I have two nephews.....22 and 27. Their dad, my brother, doesn't hunt or shoot. Or he doesn't unless my other brother and I take him.
Their mother didn't like guns when they were growing up. They have lived 2500 miles away for a very long time....long enough that I could have no influence on their thinking about guns, hunting and shooting.
Of their own accord, they have gone through the bureaucratic hell required up here to be able to acquire and own guns. They have taken their hunter safety courses. They are now waiting for their PAL (Canadian possession and acquisition license) to show up in the mail. And they are strongly urging me to come those 2500 miles this fall and show them how to hunt. Which I will do.
My point? Unlike a few doomsdayers here, I don't think all is lost. Not everyone wants semi autos only, black guns only, cheap guns only. Maybe the collectible market may contract but the shooting and hunting market doesn't have to.
I think the rise of the semi autos is related to it being the gun of choice for waterfowlers. And having done both kinds, I'd say there is a lot of gear that can be advertised for duck hunters. And those advertising dollars pay for more screen time, magazine pages, websites, than I think the upland hunters get pushed at them.
