What word best describes the ammo situation in 2020:

Crisis
Panic
Run
Rush
Shortage

IMHO the best term is "Run," as in "A run on the bank."

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Buy American
Vote Responsibly

Cluster and you can add the suffix.

I voted “panic.” We are seeing three major things all of which were on a collision course. A certain early November Tuesday had the largest affect of any of the three major influences of the year.

I told -many- casual friends back in Jan/Feb that the largest influence was scheduled for the run up to the early November Tuesday, I did everything short of ORDER them to buy 5.56, 9mm and .45 by the case or they would regret it.

One of them did as I suggested. The others regret that they did not.

An ammunition shortage will happen for another year. Get a pellet rifle or pistol, a crossbow, or slingshot

How about a potato gun? In case you are ever attacked by a potato.

It's a panic...This too shall pass......Ben

You need to add the correct choice to your poll: a great year for bullet casting.

You need to add some more options to your survey that includes folks like me that don’t need more ammo but continues to locate lots of ammo at reasonable prices.!

Of course, if you don’t hand-load or cast, if you’re an Internet shopper unwilling or unable to get out of the house and visit small LGSs then you may have trouble.

The only descriptors I would use for the present ammunition situation are words that aren't allowed on the forum.

Please excuse a suspicious old cop but part of me wonders if this “shortage” might be engineered by the gun grabbers.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

Yup.... every market runs in cycles. Frustrating for sure but that's why we need to stay alert and prepared.

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Jorge

I have been well stocked for a long time, but when the great Toilet Paper rush of 2020 started, I did order an additional 5k of each primer size I use, just to be safe.

Hopefully this all calms down over the next year and things get back to "normal".

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Regards,

Tom

Expensive!

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Take it easy. Chris

I have enough ammo to get through the 2020 Ammo Situation and the 2021 Ammo Situation. It's the 2022 Ammo Situation that has me concerned.

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What, me worry?

There is a serious political factor in the shortage. People are worried that ammo/gun makers will possibly be put out of business in the near future.

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No baby we aint

I learned my lesson with past shortages. I have enough to get through this one and the means to make more.

You didn't include conspiracy, that is my opinion and I am looking at black powder cannons.

I honestly don't think things involving ammo or firearms will return to "normal". I believe we've passed a tipping point from which we may never recover.

Nooooo! They wouldn't do that, would they?

In one word? Predictable!

completely useless unless you have a LARGE stash of primers, or shoot black powder.

You are really, really wrong here. Someone casting bullets in volume right now could sell them for serious jack. Bullets are following primers in scarcity right now.

Let us not forget powders, tho very small amounts of certain things left in stock the majority is poof... I would also like to add brass cases poof as well...

Ammo tho found at a premium the components to make a few and far between....

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This is the way....

Its happened before, its happening now, and it will happen again.

It is just all the Chicken Littles. When in danger, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout.

Unless it can be done with an Executive Order, it ain’t gonna happen. The Senate will be where antigun legislation goes to die. (Even if both seats in Georgia go blue).

A guy on Facebook just posted he paid $213 for 200 rounds of .38 Special range ammo. He didn’t want to shoot his good bullets.

Toilet paper came back. So will ammo.

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

My thoughts:

Not a "Crisis" because in the short term this is not a very bad thing.

Not a "Rush" as that implies people rushing to good thing.

Not a "Shortage" as there is plenty of ammo, but at high prices.

Not a "Panic." Rather, panic is the cause.

So to me, many are panicking, leading to a "run."

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Buy American
Vote Responsibly

I voted panic....a dumpster fire option should have been added��

I voted Panic.

I do not look for ammo but for Primers we are beyond Panic! It is a big Cluster.

Isn't it strange how BIG BROTHER is always punishing law abiding citizens for what the criminals do? Mark my words, when BIG BROTHER makes it to where law abiding citizens won't be able to afford firearms and ammo, the criminals will keep breaking the law. And, BIG BROTHER will be scratching their heads wondering why their laws aren't/didn't work. What will they do then?

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How many guns are too many?

I voted “panic,” because that is the situation. The “panic” causes a “run,” which in turn causes more “panic.” The “run” will end, and all that remains will be “panic.”

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

I too voted "panic". As a novice reloader and "not at the range as much as I should be" person, I have plenty of ammo to last through this "season". However, as said before, there seems to be plenty of ammo around, if a person can/or is willing to look.

the point and click crowd is driving this insane surge of panic buying.

It's good to be in the heartland.

J

OP here.

Yesterday I almost made a “panic” purchase of my favorite 00 buckshot (reduced recoil Fiocchi 12LE00BK). I had not seen any for sale online for quite awhile, but recently it has shown up for $275 plus shipping for 250 rounds. This is double the going price before March—and I have enough already—but merely seeing it for sale almost prompted me into a “panic” purchase.

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Buy American
Vote Responsibly

I think it's a combination of a panic and a shortage.

Yet another panic...same thing, different time. No different than idiots out hoarding toilet paper YET AGAIN...

I don't understand it and never will...people do this, it causes a total disruption in the supply chain, prices skyrocket...and it takes years to settle down. Over and over, time and time again. All it does it make thing difficult and expensive. Super frustrating.

