The self-defense market
Shooting Industry

May 1, 2003

SECTION: No. 5, Vol. 48; Pg. 39; ISSN: 0037-4148

IAC-ACC-NO: 102227973

LENGTH: 1585 words

HEADLINE: The self-defense market: customers want products that are light on price, heavy on value!

BYLINE: Ayoob, Massad

BODY:
What self-defense products really Are they the ones recommended by gun experts? Sometimes. However, what people actually buy for self-defense is usually entirely different.

Experts often carry full-size guns. They also have assembled a wardrobe of gun-concealing clothing and a large assortment of state-of-the-art holsters to achieve both comfort and concealment.

Is that your everyday customer? Hardly.

The average purchaser of a carry gun wants something small, light and easy to carry. At the same time, they want enough smack to get them through a life-threatening encounter. The guns with four-figure price tags that grace the covers of newsstand gun magazines are only fantasy firearms for many buyers. Their reality is a self-defense firearm that’s light on price and heavy on value.

Self-Defense Handguns That Sell

Dealers nationwide say they sell a lot of Glocks and Kimbers. The guns from Kimber have vaulted to the forefront in a few short years. In addition, small revolvers — particularly the lightest of their kind — are very hot-sellers.

Dennis Reichard has owned the Sand Burr Gun Ranch in Rochester, Ind., for many years. He also has 20-some years of experience as a street cop. He’s a big guy, and it’s no trick for him to carry a Smith & Wesson Model 629 .44 Magnum in a custom-made holster. Few of his customers are that dedicated.

“In new defensive handguns, my best seller is the J-frame Smith & Wesson, in either .38 Special or .357 Magnum,” Reichard said. “It’s about an equal split between the Airweight .38s, the AirLite .38s and .357s, and the all-steel .357 Magnum.”

Until recently, Reichard’s second best-selling handgun was the little Kel-Tec P-32.

“Since Kel-Tec announced their new .380 in the same format, a lot of customers are holding off buying the .32 until they see the .380. They’d like more power,” Reichard said. “I’ve even had a couple of customers cancel orders for P-32s and order the Kel-Tec .380s, sight unseen.”

In service autos, Reichard’s bestselling brand is the Ruger.

“The price is right, the guns always work, and they’re surprisingly accurate,” Reichard said. “No one around here, except police departments, seems interested in the .40.”

Reichard sells about an equal split between 9mms and .45s in Ruger semiautos, and about equal numbers of aluminum- and polymer-frame models.

“Security personnel seem to particularly like the plastic – frame Rugers. while the cops who buy their own guns seem partial to the all-metal P89 9mm and P90 .45.” Reichard said. “Their reputation for accuracy is a big plus. The Ruger .45 auto is a particularly accurate gun. and you just can’t beat the price.”

One of the mainstays in handgun sales has lost most of its appeal, at least in Indiana, according to Reichard.

“The Glock doesn’t seem as popular around here as it was a few years ago,” Reichard said. “Plus, they’re hard to get right now.”

At the Manchester Indoor Firing Line in Manchester, N.H., owner Jim McLoud says his two fastest-selling handgun lines are lightweight Smith & Wesson revolvers and small Glocks.

“The super-light S&W Scandium .357 and Titanium .38, both in the five-shot J-frame, are about equal to one another in sales,” McLoud said. “Our single best seller is the Glock 26 (sub-compact 9mm), followed by the Glock 27 (sub-compact .40) and Glock 19 (compact 9mm).”

McLoud notes he sees a strong demand for Taurus revolvers, particularly in the UltraLite line. The interest comes from customers who like the features of the similar Smith & Wesson J-frame but can’t afford the more-expensive revolver.

Offer Long-Guns for Self-Defense

The shotgun is the traditional home-defense weapon. While gun buffs like high-tech autoloaders, the average homeowner appreciates the low price and reliable function of a slide action. There is also the widespread belief that the sound of a pump gun cycling its first round into the chamber tends to freeze bad guys. The two best-selling brands are Remington and Mossberg.

“My best-selling defense shotgun is the Mossberg in the 500 and 590 series,” McLoud said. “The single-most popular is the Mossberg 500 with 18-inch barrel and pistol grip.”

In Indiana, Reichard says the number one selling home-defense shotgun is the used Remington Model 870 with short barrel, 18 or 20 inch.

“So many police departments are trading in their old ‘riot guns’ for .223 rifles that they’re always easy to find,” Reichard said. “Most have the nice blue finish instead of parkerizing, and good old fashioned walnut stocks, which my customers like.”

