I walked into my LGS this morning with my dog Harley to see
what they had in their used gun case. A couple was there, and
the wife was looking for a gun. The husband asked the guy
behind the counter why there was a shortage of .22 ammo. The
clerk started explaining about supply & demand, more shooters
than before, people hoarding the stuff, etc, etc...

On my way out I mentioned to the wife that trying to figure out
why there is a .22 shortage is like trying to figure out the
meaning of life. Who knows.

My local gun store told me they only make the stuff for 6 months of the year. He also told me Colts from Walmart are made using blemished parts so who knows.

I imagine there are a few of us who keep 10,000+ rounds of all our calibers including 22LR in the ammo safe and other hiding places.

Only 10,000 rounds?

You're slipping Rick!

Drew

Had a conversation at coffee today with an enthusiast who opined that .22 was scarce because it has such a low margin of profit. During the shortage, manufacturers concentrate on the larger calibers that are in demand because they can make more money on them. Sounds as good as a lot of theories. Of course, they can raise prices, but only so far before they run into price resistance.

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Not in jail.

when you have been thru this shortage thing once, it should never happen to you again. prepper mentality or no, it only makes good sense to never get caught short again.

At any gun show you can find plenty for sale for $65 to $80 a brick!

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

.22 LR is the only caliber that aliens(UFO pilots, not the other kind ) use. It's all stockpiled on the dark side of the moon.

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Minimize the variables

And that's where it's going to all the scalpers.
I know a guy who stands in line every day at Wally World when ammo comes in, buys his three brick limit at $23.95 and them puts them out on his table at the weekend flea market for $75-$80 and usually sells almost none at the price.
Another guy in that same line at W W says he has over 50,000 rounds of 22LR already, but can't seem to help himself from hoarding more.

There's the reason for your shortages and it's happen at hundreds of thousand places all over the country. I hope they all get stuck with it.

I have 3 bricks and that's more than I will ever need for a long time for my purposes.

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Dick

I've go enough for recreational shooting, but I like to shoot match grade in my match pistols, and I haven't seen any CCI Green Tab in more than two years.

The machines used for .22 are different from those used to make CF cartridges. According to the manufacturers they are balls to the wall making .22LR. There's plenty available if you are willing to pay scalpers $65 a brick for it.

They still make it?

I wasn't aware there was a shortage. Of course I haven't tried to buy any in about ten years. Just reload 9mm, it's cheaper.

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That's just somebody talkin.

There's better stuff than Green Tag out there, in my opinion.
Eley Target, Wolf Match Target, and Federal AutoMatch are excellent choices, if they are available.

All of the factories that produce 22LR are working 24/7 and producing more than they ever have before. The problem is, EVERYBODY has at least 1 or more 22LR guns, (I have 2 and am looking to buy a 3rd) it's still relatively cheap compared to other calibers, and they're great for teaching the young ones how to shoot.
Just don't bother trying to buy any at a gun show because, they are price gouging like crazy. The last gun show I went to, I found .17 cheaper than 22LR. One idiot was charging $20.00 per 50ct box his 50ct boxes of .17 were only $13.00. At another table, they were charging $45.00 for a 225ct bulk box of Remington Golden Bullets that you can get at Walmart for about $11.00.
Needless to say, I went home with the .17's and no 22's that day.

just received a brick of sk pistol match. had it on order from and old favorite distributor since last fall.

I walked into Palmetto State armory's new store in town and found full shelves of Federal auto match 22lr, 325 count for $24.99 a box. Not the greatest price but they had some! I bought 2 boxes.

No .22 guns here! This whole mess hasn't encouraged me to get one either.

I now have 3 rifles and4 handguns in .22 and I always try to keep a good amount of ammo for them on hand.

No, I hardly have bought any .22 ammo in the last couple years. One notable exception to that was the grand opening of a well known big box store about 70 miles away last year. Wife and I took a ride and we both got two bricks (reasonably priced) each (maximum allowed).

I always have a decent amount of .22 on hand as in a serious SHTF scenario it will be as valuable as gold. Would make good trading stock as just about anyone with a gun has a.22. + it is small and takes up little space!

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

Who is John Galt?

One reason is some folks are hoarding, as mentioned before. Do they believe they may need it to trade for a handful of beans in some post-apocalyptic world or do they just think they will use it eventually? Who knows? Hoarding can become a mental disorder, so there is no sense in trying to get a rational response.

Another reason is the obvious buying/flipping that goes on. I do not like the practice but as long as it is legal, what can you do about it? I quit buying ammunition at gun shows, largely out of disgust from witnessing this behavior.

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You're shy a few manners.

I'm good for about 1600 rounds, mostly federal bulk.

