The firearms business is both fickle and cyclical on the manufacturing end, like most businesses interested in making a profit these days. However, the difference is that firearms manufacturing is somewhat complex, involves numerous precision operations, and the value-added cost is high. Makers do not want scads of inventory laying around not sold, due to lack of demand, when other in-demand items are being sought. There is a finite amount of production capacity at the plant.
So most manufacturers do production runs of a particular model, then move onto something else, before doing another production run of that same model at some future date. What that date is will be based on existing orders, availability of raw materials, demand for other more profitable items, etc. Once your desired item gets produced, it gets sent out to jobbers and/or wholesalers, who have their own priorities as far as distribution. Foreign-made firearms are an additional complication - the import compliances are much stricter post-9/11 and in any event the time delay between production, shipping, customs clearance and release to the US representative is unable to be predicted.
In other words, if you ordered a gun that was produced 6 months ago, is sold out, and is not slated to be produced/imported/available for another 3 months, you are behind the eight-ball.
Beretta - for the 35 years that I have been buying guns - has been notorious for doing things on at it's own Italian pace and schedule: in the manner of most Euro-businesses, the consumer waits until the manufacturer is ready to deliver, and then scrambles to get their hands on scarce goods, increasing the price and pleasing everyone but the consumer. All of which is not in sync with the American way of meeting consumer demand in the shortest time possible.
And absolutely none of this is controlled or influenced by the local dealer.
A spot market exists for new guns, but the price paid by the dealer will be higher than he normally would pay. This increased cost would normally be passed on to some degree to the retail purchaser. Are you willing to pay MORE to get it NOW?
Campsite is a very large stocking dealer by Long Island standards and if they cannot obtain an item AT A FAIR PRICE YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO PAY, then it is doubtful anyone else would be able to either. Another dealer might have your particular model in stock, and so it would be available immediately.
Given the insanity of how SCPD PLS issues purchase documents, I would never obtain one without first having the particular pistol I wanted "in hand" at my dealer. As for right now, you could shop around to see if your gun was in stock somewhere, and if so ask Campsite for your deposit back if they have not paid out monies to order it. They surely would accommodate you under the circumstances, they are a VERY fair business that wants you to come back. OR, you could pick another gun to buy - there are so many good choices that I would not sit it out waiting for a Beretta Unobtanium Model. OR, you could return the purchase document unused, and go get another one when you Beretta finally arrives.
The choice, as they say, is yours.
You could pick
