Smart phones and flat-screen TVs weren’t the only things flying off retailers’ shelves during the recent “Black Friday” sales fest. Americans bought firearms in record numbers on Black Friday 2011. The FBI recorded 129,166 firearm background requests on November 25, 2011, an all-time, single-day high. That’s 32% higher than any day on record, exceeding the previous one-day high of 97,848 background checks on Black Friday of 2008. (Note: The actual number of firearms purchased, in all likelihood, exceeds the number of background checks, because one buyer can purchase multiple guns with a single background check.)
No one really knows why gun sales went through the roof this shopping season. Many large vendors, such as Cabela’s, offered deep discounts. Also hit cable television shows such as Top Shot and Sons of Guns have popularized shooting, emphasizing the “cool factor” of gun ownership. These TV series stirred interest in firearms among many Americans who, just a few years ago, had limited awareness of hunting and the shooting sports.
Women and First-Time Buyers Drive Sales
Statistics suggest that newcomers to shooting (and first-time buyers) are driving the increase in sales. USA Today reports: “Some gun industry analysts attributed the unusual surge to a convergence of factors, including an increasing number of first-time buyers seeking firearms for protection and women who are being drawn to sport shooting and hunting.”
According to the NSSF’s Larry Keane, “I think there also is a burgeoning awakening of the American public that they do have a constitutional right to own guns.” Keene noted that 25% of sales are going to first-time buyers, many of whom are women. This is a good thing for the shooting sports. As more females acquire firearms for both personal defense and for recreational use, we can expect the ranks of female competitive shooters to grow.
Looking for bargains on firearms, hunting gear, and reloading equipment? You’ll find scores of great deals in the next few days, as major online vendors roll out their Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber-Monday discount programs. While many folks may look to save a few bucks on bullets or ammo, think about shopping for big-ticket items as well. There are some great Black Friday deals on gun safes and complete rifles.
Cabela’s 5-day Holiday Sale
Deals start November 24 and here are some highlights:
Tiptons Best Gun Vise (tilting version for AR15s) – $49.99
Bushmaster .223 AR-15 rifle w/ Bushnell Red Dot scope, soft case, 20 rd mag – $599.99
Mossberg Waterfowl Shotguns, starting at $249.99
Primos Million-Candlepower Spotlights, $9.99-$14.99
Cannon Scout 24-gun Fire-Rated Gun Safe (60 x 28) – $699.99
Creedmoor Sports
FREE Shipping on orders over $100 through Nov. 27 (excludes: ammo, brass, bullets)
Hardback Coats (all varieties) – $50.00 Off
Service Rifle Competition Basics DVD – $20.00
Dicks Sporting Goods
Mossberg 702 or 802 Plinkster .22 LR semi-auto or bolt-action rifles – $119.98
Remington 11-87 Sportsman, wood or black synthetic furniture, $399.98 with mail in rebates
EABCO (E. Arthur Brown)
FREE Shipping on orders over $99.00. Chose “SPC” shipping Code at Check-Out.
Berry’s Model 400 Tumbler – $49.00
Shooters Ridge 1A2 and S Bipods (Harris Clone) – $39.00
Peltor Tactical 6 Electronic Hearing Protectors – $59.00
Bushnell Trophy XLT 3-9x40mm Rifle Scope – $139.00 with $30 Mail-In Rebate
T/C Omega Muzzle-Loader, SS Thumb-Hole Laminated – $599.00
Gander Mountain
S&W Bodyguard .380 ACP pistol w/laser – $329.99
Mossberg Tactical .22 – $199.99
Liberty Fatboy JR gun safe – 48 gun capacity – $1099.99
S&W Bodyguard .38 special revolver w/laser – $429.99
Leupold VX-1 3-9x40mm Duplex Matt scope – $179.99
Bushnell XLT Bone Collector 3-9x49mm scope – $79.99 (after mail in rebate)
MidwayUSA
MidwayUSA has a Holiday Specials Page with new items listed every day through Monday, Nov. 28th. Select items for Black Friday (Nov. 25) are:
MidwayUSA Heavy-Duty Cordura Drag Bag – $54.99
Winchester-Brand .223 Rem Brass – $99.99 for 500 cases
Walther 2.9″ Tactical Folder Knife – $14.99
Palmetto State Armory
PSA 16” M-4 Carbine – $599.99
Remington 870 Express Tactical – $329.99
Sig Pro 2022 – $329.99
Remington R1 1911 – $599.99
Precision Reloading
FREE Shipping on orders over $100.00, Use Code LRHBLACK
Offer Expires 11:59 pm, Nov. 25.
Tractor Supply Company
Winchester 60″ Gunsafe – $549.99 (reg. $699.99)
Cannon TS6040 Gunsafe – $699.00 (reg. $999.99)
Friday, Nov. 25th Specials. Note: deals may not be available at all stores.