I had a chance to buy more a couple of weeks ago but left it there at WM. Hopefully the next customers that saw it could use it.

It was CCI, I shoulda got more.

The Winchester 62 loves to eat boxes of the stuff. If I only shot my K22 it would last a long time. ****** cell phone pics. .........

Attached Images

.22s 020.jpg (52.9 KB, 34 views)

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Dum vivo cano

Around my area, it's hoarding, pure and simple. I overheard a group in the local Wally World talking the other night in the sporting goods area about how all they needed to to was wait until all the pallets were brought out that night, then start digging through them looking for ammo. I've got 1000-1500 rounds I think, and I absolutely refuse to pay what a brick is bringing on any of the Facebook gun group auctions, or at the gun shows. I say "bringing" loosely, as a lot of this gun show ammo seems to be just travelling the circuit, and the Facebook auctions seem to have stagnated some as well.

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MARK

I bought a whole bunch after the last shortage, so I should be good for a long time.

Assuming of course that I don't need to trade it all for a handful of beans!

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You're shy a few manners.

Sounds like your local guy with the 50K of .22 is related to the guy we have here braging about his huge stash.

That said, it took me over a year to get the 3 bricks I have. I havent seen any in at least 8 months now.

Funny you should mention that type ammo. I was at WW yesterday and they had at least 50 boxes of the above mentioned. I passed on them as well as the 25 or so boxes of .22 short.

That's not too bad a price. I got some at Walmart 2 months back and it was only $1 less.

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John
S&WCA Life Member

This sort of thing is why I like my flintlocks. I can find or make everything needed for a day at the range or in the field. I cast my own projectiles and powder is readily available. No caps or brass needed. So far as the stockpiling of billions of rounds of anything goes, I prefer to let others fight over it. I am not going to stand in lines or fight over or pay scumbag prices for .22...Those who buy it a up to resell at predatory prices can keep it. I saw people do that during previous dry spells and many wound up having to eat it when it came back...Anyone remember the "assault weapons ban"? People who paid silly prices for banned magazines got hosed when it went down the drain...I know a guy who has several $100 Glock 19 magazines...Panic leads to bad decisions.

+1 on these comments.

It's the same people, every day, camping out to buy it up. Then they resell it - or try to - at triple+ the price.

On the plus side; they got totally burned in the 9mm ammo market as there are now shelves full of the stuff everywhere. Soon, they'll get burned on their closet full of .22LR.

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But then, what do I know?

Used to walk 4 country miles, one way, to buy a box of .22's for .50 in the 50's.

Later when I wanted a brick I bought two or three. It was never "hoarding" it was simple logistics. Gonna use one , buy two for backup. Save gas, save time. Same with all other ammo. Get it while you're there.

What holds my house down, ammo from the 60's, 70's 80's, 90's, you get the point, hopefully.

It ain't rocket science, it's common sense. Which is uncommon today

Im waiting for them to get burned on the .45 ammo too. We have one bustard here who has been buying all the .45 he can afford to buy--mostly anything thats 100 rd or more. However, his pockets arent deep enough or his eyes aint sharp enough to see the other boxes stashed on the top shelf that are .45--includinga few bulk boxes.

I don't think anyone would call that hoarding. We're talking about the guys who have 50,000+ rounds and still get up early to stand in line at Wal-Mart to buy their limit.

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You're shy a few manners.

I still have two kids in school.

Until we can get people to stop buying bricks at gunshows for $50+, the shortage will continue because there will continue to be a huge incentive for the profiteers to wait at Walmart when they unload pallets and clean them out.

I think we all should pull these guys aside and have an "intervention" with those paying the crazy prices to remind them that their actions are what specifically perpetuates the problem. Of course, they don't care. They just want their ammo. Thus the cycle continues.

All the stores who sell it at a normal markup from the manufacturer are selling bricks for no more than $25/brick. If you see the cheap target brick for much more than that, we all should walk away and stop the problem from recycling itself.

If we were talking FOOD here, then I can understand paying such an inflated price to survive another day, but I know of few people who's life depends on 22 rimfire ammo so much they absolutely NEED it.

I understand anyone had the right to pay whatever they choose for ammo if its within their means and I respect that for sure. I am just opining on the reason WHY the shortage persists longer than it should.

IC

Unless you want to get in line, a hour before Sportsmans Wherehouse (Las Vegas) opens on a their once a week shipments (Thurs. or Sat.), there's no ammo to speak of there....& no S&W revolvers on display for sale. This has been going on for almost 2 yrs.

My Wally World has a ONE-BOX limit, usually 50- or 100-rounds. Always gone when I get there. I reject the notion that the ammo makers are producing it 24/7. So do my local gun shop owners, who say that their many distributors have virtually none. Neither do big-box retailers other than spot supplies here and there. There are more profits to be had in expensive centerfire cartridges, which is where the Hornadys, Winchesters and Federals of the world are concentrating.

