Is airgun interest going away?

If you're selling locally you might have exhausted the market near you for people who have an interest in airguns. Where I live I haven't came across another person ever who owns a PCP and very few with springers. The market for compressed air guns is still miniscule compared to firearms, as much as we here on the forum love them notwithstanding.

Maybe the big makers have managed to hit the ceiling on what people are willing to pay for an air gun, even a top tier one.
I was at the local shop today just to look around and chat with the owner a bit. They carry BRK, Daystate and FX. I walked down the wall of their upper end guns and it is no wonder people balk.
The price of a Ghost, M4 or Daystate electronic gun is cause for pause.
Unfortunately, a lot of new comers or folks who want to dive into the pool are conditioned to believe that they need a top tier gun to start off. Big mistake by those who are focused on marketing their flag ship guns only, especially now.

kayaker said:

What about sending a chunk of $$$$ with a card.

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The shipping cost is really high!

Chukar60 said:

Unfortunately, a lot of new comers or folks who want to dive into the pool are conditioned to believe that they need a top tier gun to start off. Big mistake by those who are focused on marketing their flag ship guns only, especially now.

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I can agree with this statement wholeheartedly. I find myself wanting the best of anything I’m looking to buy with the thought of “buy once cry once.”

At the same time though, a lot of people aren’t the buy once cry once crowd, they’re the instagram/fb flex crowd that wants to buy a g wagon with no garage to put it away in.

I think a return to true mid tier options would be great marketing instead of potentially making your best gun the only thing you advertise. Just my opinion though

PumaCarl said:

Fact check, I DON'T CARE what the average is nationally, celery prices have doubled here, in NH, and this is Airgun Nation not Airgun Warriors. It's not politics, it's a fact of life that effects everything. Don't want to read a post, move on. I am.

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Honestly, I didn't want to read your post. But I didn't know that until after I read it. Unfortunately, that's how it works.

Anyway, thanks for the correction, Carl. Of course I meant Airgun Nation, not that a typo means my entire post is invalid. I apologize if I jumped to conclusions, but it sure seemed like you were dragging politics into the equation when you wrote, "With the election coming up, the gas prices are coming down," which insinuates a conspiracy to manipulate the energy market for political gain.

BTW, I can't read your intent, only what you wrote, and celery is just one thing. And yet, you specifically claimed "produce has doubled in price." Perhaps that was a simple mistake like the one I made. As I demonstrated earlier, sometimes fingers can get ahead of the ol' noggin.

PaulK62 said:

Fact check: Thanks to a massive outbreak of avian flu, eggs have nearly doubled in price. But eggs aren't produce. On average, produce (vegetables and dairy products) have not come close to doubling in price. And, according to the EIA, gas prices are expected to rise over the next few weeks as global consumption outpaces production.

Anyway, what's with the not-so-subtle politicizing? Politics is the last thing I want to be exposed to when I visit Airgun Nation.O

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Lmao…calm down he said inflation and an election. Are we that soft here ?

Trucker3573 said:

Lmao…calm down he said inflation and an election. Are we that soft here ?

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I'm 85 tomorrow and I've been ordering many air gun in the last two years! And I've run out of storage space I not' going to stop now! Too much fun! Charles

CRSS1 said:

I hear ya! My security camera business is slow,as well as our farm goods. Even my one large mushroom company is hurting for orders. I have put off getting a Condor SS for sometime now due to this.

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I totally get it, I'm on disability so money doesn't go far.. and then you get unexpected expenses and well there goes the toy fun..
that said this month is my birthday, so when I found a decent deal on a Condor I probably made a mistake but I ordered two.. so PM me if you are looking for a good deal on a Condor..I got a 22 SS and a regular Condor to see what I like better.. hopefully one will be perfect..
also I haven't been on the forum much because of a couple things..I love cowboy guns and there's basically nothing in lever action or single six..
talked myself into the Condor as a single shot like a sharps as I want to get back into extreme long distances..
I also unfortunately have made a few posts asking for information and I didn't get a single reply..
I looked up a friend on here and he's not been on since July.. hopefully he's just busy with life..
for those that say the economy is great, well I barely get enough money from disability for a toy a year.. and that's not your expensive guns.. food stamps used to last a whole month.. now a week and half.. fortunately I grow a big garden, and I have someone who goes to the food bank for me.. otherwise there would be no toys and little food..
I'm happy for those of you who have a good job, I'd love to work like I used to..
and I'm happy for those of you who have a good retirement income..
but that's not the fact of life for us all..
no politics are intended in this post.. just my reality.
Mark

