I just got my March AR in the mail today and read the article about the ammo shortage by Editorial Director Ed Zent. Some good info, nothing really new, but I think the CEO’s of the firms producing ammo are sincere and their reasoning is sound. It’s really just a perfect storm of increased demand starting last quarter of 2019 exacerbated by Covid, then the uncertainty with rioting and the change in administration. Add to that the hoarding and stretched production capacity because of workers having to quarantine and the shelves are bare. They do sound optimistic that supplies will return to some normalcy, if not quite what we were used to in the past, by the beginning of 2022.

Read the article and share your thoughts please.

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USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597

And in the same issue, introduction of a new wonder cartridge, that will do everything the venerable .270 Winchester does, and maybe a wee bit more.

So now a production line will be tied up making a new cartridge for a new rifle.

And an answer to a question that no one asked.

Like most of the new wonder calibers.

Reinventing the wheel IMHO.

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BTDT, Got The T-Shirt

The "newcomers" that bought their first gun just didn't have a clue. They are not the basic problem for the shortage. But, they are part of the problem because they are the ones paying the obscene prices.


The old timers that are the hoarders are the root cause of the problem. They are taking the supply from the average Joe, when they don't really need it for themselves.

The ones selling at 10X the normal price should be prosecuted for price gouging.

Hoarding? Hoodathunkit?!?!?!

But, in defense of "old timers" (aka long time gun people of any age) it's relatively common for shooters to stock up on ammunition that they know they'll be using routinely. So "blaming" them is not really fair.

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Come and take it!!

I agree with you in part. Yep, the newbies are desperate. They have no choice but to pay the crazy prices.

Us hoarders, as you call us. learned our lessons from earlier shortages. However, we aren't taking anything away from anybody. We have ammo. So we aren't paying these ridiculous prices. I haven't bought a single round or any reloading components since this mess started.

On point #3, I'm in complete agreement. These are the guys buying up everything available for the sole purpose of reselling at a much higher price.

Yes, pretty good worthwhile and somewhat out-of-character article for today's AMERICAN RIFLEMAN. No surprises and the author mentioned nothing that 99% of us didn't already know, even if the few hard core conspiracy folks won't believe a word of it.

I didn't call yous guys hoarders. I am probably like you. I know what my annual usage is and I keep that much on hand. My supply is good for the length of time I figure the problem will last, plus a year. So, I don't worry.

My reference to a "hoarder" is directed at someone who buys everything at hand, well into the epidemic, even when the prices start to rise, knowing that they really don't need it but just want to fill their belly full. THEY are the ones that have screwed it for the rest of us.

In 2008, I promised myself my floor would be two thousand rounds per caliber not counting rimfire.
In 2012, I changed that to four thousand.
Now its at least ten thousand per caliber.
I am part of the “problem”, but I can keep my proficiencies up at least.
I have been denied multiple offers to buy 100,000 round orders. Basically nobody wants to sell volume ammo because the margin on the typical two box limit is high, and it brings people back to buy other stuff more often.
First time in my life that somebody told my they didnt want my 25 grand.

I see almost no ammo on shelves near me. Haven’t seen one primer since March. Hard to hoard when there’s nothing to hoard. I don’t se evidence of increased production anywhere.

I don’t have a problem with hoarders, heck I’m one of them! I have a problem with gougers and those con men who really aren’t gun folk, they’re just out to get rich off of those who weren’t prepared. I, for one would agree with a law preventing price gouging.

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USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597

A point of clarification, if I may...

A hoarder is someone that has supply and hangs onto it.

A panic-buyer is the proper term for the folks GypsmJim seems to be referencing.
These are the people buying everything they can, at crazy prices.
And yes, they are fanning the flames that cause prices to continually escalate.

I fall into GypsmJim's description of "hoarder" and/or "old-timer".
But I haven't purchased any firearms, ammo, or reloading supplies since prices started going up from CV.

However, I was (and am) well-stocked from years of steady purchasing at "normal" prices.
I will purchase more when I see reasonable prices again.
(Not sure when that will be)

I will not contribute to the ongoing feeding frenzy.
And I will not support ridiculously high prices by rewarding opportunists (I didn't say gougers).


While others point fingers (not referring to anyone here), I point my guns and pull the triggers to keep up my skills

I got a slingshot, but I can't find any ball bearings.

Rocks are still free.

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No baby we aint

Sorry, in NJ, possession of that slingshot is a felony, with I believe a mandatory 7 year prison sentence!

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Judge control not gun control!

I'd bet that along with all the new gun owners, hoarders, scalpers, etc. there are many Gov't agency's, State agency's and Military organizations buying more ammo than ever before! I know for a fact that last year at the beginning of the Pandemic, there were LE agency's around my area that could not supply LEO's practice ammo in amounts more than 50 rounds. If they required more practice they had to procure their own ammo. They issued only enough carry ammo to fill 3 magazines after you fired the ammo in those magazines. Combine all the statistics and you have "the perfect storm" for what we are living.

I hope most who have been here for any length of time were savvy enough to see what was coming and prepared themselves. I hope the new comers will do so in the future if given the opportunity!

Many people are like a Deer in a headlight - they see it coming but just freeze and do nothing. Part of human nature I suppose - but it can be over come.

I'll admit it I am a hoarder! I have a good stock of ammo and want more along with reloading supply's. Who is my competition? Scalpers who pay people to stand in line at my local Academy Store 3 to 4 hour before they open, buy cheap ammo and then triple the price with online sales. My other competition is the individual who places a call to my LGS while I am standing inline to buy a 29-10 4" Classic and he ask the salesman for three pistols and the 2 box per gun limit and doesn't care which brand or weight of the bullet or price of anything.

Excuse me?

I’m not about to apologize to anyone for stocking up on all of my calibers. It’s not my fault that some refused to be proactive and now have to pay through the nose for a commodity in HIGH demand.

I keep tons of ammo on hand, precisely because of situations like this. I went shooting today. Chuckled as I fired off today’s equivalent of $250 in about an hour. Didn’t even dent my pile.

I’ll be shooting regularly. At 2018/2019 prices.


Edit: LOL ... I may have misread who you were talking about.