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Market Trends: Concealed Carry for the Land of Lincoln
Ron Van Dyke — RP Shooting Sports, Joliet, Ill.
Just over a year ago, Illinois made concealed carry legal. Since, the rush is on at RP Shooting Sports for smaller CCW-type handguns.
One of the most popular options has been one of Glock‘s newest additions to its catalog.
The store this year has enjoyed a run on the petite and potent Glock 42. The retailer literally has not been able to keep .380 Auto on its shelves, selling it for $495.
“People are standing in line for that model,” owner Ron Van Dyke said. “I can’t get enough of them in.”
Smith & Wesson Shields and Bodyguards are also moving well. Almost every new handgun owner leaves the store with a new holster, too. The popular concealed carry models have been Bianchi, SafariLand and Galco.
Tactical rifles are still selling very well, even if the level is down from last year’s “AR surge.” The Daniel Defense M4 Carbine in .223 Rem is the rifle in demand here, selling for between $1,550 and $1,700, depending on adornments.
“It’s all 16-inch barrels now,” Van Dyke notes. “I can’t sell a tactical rifle with a 20-inch barrel. Everyone wants quad rails, too.”
The top optic for these tactical rifle customers is the AimPoint T1, especially the 2 MOA dot model versus the 4 MOA version, for $700. Trijicon’s ACOG with an RMR reflex red dot sight mounted atop comes in at a strong second place.
Editor's note: This brief originally appeared in the March 27, 2014 edition of Gun Digest the Magazine
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