[Yo-Yo]

There's a disconnect here somewhere. There are record background checks, yet companies like Ruger are posting greatly reduced profits, or in some cases even losses.

[Lurkinanloomin]

Tremendous competition in the gun market keeps margins low.

[gundog]

Costs are down.

[ctdonath2]

High supply + moderate demand = low prices -> low profits.

There are LOTS of gun companies, with no real innovation, making practically the same things. I don’t see anything compelling out there, nothing novel (unlike, say, the 10-round Brady mag limit leading to an explosion of the previously near-nonexistent subcompact market).
Yes demand may be up (a la aforementioned 4x sales on an arbitrary Tuesday), but not massively nor long. Some are jittery from big-talking Democrats who likely won’t win. Some are hedging bets around Trump actually being removed and the subsequent civil war. Not like past looming outright bans, nor the 95% guaranteed inauguration of President Hillary. People won’t pay $2000 for what is now a $500 AR15.
And overall the market is actually pretty small. There may be some 100,000,000 guns in citizens’ hands, but those are seriously durable goods translating to a pretty small market in new product.

As such, sales are brisk yet much pressure to keep prices low.