[Mike Irwin]

"There exists the very real possibility that the “shortage” of components caused by the “demand” factor is right now an unstated and unwritten policy of a thoroughly anti-gun administration using the “demand” side of the equation to their advantage."

Uhm... right.

And NO one from any of the PRIVATE corporations that have been affected by a nefarious and sinister gubmint's machinations has said word one about it, whether in public or anonymously...

And why would that be?

Adminstration officials administer lie detector tests to every employee in these companies every day to make sure they're not telling stories?

Every employee at these companies has been spirited away to some secret island (the same one where they keep all the passengers from the 9-11 flights) and replaced with computerized clones loyal to the administration?

The National Rifle Association isn't addressing these nefarious plots why? Because Wayne La Pierre and Obama secretly cut a deal of some kind?

And, did you know that we're not actually fighting two overseas wars right now? Our troops AREN'T in Iraq or Afghanistan, they're providing security on that secret island. As such, they're not using any ammo at all, so they're sitting on billions and billions of rounds of ammunition that has been shipped to the island to keep it out of the hands of consumers. All of our military men and women are in on it, too!

I still maintain a few contacts inside the industry, complements of my days as associate editor of American Rifleman magazine. Not as many as I once had, but people with long-term management careers with these companies.

Their take on all of these rumors (ranging from Obama to the UN causing these problems?)

A nice, hearty laugh, combined with an explanation about how they have NEVER seen consumer demand for product this high for this extended period a time.

The only correlary to this is what happened in the months just before World War II started for the United States when companies began to change over to a war-time footing.

These conspiracy theories are moderately amusing to read, but like most conspiracy theories, they take a known even and wrap it in imagination, invention, and sinister intention to arrive at something that just doesn't make any sense, doesn't have a bit of support, and has no basis in reality.