As for the gougers who triple the price of stuff, I suppose that's just another example of American profiteering -- capitalism to put the best face on it, greed the worst. I also buy into the notion that the government and military, which get priority in shipments, are getting most of the rimfire, leaving little left for civilian use. Back-door gun control is in play, as well, in light of massive purchase of rimfire ammo by DHS, and numerous government agencies. Since most youngsters start on .22LR, what better way to discourage the sport than by restricting the supply available for novices to learn and appreciate the shooting sports. Over time, the enthusiasm will wither away as supplies dwindle and the black market ripens.

Get an adult, high performance air gun in .22 . Ammo is $8.95 for 500 rounds. Hunt, plink, shoot till you drop. They will put all your shots in a dime at 50 yards.

^What Jack Flash said.

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Oh well, what the hell.

[QUOTE=Whitens Moss;137906064 I also buy into the notion that the government and military, which get priority in shipments, are getting most of the rimfire, leaving little left for civilian use. Back-door gun control is in play, as well, in light of massive purchase of rimfire ammo by DHS, and numerous government agencies.[/QUOTE]



I don't mean to be argumentative, but from where do you source "massive purchase of rimfire ammo by DHS"? And do you also have some knowledge of government and military rimfire purchases?

With the exception of the CMP, I have never run into the military ordering/stocking/using rimfire cartridges, certainly not on a large basis.

I watched some videos on those. They are quite possibly, the coolest airguns on the planet.

One box? Really? That stinks. We have 2 Wally World stores in my town. The rimfire ammo (which they never have when I go there) is limited to 3 boxes per person/per day but with everything else, you can get as much as you want.

Keep in mind this was over 25 years ago but the only time I can remember ever using anything rimfire, was when the military was trying to save money by making us qualify with 22LR conversions on our M16's. That went over like a lead balloon and scores dropped drastically. A 22LR is actually 5.45 not 5.56 so accuracy went right out of the window. That and they would jam every other round. It took a whole year worth of marksman qualifications going down the tubes before they figured it out and switched us back to 5.56. After that, most of us started firing expert again.

I have been doing it a bit different. I had some older bricks of 10 boxes and a bunch of the bricks with loose rounds. I have slowly hauled my boxed bricks to my local FFL guy who sells out of his lumber store and he sells them off at a reasonable price for the current market. (some of mine was marked well under $10) Our deal is I get repaid in 22 whenever he gets all his back orders and things get reasonable. I have plenty for myself in the loose brick stuff and in cans. Plus, my brother-in-law sends me a brick once in a while from his larger sporting goods shop whenever he gets a case or 2.
My profit is a lot of good will with my local FFL. He just gave me a used Dillon 550 set up for 45ACP for $175, what he had in it.

I can go through a brick of .22lr during a day at the range easily. But lately its been cheaper to shoot the .50cal than it is to shoot .22lr. The problem is my shoulder cant handle a brick of those. =-)

I still have plenty left from the $1000 I spent 15 years buying 50,000 rounds of .22LR. I don't plan on selling any of it as it is mine to use.

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Bill

Shortage ....... well it's now been at least 18 months +++ since .22LR was easily available.............enough is enough IMO.

I've got plenty if needed. But I don't feel comfortable knowing it is not readily available if I needed more.

Don

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Laus Deo! <><

I think I understand the shortage of .22 long rifle...everyone has one and it will take awhile until the market is satisfied before the price will level out. What I don't understand is the shortage of No. 11 percussion caps. I shoot cap and lock muzzleloaders three times a week on average, no shortage of powder although the price has gone up, lead has gone up but is still a bargain and part of the charm of casting your own balls and bullets. CCI caps are virtually non-existant and the factory is 80 miles away, RWS german caps are the only game in town and at close to 7.50 per 100 they are pretty spendy, they are plentiful but one wonders how long that will hold out. Us muzzleloaders accept the fact that we are a dying breed and there probably isn't all that much money as compared to .22 long rifle but its just a curiosity since who in their right mind would be hoarding No. 11 percussion caps...is right mind the key?

Maybe retrofit to flintlock.

I hear ya! I've seen 1 tin of 100 in the past 8 months, which I sold along with my older model black powder rifle. In the mean time, I bought a CVA Wolf which uses the #209 primers, that are readily available just about anywhere.

I had stocked up before this latest scare and could shoot for years. But I still find myself not shooting as much. I keep thinking about having to replace it at current cost.

I do hope the guys on FB that cry and whine on a daily basis about the shortage and the gougers, will stock up when the supply is back and not be caught without again. But we all know that most of them won't.