Originally Posted by ChattanoogaPhil

Rimfire was getting more and more difficult to find before the panic. This was because of the exploding interest in all the new rimfire replicas, particularly black rifles with 30rd mags dangling underneath.

No. Increasing popularity and demand are not usually considered a death knell for a sport or associated products. That said, I think there is a lull in gun sales due to the overwhelming demand during the panic and market saturation.