WHAT’S SELLING WHERE

NMOutdoorsman of Santa Fe, Santa Fe This retailer

caters to a traditional hunting and customfirearms clientele. They have been selling guns in the Santa Fe area for over 40 years.

Modern Sporting Rifles are turning at about three a week. Windham, Smith & Wesson, and Sig Sauer are the top sellers. Custom builds in the thousand-dollar-plus price range are also selling well. Sales of bolt-action guns are starting to pick up, with strong numbers on Browning X-Bolts, Ruger Americans, and Kimbers. This year, bolt rifles in .300 Win. Mag. are seeing greater demand.

“It’s surprising, but .300 Win. Mag. is super-hot in our store. Many of our customers are reading about the adoption of the caliber for snipers, and it has really pushed demand,” said manager Lee Sanders.

Ammo stocks are excellent, and even rare calibers are in stock. Handgun sales are steady. Glock 43 and Sig P365 handgun sales are doing well. COGoods for the Woods, Durango Located on State Highway

160-550, this family-owned general hunting store was founded in 1987. It specializes in archery, and has a bow technician on staff who tunes, restrings, and repairs bows. It also carries soft goods, firearms, and reloading supplies. The store reported a high number of sales over the past few months and is now moving strong numbers of rifles. Christensen Arms, Bergara, and Beretta in 6.5 Creedmoor are the front runners at the big-game counter. “It’s great to see bolt guns doing really doing well, and we have had large backorders come in this year. However, it took two years,” said owner Jane Gustafsen.

MSRs are still moving at over four a week, the vast majority of which are S&W M&P 15 Sport IIs. Handgun sales remain good. Sig P635s and Glock 19s top the list, but Smith Shield EZs and 1911s across all brands are suddenly seeing high demand.

MTRed Rock Sporting Goods, Miles City

Located on the high plains of southeastern Montana, this larger independent retailer stocks soft goods, firearms, and reloading supplies. Fall rifle sales are heating up with Christensen Arms, Mesa, Tikka, and Kimber rifles posting excellent numbers. Ammo stocks in most rifle calibers are good. The most popular calibers have been 6.5 Creedmoor, .300 Win. Mag., and .243. Although sales are good, this retailer voiced future concerns. “I just don’t see 2023 as being a good year. I worry about continuing increases in manufacturing costs and political turmoil,” said owner C.B. Scountz.

Shotgun sales are warming up. Benelli Super Black Eagle IIIs and Winchester Super Xs are the fastest movers.

Handgun sales are steady. Sig P365s and S&W Shield EZ 2.0s are pulling the strongest numbers. Springfield Hellcats are just behind.

NDOutdoorsman Inc., Fargo Established in 1980 and located in the center of Fargo, this store keeps an average of three employees busy selling a variety of general home-defense products, rifles, and handguns. Demand for MSRs remains flat, and sales are equally split between Rock River Arms and Springfield Armory. “We’re selling three to four a month. But the good news is that our inventory is light, and we didn’t get caught last year when sales slowed,” said counter salesman Kevin Libbrecht.

Handguns are strong. Glock 19s, Springfield Hellcats, Colt 1911s, and Sig P365s are all moving quickly. A few shotguns are still moving, mostly Remington 870 Fieldmasters and several Benelli Super Black Eagles IIIs.

WIR&R Gun Shop, Loyal Located in a converted barn in rural central Wisconsin, this small-town retailer keeps its firearm inventory below 100 units. It also offers a limited archery tackle selection and fishing supplies.

Top handgun sales for this store go to Shield EZ 2.0s and Glock 43s and 48s. Sig P320s are also in the mix. “Our customers are price sensitive. That said, if it’s a 9mm we can sell it,” said owner Bruce Denton.

Bolt-action guns, including Savage Model 93s in .17 HMR and Axis rifles in .223, are getting more than one look. Ruger Americans and a few Remington 783s in 6.5 Creedmoor are turning quickly. “While bolt guns are selling well, we still struggle getting basic hunting rifle cartridges. Also, it has been hard to get any wood-stocked rifles for under $1,000,” Denton said.

MSRs are crossing the counter at four a month, with Ruger 556s sitting in the top sales slot. Shotguns are moving, too, mainly because a few Mossberg 500s and Remington 870s are back in regular inventory.

OKButch’s Guns, Woodward The largest firearms dealer in western Oklahoma, this shop specializes in hunting, home safety, and reloading. The storefront keeps nearly 2,000 new guns and 1,000 used guns in inventory, attracting buyers from several states.

Handgun sales are steady. Sig P365s and P320s and Glock 48s top the list. While MSR sales average two a week, the primary turns are going to Radical Firearms and higher-end CheyTacs. This store also builds custom MSRs.

Meanwhile, sales of bolt-action rifles are significantly up, and it looks like it will be a high-traffic year. Ruger Americans, Bergaras, and Browning X-Bolts in a large array of caliber choices are seeing the biggest turns. “Right now, it looks like we may have the highest rifle turns we’ve ever had in a single year. It has risen so much that they are now our store’s highest-selling category,” said owner Butch Joser.

This past dove season also saw high numbers of 20-gauge Benelli Super Black Eagle IIIs go out the door.

