Here's how I remember the Obama era, and how it will be different this time.
* 2008 - Obama wins surprise victory, and a new crop of gun owners and those with long memories spike demand and prices. Companies responded by ramping up production along with the recently sunset AWB in 2004, the markets were FLOODED with high priced items....
* Around 2011-2012, that flood of overpriced inventory leveled off and prices returned to normal, for about a year or two.
* In spite of what should have been high profits, many gun companies took economic hits. They over-produced and then prices collapsed and they didn't make anticipated profits. I recall some companies filing for financial protections.
* December 2012, I was home on Christmas leave on my couch when Sandy Hook unfolded. I immediately ordered a bunch of things and within a day inventories were cleaned out, people saw their orders canceled and prices spiked again.
* Manufacturers once again invested heavily in production, running around the clock, trying to match incredible demand. And again, due to the high demand they created massive supply. They even ramped up supply more anticipating a Hillary win and prices jumped a bit during election 2016 season. They created so much supply that prices actually stayed relatively normal to match demand thru the latter Obama years, only spiking mildly pre-election.
* When Trump won 2016, the bottom fell out of the price markets. They created way too much supply and fickle gun buyers put their purchases on hold... That lasted from 2017 until spring 2020. It was common to see good quality ARs for sub $400, AR mags at $5, pistol mags at $10-15, ammo and accessories very low priced.
* Gun makers took yet another hit mis-gauging the economics and many are going thru financial troubles again.
* So the moral is, we consumers saw spikes in demand and prices in 09-10, 12-14 and 2016. Then we experienced the valleys in prices in 11-12, 2015, and 2017-2019 because gun makers [foolishly] over-corrected and made too much.
* As it relates to current situations, I doubt we will see that same over-correction this go-around. If they are smart, the might up production a little but raise their prices significantly because stuff WILL GET SOLD at 2x 2019 prices, and they can maintain that low supply and high demand curve. The alternative is to again ramp up production, cut their own profits by creating too much supply, and then fall on financial hardships...
Ruger stock price tells a bit of the story. You can follow it thru the ups and downs as I've summarized above.