[jyl]

In mid 2008, distributors' handgun invtry was starting to come down but long gun invtry was still high, and gun manufacturers' invtry was still much too high. That is an overall statement. Look at financials for RGR and SWHC - wasn't until C1Q09 that their invtry levels got back to desired levels.

I don't know about niche AR makers like RRA.

There's no "conspiracy" behind the recent gun mania. It is pretty straightforward. The gun media and NRA were handed a great opportunity to get people worked up, generate readers and members, and naturally they ran with it. Gun makers and vendors saw an opportunity to profit, so naturally they did. The only loser are the many guys who paid $1,500 for a $800 AR. I recall a few months ago, on this board, there was talk of how black rifles were better than gold and if you couldn't get a AR you had to at least start hoarding parts kits.