PABob’s Gun Shop & Indoor Range, McKeen Located south

of Erie off of I-79, this retailer-range has 10 25-yard lanes. Stocking close to 400 firearms, it specializes in concealed-carry training and defensive firearms. For example, the Handgun 101 class offers nine to 10 hours of instruction.

After a good summer, sales have continued to grow throughout the fall. “Our range and training programs help keep our sales consistent with constant traffic even when other stores have slower periods,” said owner Bob McDowell.

Glock 43s and 19s hold the high sales spot, but Sig P365s and P320s are just behind. Deer rifles are limited to Ruger American and Savage package guns. Due to hardto-get ammo, this retailer is reporting a drop in customer demand for the 6.5 Creedmoor.

Sales of MSRs are steady with a mix of Smith & Wesson M&P 15 Sport IIs, Ruger 556s, and Sig 516s. Used hunting shotguns are in high demand this year. NYKinton Guns LLC, Farmington Just southeast of Roch-

ester on the edge of the the state’s famous Finger Lakes region, this small-town gun shop keeps 500 firearms in stock with a mix of used and new guns. Handgun sales are strong, with steady turns on Glock 43s, 48s, and Sig P365s. Other movers include Smith Shield EZs.

Centerfire rifles for deer hunting are also selling in surprising numbers. Savage Axis IIs and Ruger Americans are moving well. Other notable sellers include Bergaras and Remington 783s.

“Our bolt-gun sales have continued to improve as more hunters take advantage of New York State’s newer centerfire deer hunting regulations. It has taken a while for guys to give up their slug guns,” said owner Tim Kinton.

The Remington 870 Express and Turkish Tristar semi-autos are turning briskly. Kinton said sales of used shotguns keep improving each fall. MEYork Firearms, Limington With more than 3,000 firearms in stock, this rural independent in the southeast quadrant of the state specializes in lever-action long guns, revolvers, and defensive rifles.

Deer season is bringing fast turns on Ruger Americans and Savage 110s. The most popular caliber is the .308.

However, hunting ammo continues to be more challenging to keep in stock. “We are one of the few places to get rare rifle ammo. We give special consideration to our older hunters who may ask for these cartridges. As our oldest customers, we feel the need to offer them a special service. After all, they made us successful,” said owner Michael York. He added that he was willing to take ammo from his personal collection to make sure these customers can still use their rifles.

Other quick movers include CZ pistols, Ruger LCPs, and Shield EZs. York noted that Smith revolvers were hard to obtain, and so pricing of used guns has soared.

ARInfinity Sporting Goods, Alma With 50,000 square feet

of retail space, this general sporting goods store inventories over 1,000 firearms with four salespeople. For dove season and waterfowl seasons, the retailer moved strong numbers of 20-gauge Stoeger 3500s and Benelli Super Black Eagle IIIs. Some Nova pumps and Remington 870 Fieldmasters remain in stock.

Bolt-action gun sales have been especially strong for the Savage Axis and Mossberg Patriot this season. “It has been an amazing season. We have seen a high number of older shooters adding the 6.5 Creedmoor. And we have a good supply of the ammo in stock,” said counter salesman Jason Bowen.

Handgun sales continue to be strong. Sig P365s, S&W Shield EZ 2.0s, and Springfield Hellcats lead the way.

TXCentral Texas Gun Works, Austin This west Texas firearms

handguns and rifles, home security, and training seminars. The store inventories over 1,000 new guns and accepts Bitcoin.

Sales of handguns are steady. Top sellers include Sig P365s, Glock 48s, Taurus PT111s, and, at a lower price point, SCCYs.

Austin, like many urban areas in the south, has experienced a surge in population growth over the past few years. This development has put the store in a growth mode. “Our ability to take crypto currencies has brought us numerous new customers. We have a Bitcoin ATM in our store, and it’s used daily. This continues to be an important and growing part of our business, even in a low-market season for crypto,” said owner Michael Cargill.

MSR sales are steady. Smith M&P 15 Sport IIs and Ruger 556s lead the pack. Daniel Defense sits at the high end. Sales of bolt-actions are solid and increasing daily. The two most popular calibers are .308 and 6.5 Creedmoor. The Mossberg Shockwave and Maverick top the shotgun list. TNLawson’s Clothing, Shoes, & Outdoors, Loretto Located

in mideastern Tennessee, this large independent has more than 16,000 square feet of floor space with a mix of soft goods, fishing supplies, and 1,600 firearms.

As fall progresses, traditional bolt-action hunting guns are moving well. A mix of Browning X-Bolts in .270, Savage Axis IIs in 6.5 Creedmoor, and Bergaras in .308 are posting the best numbers of the season. But the store’s customers are beginning to shy away from the 6.5 Creedmoor. “Sales of 6.5 Creedmoor continue to slow because of the high cost of ammo,” said counter salesman Brian South.

MSRs are selling at an average of three per week. M&P 15 Sport IIs have the leading position. This retailer is also experiencing new sales with a local premium manufacturer, Head Down.

Handguns are holding steady. Glock 43s, Smith Shield EZs, Sig P365s, and Hellcats are all posting strong numbers.