I have been getting edgy lately because of a lot of things but airguns are not one of them. This is my refuge. If I were to lose interest in this, .... I don't think it is even possible.

coastal drifter said:

I was not convinced a pellet gun was worth 2000+ dollars when I first got into air guns. I'm positive prices have a lot to do with it.

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i was not convinced also Till i shot one and then bought several ( over time)to figure out just what i wanted . ( maybe a used Thomas is in the near future ?)

marquette said:

People need to see airguns to get interested in them. Most people can’t shoot firearms in the backyard but they can shoot airguns or even in the house or garage. So they don’t take them to the gun range with them for other shooters to see or try. How many of us in the past were at the range and someone shooting a gun that peaked our interest. Soon your talking to the owner and they offered to let you try it. Next you know you own one. Waiting for people to walk into a airgun shop as the way to grow the sport will be a slow go. Every airgun shop owner I have met bends over backwards to build the sport but it can’t all be on them to do it. Everyone one on this forum need to be introducing people to airguns. And not to disparage the shooter that can only afford a $150 big box store gun. The big shoots like the Northeast Classic, Pyramid Air Cup, RMAC are fantastic displays of shooting skill and equipment but beyond the reach of many shooters. Trying to get local aimple paper and novelty targets started will help grow the sport.

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Spot on. I have quite a few airguns, mostly springers, CO2 and some single stroke pneumatics. I did see a couple of PCP guns at the range, 50 miles away, that I use for my firearms . They were larger calibers, .35 and up, really unsuitable for most of us backyard shooting. At least with my .177 and .22 springers I can safely shoot in my yard, about 1 3/4 acres.

I have never seen a dedicated airgun shop, and honestly wonder how viable a local brick and mortar shop could be, considering all the stuff available on line, possibly in a larger town like Tyler, Tx about 35 miles from me. I would think a better option would be a regular firearms shop selling and also servicing airguns, but honestly in the area have never seen any carrying airguns. Possibly if they could set up a small indoor range where a potential customer could try one out in store, might promote some more sales that way. As it is, all I have seen in stores was Walmart and a local farm supply chain with some really cheap guns.

I don't think it is an economic issue really, at least here. For the reasons named. Some things are higher but most not typically so for various times historically. Both recent and longer term historical.

Historically I have been a PB'er. As I have aged that interest moved more into rimfire and then recently into Air. My TX200 MKIII does .40" to .70" on average at 50 yards. Total cost roughly $750 (at the time). My Avenge-X does .30" to .60" at 50-yards. The cost however, and I went inexpensive, was $400 for a relatively inexpensive portable compressor. Then there was $500 for the Avenge-X. By being inexpensive I can quickly and easily refill rifle, even at the range, but can't cover a bottle. For me that equates to a moderately priced PB rimfire rig that shoots .03" to .05" at 50-yards.

I wish I could shoot in the backyard, but the neighbors, and city ordnance, would trip out. I am not sure I want my neighbors shooting in the backyard either, so it is reasonable to me.

So as yet, save ammo costs, the personal value for me still favors PB. The value for me to get into an air rig that would compete with my most expensive rimfire rig (Anschutz $2500) would really be about $3000 to $6000 to get the compressor and precision at that level.

I love my air systems but until the compressor side becomes more inexpensive to me the value added edge stays PB from 50-yards to 200-yards. Under 50-yards Air has the edge with the Avenge-X shooting about .25 at 25 for me. At 50-yards it is about even, but with PB being a slight leader.

Cody01 said:

Well I guess I'll stay the course and hope things get better. After owning PCPs I have no interest in ever touching a break barrel again and I shoot my powder guns so much less because I don't have to drive to a range an hour away to shoot. PCP just makes so much sense I guess I just don't understand why people aren't buying much.

