I don’t think you can blame Uncle Sugar for this one. Government ammo contracts are huge but are for extended periods. They just lumber along regardless of what’s going on in the world.

In 2008 there were 120,000 gun carrying federal LEOs. There are probably more now. Figure 1,000 rounds per year per LEO. That covers mandated quals, training, and rounds fired during the various academies. So, 120 million rounds per year, times ten years for a contract period.

1.2 billion rounds, guaranteed sale, direct from the manufacturer. Decade in, decade out. This is planned for.

And that’s just handgun ammo. We also qual with shotguns, ARs, and sometimes subguns. Add that in.

Oh yeah. That doesn’t count the military.

None of these agencies thought: We better buy more ammo. Believe me, they have plenty.

Its harder to plan on commercial demand. If enough people decide to buy a years worth of anything all at once (toilet paper) then the shelves go bare quick. Nothing sinister, just people being people.

__________________
“What you got, ain’t new.”