My philosophy is quality over quantity. Higher end guns are great investments. You can have guns that you go out and shoot the hell out of them but also have some that never see a bullet. Everyone has their own way to look at it, but that BOA would be a great addition to a lot of Colt...
Some of the manufactures may be having a hard time getting components for their guns. I don't know for sure but that is possible. If their suppliers where shut down for a long period of time for the covid, I would guess they would be struggling to get parts out.
I thought you can purchase long guns anywhere. But some chain stores are only selling to people that live within the state the store is in. I believe Bass Pro is this way. Doesn't help the people that live near state lines.