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I reside behind enemy lines, you need approval from the overlords to get ammo and it's expensive, and if you do something stupid and buy too much...well who knows what happens. I don't need another PCP, mine all work just fine and I've actually improved my shooting because of them.

Yes. Bought my first in 1997. I have 10 and haven't shot one in almost a year. With more and more locales categorizing airguns as firearms, I expect the trend to continue.

beerthief said:

i was not convinced also Till i shot one and then bought several ( over time)to figure out just what i wanted . ( maybe a used Thomas is in the near future ?)

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$2000 still out of my budget.. probably will be.. would take about 2-3 years of my toy money.. happy for those of you who can afford.. lately I have been buying specialty tools, fixing family vehicles because it's just too expensive to get it done..
doing things I don't feel like or want to do, I used to do a lot of mechanics work but I'm not well and really don't feel like it.. however my Dad's truck 7.3 diesel needed the engine to come out and replace lots of parts.. would have taken me a day out and day to repair and then another day to put back in..$7-10k at a shop.. but I felt bad it took me a month..$1500 and it's all good now.. Dad's happy.. that's more important
Mark

markhooper said:

$2000 still out of my budget.. probably will be.. would take about 2-3 years of my toy money.. happy for those of you who can afford.. lately I have been buying specialty tools, fixing family vehicles because it's just too expensive to get it done..
doing things I don't feel like or want to do, I used to do a lot of mechanics work but I'm not well and really don't feel like it.. however my Dad's truck 7.3 diesel needed the engine to come out and replace lots of parts.. would have taken me a day out and day to repair and then another day to put back in..$7-10k at a shop.. but I felt bad it took me a month..$1500 and it's all good now.. Dad's happy.. that's more important
Mark

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Good Man!

It's simple, people are broke. The economy is in the toilet. I don't want to turn this into a political rant but the last 4 years have been really hard on normal people. When it comes down to trying to figure out how you're going to put food on the table and pay your bills, things like PCP guns come last.

Another thing I think it could be it's like in my personal PCP experience, I went through a lot of guns at the beginning. I was trying to find the right guns for what I wanted to do so I was buying and selling a lot of guns trying them out. Now my PCP collection is pretty much set, I got guns for each thing I want to do tuned the way I want them tuned. I haven't bought a new PCP gun now in over a year because my collection for what I want is amazing and I have no desire to get anymore.

markhooper said:

$2000 still out of my budget.. probably will be.. would take about 2-3 years of my toy money.. happy for those of you who can afford.. lately I have been buying specialty tools, fixing family vehicles because it's just too expensive to get it done..
doing things I don't feel like or want to do, I used to do a lot of mechanics work but I'm not well and really don't feel like it.. however my Dad's truck 7.3 diesel needed the engine to come out and replace lots of parts.. would have taken me a day out and day to repair and then another day to put back in..$7-10k at a shop.. but I felt bad it took me a month..$1500 and it's all good now.. Dad's happy.. that's more important
Mark

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I bought /sold / traded to finally get to where i can have the guns i think i want .

coastal drifter said:

Good Man!

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just doing what I believe is right, I even learned AC and did wife's car and the farm tractor.. I always said that I'd never do AC.. but $1000 for service and I've probably got $200 of toy money spent on AC service equipment..I don't enjoy mechanics anymore, but it has to be done.. if it has wheels it's going to give you trouble sooner or later..
I really wish I could get a mustang lobo but it's not available in the USA,I even tried asking tequila gun maker to build a PCP single six.. but I guess it's impossible..
I regret the day I was so short on money that I sold my airgun collection to support my kids.. should have found another way..I had a brocock 522 and after industrial o rings it's was really good.. wish I had gotten the whole collection..522, single six, and golden boy.. but alas some criminals over where they were made managed to convert one into a firearm and that was the end of brocock for quite a few years.. not too many people know that.. they used a tandem air cartridges that were about the size of a 38 special.. PCP.. and they originally had the side of the cylinder turned out so you can see the cartridges and if you tried to convert it would explode.. then they went to solid cylinder and well that's the end of the story..
Mark

beerthief said:

I bought /sold / traded to finally get to where i can have the guns i think i want .

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I'm working on it.. I also do some airgun machine work, since I have my own machine shop.. so far not to make money but to help others and possibly trade..
Mark