DPMS LR308: $950 ($1,700 (4Q, 2014), $850 (3Q, 2015))
Texas (73, 78): DPMS: $900 ($1,500 (4Q, 2014), $700 (5 Weeks))
Pennsylvania (34, 35): DPMS SASS: $1,000 ($1,500 (1Q, 2015), $700 (47 Weeks))
Virginia (40, 42): DPMS: $1,000 ($2,750 (31 Weeks), $800 (42 Weeks))
Florida (74, 71): Remington: $900 ($1,950 (16 Weeks), $500 (45 Weeks))
7.62x39mm (AK Pattern Semiautomatic) Average Price: $565 Last Week Avg: $580(-) ($668 (5 Weeks)), $450 (3Q, 2015))
California (45, 33): Mixed Build: $625 ($800 (11 Weeks)), $320 (4Q, 2014))
Texas (62, 57): WASR 10: $450 ($800 (32 Weeks), $350 (3Q, 2014))
Pennsylvania (43, 40): CAI VZ2008: $500 ($750 (1Q, 2015), $375 (1Q, 2015))
Virginia (33, 36): O-Pap M70: $650 ($700 (13 Weeks), $350 (1Q, 2015))
Florida (89, 78): IO: $600 ($700 (25 Weeks), $300 (4Q, 2014))
30-30 Winchester Lever Action Average Price: $410 Last Week Avg: $413 (-) ($489 (1Q, 2015), $296 (3Q, 2015))
California (7, 6): Rossi Rio Grande: $500 ($600 (23 Weeks), $180 (2Q, 2015))
Texas (21, 21): Marlin: $375 ($550 (1Q, 2015), $300 (1Q, 2015))
Pennsylvania (11, 12): Winchester Model 94: $375 ($450 (1Q, 2015), $250 (4Q, 2014))
Virginia (11, 10): Marlin 336: $400 ($670 (15 Weeks)), $250 (37 Weeks))
Florida (26, 26): Rossi Rio Grande: $400 ($500 (1Q, 2015), $250 (2Q, 2015))
Pistols
.45 caliber ACP (M1911 Pattern Semiautomatic Pistol) Average Price: $435 Last Week Avg: $515 (-) ($515 (2 Weeks)), $350 (42 Weeks))
California (192, 200): Rock Island Armory: $425 ($800 (2 Weeks), $300 (3Q, 2015))
Texas (238, 226): AMT Hardballer (Stainless): $550 ($600 (4Q, 2014), $325 (3Q, 2015))
Pennsylvania (157, 155): Taurus PT1911: $400 ($550 (2Q, 2015), $300 (2Q, 2015))
Virginia (136, 139): Tisas: $400 ($575 (29 Weeks)), $250 (4Q, 2014))
Florida (280, 284): Llama: $400 ($500 (28 Weeks), $250 (1Q, 2015))
9mm (Beretta 92FS or other Semiautomatic) Average Price: $279 Last Week Avg: $263 (+) ($358 (26 Weeks), $245 (18 Weeks))
California (265, 261): Ruger P95: $350 ($500 (25 Weeks), $200 (41 Weeks))
Texas (333, 306): Ruger SR9E: $275 ($355 (1Q, 2015), $200 (50 Weeks))
Pennsylvania (284, 276): Taurus PT111 G2: $260 ($350 (4Q 2014), $200 (3Q, 2015))
Virginia (232, 226): Lorcin L9: $250 ($425 (33 Weeks), $189 (20 Weeks))
Florida (515, 505): Sccy CPX2: $260 ($400 (22 Weeks), $190 (2 Weeks))
.40 caliber S&W (Glock or other semiautomatic) Average Price: $306 Last Week Avg: $311(-) ($399 (30 Weeks), $262 (10 Weeks))
California (112, 108): Smith & Wesson SD40VE: $300 ($560 (32 Weeks)), $250 (4Q, 2014))
Texas (136, 145): Smith & Wesson SW40VE: $300 ($425 (4Q, 2014), $250 (36 Weeks))
Pennsylvania (68, 75): Smith & Wesson: $230 ($450 (19 Weeks), $225 (11 Weeks))
Virginia (64, 65): Ruger: $400 ($450 (2Q, 2015), $275 (1Q, 2015))
Florida (164, 157): Springfield XD Compact 40: $300 ($400 (1Q, 2015), $199 (29 Weeks))
Used Gun of the Week: (Florida)
Century International Arms AK-74 Chambered in 5.45x39mm