These are just a small sample of the items that are on sale. Some items are on sale Thursday or Friday only. Others product may be on sale for 3-4 days, or through November 30th.
Monday’s Deal Pick: Among the many specials released yesterday was the MidwayUSA 6-Pocket Tactical Rifle Gun Case. Available in 42″ or 46″ sizes, either Black or Olive Drab, this case is now just $18.99, marked down from $34.99.
Tuesday Deal Pick: Our selection from the deals released for Tuesday, Nov. 22 is the Pro Series Competition Shooting Mat Olive Drab, MidwayUSA #158660, for just $29.99. This is an awesome price on a good-quality mat. We’ve used this mat and can recommend it. It’s a steal at $29.99 — That price is good for November 22 only!
Wednesday Deal Pick: From the items that go on sale Wednesday, our top selection is the Frankford Master Case-Tumbling Kit for just $53.99. This includes Vibratory Tumbler, 3.5 gallon bucket, Rotary Media Separator, liquid polish, and 3 lbs. of tumbling media. The powered tumbler holds 600 9mm cases or 360 .223 Rem cases. The $53.99 price starts at 12:01 am on Wednesday, November 23rd.
Thursday Deal Pick: We bet most of you guys have at least one .45 ACP in your gun collection. Well on Thursday, November 24th, you can grab 1000 Ranier 200gr RN copper-plated .45 cal bullets for just $99.00. The lead core in these bullets is completely coated by copper, top and bottom, so you can use these in lead-restricted ranges. To complement your new bullets, why not pick up a 14″ tactical pistol case for just $7.49. These zipper-top pistol bags are nicely-padded and have seven external mag pouches. Colors are black or olive drab. This price starts at 12:01 am on Thursday, November 24th.
$15 Off Orders of $100.00 or More — Through November 28th
In addition to the specially-discounted Black Friday items, you can save $15 off an order of $100 or more on normally-priced items. Use Promo Code 11281177 at Check-Out.
IMPORTANT: This $15 Off promo code is limited to regular price, in-stock products only. The discount can only be used once and cannot be combined with other promotions. The offer expires at 11:59 p.m. CT on November 28, 2011.
Looking for a great deal on a firearm, hunting gear, or reloading supplies? Well dozens of vendors nationwide are putting shooting sports products on sale next week, as part of the Black Friday/Cyber-Monday sellathon. But how do you find all the good deals without spending hours surfing the web? Here’s a tip: Slickguns.com has scanned multiple websites, assembling a four-page collection of bargain offers that commence on Black Friday (November 25th). To check out scores of upcoming bargains, visit the Slickguns.com Black Friday Sale Page.
Many of the sale prices are good through the end of the month. At Cabela’s, you’ll find deals on everything from rimfire ammo to Bushmaster AR15s. Gander Mountain has some great deals on firearms, including a special on scope-equipped Remington 700 ADL rifles. November 24-27, the Rem 700 ADLs are just $399.99, including a 3-9×40 scope.
Story tip by EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
MidwayUSA just announced it’s own Black Friday Week Sale. The Sale starts today, Wednesday Nov. 24, and runs through Monday, Nov. 29th. You can save big on specially-discounted items. For example, tomorrow (Thursday) only, the new Pro Series Shooting Mat is marked down to just $29.99. You got that right — a deluxe shooting mat for $29.99. When it was previously on sale for $49.99 in October, we reported it was an excellent deal. At $29.99, it’s a steal.
CLICK HERE for Pro Series Mat specs and owner reports.
In addition to the special sale items, MidwayUSA is offering $15 off any $100 order for non-sale merchandise. Enter 151110 into the box titled, “Promotion Code” on the shopping cart page. This applies to online orders of regular price, in-stock products only (no gift certificates, no backorders, and this cannot be combined with other promotions).
On “Black Friday”, the big sale day following Thanksgiving, Brownells will commence a 10% off promotion. Starting at 12:01 AM, Friday, November 26, you can get 10% off any Brownells order. Log on to Brownells’ Black Rifle Friday Page on Friday to get the Promo Code, or visit Brownells’ Facebook page (Facebook “friends” get early access to Promo Code).
Black Rifle Friday Promo Runs Until Midnight on Cyber-Monday
The Brownells Black Rifle Friday Promo runs through midnight, on “Cyber-Monday”, November 29. Selected items will also have special, reduced prices all weekend. For more information, call 800-741-0015 or visit brownells.com.
It’s Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year. That means there are some spectacular deals available out there on name brand electronics and optics. You can fight the crowds at the malls, or shop online from the comfort of your home. Here are some great deals we found on Amazon.com.