Because of tradition and its reputation for fearsome power, the 12 gauge has become almost as standard for home defense as for police work. However, don’t neglect the 20 gauge. A petite female or someone who might be intimidated by the recoil of the 12 bore often uses a home-defense gun.

Tactical instructor Ken Hackathorn and Gila Hayes, probably the nation’s top female combat shotgun instructor, endorse the 20-gauge repeater as a home-defense tool. Its recoil is much less than the 12 gauge, plus, if a customer questions its power, remind him that a blast of 20 gauge equal two rounds of .44 Magnum.

Defensive Rifles

Once hailed as the ultimate home-defense firearm, pistol-caliber semi-automatic carbines never caught on as well with the police or the general public as it did with gun writers. Many such autoloaders have disappeared from the market, though Ruger’s PC series in 9mm and .40 and the HK .45 carbine remain splendid firearms.

The only spike in defensive rifle sales, particularly during Y2K and after 9-11, is in .223 caliber semi-automatic rifles. These include the always-popular Ruger Mini-14, but mostly an AR-15 variant.

“There are lots of very nice AR-15 clones on the market now,” McLoud said, “but I sell more Bushmasters than anything else. The gun has excellent quality, value and a fair price.

McLoud’s best-selling Bushmaster is the Model XMl5E2S in the M4 style. It has a stepped barrel, removable carrying handle and telescoping-type stock pinned out.

“We sell about ten of those a month,” McLoud said. “The typical customer comes in asking for a Colt, which we can’t get these days, and leaves with a Bushmaster.”

Stocking Self-Defense Ammunition

What type of self-defense ammo works best for home defense and street carry is a controversial subject. Your customers will likely have their own opinions.

In handgun ammo, cover the numerous options by stocking top-quality 9mm JHP 147-grain and 9mm+P 115-grain highvelocity JHP.

In .45 ACP, the 230-grain JHP seems to be the most popular. Most customers who have read on the subject want a high-tech round like Federal’s Hydra-Shok, PMC’s StarFire, Remington’s Golden Saber or Winchester’s SXT.

The new Taurus Copper Bullets are gaining momentum. The Hex Bullet features a Barnes X-bullet weighing 185 grains and traveling in the mid-900 foot-seconds velocity range. The ammo has proven so popular that the first production run instantly sold out.

The all-lead .38 Special 158-grain +P hollow point “FBI load,” that so many believe is the most decisive manstopper in the caliber, has been dropped by CCI and Federal.

Winchester and Remington still make it. Be reminded, however, that lead bullets are more lightly crimped into the case mouth than jacketed rounds. Such bullets can pull loose in the chambers with the brutal recoil of an ultra-light gun such as the S&W Model 342 Titanium .38 Special.

For such revolvers, the best low-recoil load is the Federal Nyclad (standard pressure) 125-grain nylon jacketed hollow point, coded “P38M.”

Bullet dislodging does not seem to be a problem in the Taurus UltraLite or Total Titanium series because of recoil-reducing ported barrels.

Long-Gun Ammo

Although tests by FBI and others show .223 ball ammunition is not excessively over-penetrative inside dwellings, there is still a widespread fear of a rifle bullet shooting through walls and striking next-door neighbors. Stock some 52- to 55-grain hollow point .223 Remington ammo. It builds confidence, and confidence builds competence.

For home-defense shotguns, stock reduced-velocity, low-recoil “tactical” buckshot in 12 gauge. It dramatically reduces kick and improves speed of accurate defensive firing. For the 20-gauge home-defense gun, make sure you have some standard length #3 buckshot in stock.

Selling Sensible Accessories

Lightweight guns sell big and kick more. The dealer who can sell a light gun that kicks less turns a one-time buyer into a repeat customer.

In addition to stocking reduced-kicking ammo, there are a number of accessories to take the pain out of shooting lightweight guns. Hogue, Packmayr and Uncle Mike’s offer cushioned aftermarket grips for handguns. Butler Creek, Hi-Viz and Remington have pain-reducing recoil pads for long guns. For range practice, stock PAST or Uncle Mike’s shooting gloves.

Of course, there is a vast number of other self-defense products, including holsters, magazines, speed loaders, lasers, knives, sprays, flashlights, locks, security boxes, safes, and more.

Products And Service

The self-defense market continues to row For today’s self-defense customer, compact and lightweight handguns are the best sellers. So is price and value.

In long guns, customers want power, reliability and safety.

Manufacturers have provided the products. Dealers provide the service.