Please explain how BB is making people pay excessive prices?

How is BB involved in encouraging more to arm themselves?

Is BB shill bidding on gunbroker? Because that, I’d believe....

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- Post No Bills -

1)This is an emotional crisis, people feel helpless.

2)TP and ammo are real, tangible things with value beyond the dollar amount.

3)Surrounding one’s self with tangible things that are of perceived value/use feels like progress is made.

Add those together and you have the makings of a supply chain disruption. Remember, warehousing is expensive. Any demand beyond the usual [plus a factor] is unable to be absorbed by a just-in-time production system.

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- Post No Bills -

I'm glad someone else has said this.

I don't reload (yet), but the last time I looked, I saw 1 case of CCI #34 primers, open and being sold by 100 ct cards instead of as a full case. They have been the only primers I've seen, and they seemed a bit high ($6 per 100). As I understand, those are good for rifle only, and really large rifle at that (so, 308 etc).

So right now, unless you have a line on some new primers, there's not a lot of practical difference between having 10k of loaded ammo, and being a reloader with 10k of primers. Your components cost less most likely, but your reloading gear and time involved gets added into the mix. And either way, you're looking at having a max of 10k available rds, while waiting on what the future brings.

Like I said, I don't reload. I have stocks of loaded ammo, a fair bit in surplus or steel with berdan primers. Some of that was pretty cheap, and my range doesn't care if I have steel case.

You mean like back when Federal Agencies had priority orders in for millions more rounds than they could possibly use?

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Who watches the watchers?

YES!!

As a SoFl native and living there for 58 years, this is SO similar to recent transplants that think it's a good idea to start hurricane preps AFTER the storm flags are already flying when nothing is available, or, extremely expensive.

It's very hard to feel sorry for willful ignorance, or the "It can't happen here", mindset. Especially when it has happened over and over again. Both hurricanes and ammo shortages.

Ya just can't fix stupid!

Rob

The run on ammo is about as stupid as the run on toilet paper when the whole COVID thing started back in March.

After going through many of these ammo shortages (crisis) over the past 20 years I'm fairly well stocked up and my shooting hobby has not and will not change in the years to come.

My Motto:

Previous Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.

I would think that most of the seasoned guys here are also well prepared.

I’d classify it as a Run due to Panic inspired by fear, ignorance, and unpreparedness in about equal parts. Just my perspective, and of course it could be a result of deep state conspiracies!

I would classify it as just the beginning now.

And again last week, at least where I live. Not a roll of TP to be found at the grocery store.

I expect the same thing with ammo. It will look like it is starting to end and then come back a few times before it really does end. At least until the next ammo shortage. This may be the worst so far but it will not be the last.

BB is NOT making anyone pay excessive prices, YET! But a certain elected official just recently stated that they're coming after our firearms. Or, have you been hibernating for the last few months?
Where in my comment did I state BB is encouraging more to arm themselves?
I have NO CLUE what BB does on GB? Do you?

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How many guns are too many?

...but I had only loaded a little small rifle and didn't have a lot on hand and used up what I had.

The next months are going to be painful.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

Can I pick three choices? It's a run because there is 14 million new gun owners since March buying ammo. It's a shortage because the COVID scam has shut down the economy and the supply chain. And it's a panic because the run and shortage has dried up all the ammo inventory and everyone is worried about when it's coming back.

This is a non event for a lot of folks. The greatest arms and ammo salesman ever known, got people to buy ammo for 8 years straight, from 2008-2016. In fact, in 2008 you could still get a box of 9mm Remington for $7.97. Newcomers might see this as a panic buy or whatever. Most see it as an anticipated result as things played out recently.

Bullets are made in factories on machines run by people, There has been an illness that hits people working in crowded buildings hard. It has been in the paper. Lots of sick, lots of dead, with more coming daily. May have slowed down production. Existing production would prioritize military and police use. 17 million guns have been sold this year, and we are in the midst of hunting seasons, Demand is high.
Shooting targets is a luxury event. Unless you are a subsistence hunter, this is a good time to ration your ammo.

To make a reference to a TV show (Game of Thrones)...

for awhile, they kept saying "Winter is coming" ominously. Near the end of the show, that changed to "Winter is here".

That, in my opinion, is where we are now. Prices skyrocketed earlier, and availability dropped off the cliff; but on occasion, if you knew where to look and hit the right time, you could get stuff.

There's a web store, Global Ordnance (apparently a pretty big organization, as they claim to be the primary importer for Arex guns and Belom ammo). They charge a flat rate of $12.95.
Back in July, they ran deals on Tula ammo, you could buy a case (1k):
9mm was $154
223 was $250
7.62x39 was $210

Today, they have listed in stock (and on sale), at a 1k limit, Tula:
9mm $500
223 $550
7.62x39 $330

I'd found this site and watched it, because they weren't gouging when others were. I don't think they are today, either. I've heard shops say that wholesale prices are way up when they order, I just think we're in the heart of this shortage. If you don't have any ammo now, you're just not going to find any outside of blind luck, for better pricing than that.