Canon SX20-IS Digital Camera, $349.00
The Canon SX20-IS is an amazing still and video camera for the price. It takes still images up to 12.1 megapixels, using a 20X optical zoom. As you’d expect from Canon, it offers built-in image stabilization and outstanding color and contrast. But here’s what makes this camera special — it shoots HD movies in 16:9 (wide) format, plus SD movies in standard 4:3 format. And the movies are stored to an SDHC memory card, which you can easily transfer to your computer. Heck of a camera for $349.00 with FREE Shipping on Amazon.com.
Samsung 10″ Netbook computer, $339.99 (Windows XP)
This is the netbook used by your Editor. It has a very sharp screen and a battery rated for 9 hours. I’ve been able to get about 7.5 hours run-time from the battery. I really like this unit because it has a great keyboard (probably the best in class) and a rubberized shell that adds to durability. The built-in networking is excellent (it automatically logs on to nearby Wi-Fi hubs), and this computer isn’t stuffed with useless “bloatware” you have to remove. Note, if you want/need Windows 7, look for another brand, such as the latest Toshiba.
Manfrotto 410 Geared Head, $196.99
If you have an expensive spotting scope, this geared head is well worth the money. It permits you to make precise elevation or tracking (horizontal) adjustments without getting way off target. With most tripod heads you have to fiddle with a bunch of controls to move the scope, but then it usually goes too far and you have to start all over again. With the Manfrotto 410 head you can move the viewing point smoothly, in very small increments. Want to raise your view up 1 MOA at 1000 yards, without touching the horizontal position? No problem. Once you get one of these geared heads you’ll wonder how you lived without it.
The first shopping day after the Thanksgiving holiday is called “Black Friday”. Here are some hot deals from major vendors. With some of these items inventory is very limited or the price is discounted for a very short period, so act quickly if you want to snap up these bargains.
$29.99 Camelback Hydration Pack from Cabelas.com
Cabela’s has posted an amazing price on the Camelbak GMI M.U.L.E. pack with hydration system, item 1AJ-518787. Right now, if you click on THIS LINK, the price is just $29.99. These are very high-quality packs that sell elsewhere for $95.00 or more. The hydration pack is offered in desert camo or woodland camo. The pack is 19″ x 10″ x 5″, and features 540 cubic inches of cargo space with a 100-ounce Omega Water reservoir. Act quickly. We expect these will sell out very rapidly at this price.
$22.95 Russ Haydon “Two-Handed” Lapping Kit
If you’ve ever used a lapping bar with one central handle, you know it can be a little awkward. The force tends to concentrate in the middle, which can allow uneven lapping if you’re not careful. Russ Haydon has come up with a “better mousetrap” — a lapping bar with handles at both ends. The “Web Special” price is $22.95. Two handles provide more control so lapping can be done more efficiently. Haydon’s Twin-Handle Lapping Kit contains enough lapping compound for approximately 6 rifles. This fits 1″-diameter rings only.
$289.99 Nikon 4.5-14×40 Side-Focus Scope from Grafs.com
Grafs.com has the Nikon 4.5-14x40mm Buckmaster sidefocus scope with Plex reticle (item NI6452) on sale for $289.99. This is a good hunting/varmint scope with 1/4-MOA clicks, side-focus parallax, and quick-focus eyepiece. The Nikon comes with a lifetime warranty, and it is guaranteed waterproof, fogproof and shockproof. With a $480 MSRP, we’ve seen this same scope at other vendors for up to $409.00.
$688 Liberty Safe from Sam’s Club
Sam’s Club is offering one of the best deals in gun safes right now — a 60″ H x 30″ W x 22″ L Liberty Centurian safe for $688.00. That is the store pick-up price. The safe weighs 520 lbs. and has 23 cubic feet of exterior volume. Walls are 12 gauge steel and the safe is fire-rated for 30 minutes at 1200 degrees F. The lock is a Sargent & Greenleaf electronic. While this editor favors mechanical locks, the S&G lock is one of the best units in its price range. This very same safe is sold by Liberty Dealers for $999-$1099.00. If you’re able to get this safe home on your own, this is an excellent value from a respected safe-builder.
Prvi Partizan .223 Ammo from Wideners.com
At a time when many vendors are ratcheting up the price of ammunition to meet a surge in demand, Wideners is still offering the outstanding Prvi Partizan 75gr .223 Rem Match ammo at $85.00 for 200 rounds or $419.00 for 1000 rounds. This ammo, Wideners product PPU75H, is excellent. After testing the 75gr Partizan .223 ammo, Forum member Danny Reever concluded it was very accurate and an extremely good value. Based on reports from Danny and other shooters, we believe this ammo will easily shoot 1 MOA in a typical AR-platform rifle with a decent barrel. A 1:8″ or faster twist barrel is required to stabilize the 75gr bullets.
Women and First-Time Buyers Drive Sales
MidwayUSA just announced it’s own 
On “Black Friday”, the big sale day following Thanksgiving, Brownells will commence a 10% off promotion. Starting at 12:01 AM, Friday, November 26, you can get 10% off any Brownells order. Log on to Brownells’ 
