I hope everyone here has the good sense to avoid paying ammo scalper prices. When people go online and pay $1.50 or $2.00 per round they are feeding the scalpers and making it harder and harder for our little gun shop owners to purchase ammo. The ammo manufacturers will eventually get caught up and things will get back to normal. Do what you can to buy local and shut down the ammo scalpers.

I live on the Treasure Coast.

Treasures be plenty.

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Dum vivo cano

Never underestimate the "gotta have it" factor in the US.

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Release the Kraken

Sellers can ask for any price they want.

Customers can either accept or decline.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

A previously reputable and reasonable online site that sells
"Less Expensive Than Soil" is now at 1.50 and up. Very disappointing.

The way to determine what price is TOO MUCH is to see what buyers are WILLING to pay. If someone will pay the price - then we can't say it's too much.

Yes - I understand what scalping is, I see it all the time. Maybe it is morally wrong - but many around the world also see Capitalism the same way. If there were no buyers at a certain price then the price would drop - simple as that!

Haven't bought any factory rounds in quite awhile. If i was one of the new comers to owning a gun, actually wanted to shoot it, needed rounds for defensive/practice purposes and had the money; would be paying the price.

A lot of these gun buyers ain't buying them to throw at people, need familiarity with their firearm, and need to know if the gun they bought actually works.

Previously reputable? Just how long ago was that?

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USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597

The "trick " is to have enough Factory ammo for self and home defense, hunting and official sporting events and to roll your own for everything else. Of course in order to do that one would have had to have the foresight to set up and procure components before the crises hit.

You make a scalper or gouger if you buy, no one else.

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Sure you did

fortunately i have a box of ammo for each gun i own. 1 rifle, 1 shotgun and one Smith & Wesson revolver. krs/kenny

Attached Images

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Too good

I have been shooting only 22 rimfires the last few years and they have gotten expensive and yes, I buy only locally. I know that the skills acquired will do more for larger calibers-and a well placed 22 will get an opponent's attention.

The first time I witnessed price gouging was right after the Clinton ban in 1994.
The same thing happened during Y2K.
Then again in 2008 and 2012
They spiked again in 2016 because most people thought Hillary would win.
And now it is happening again.

So unless you are a teenager, how can you let yourself be caught with your pants down.

For whatever reason, some folks got caught short. One to two dollars a round may be tough to swallow but if you need it you need it.

I have plenty but I think it's poor form to pound my chest and gloat about it.

Jus' sayin'.

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You're shy a few manners.

All the small shops that I know, plus what friends have reported of other shops, is that they are doing a bit of scalping as well.

Thinking that a lot of ammo seen F/S on auction boards is coming from small shops.

That's exactly right. And they are accepting! What irks me is that I am a reloader and I cannot get components because all the people who, despite the lessons of the post-Sandy Hook ammo panic and other recent event, lacked the foresight to be prepared and they have depleted the market of everything ammo. Let me say it another way. The only reason people like us cannot get ammo and components...is because of the people who didn't prepare

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Smith. And Wesson. And Me!

.... Exactly.....

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Sure you did

Other than one local pawn shop, Sportsman’s, Walmart, Cabelas and LGSs appear to be keeping their prices at pre-Covid margins. Any increases are reflective of supplier increases. One LGS is buying from folks who are selling their stashes of ammo and components. Still exceedingly reasonable.

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213th FBINA

It sounds to me like you lacked the foresight to prepare..... just sayin.

I learned my lessen in 2012.

Started in handguns later in life so it took 2012 for me to get a taste of fluctuating ammo prices. I have bought only by the case ever since.

Buy more than you *think* you need when it's cheap and plentiful and you'll never have to worry about it.

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Can open, worms everywhere.

I never sell anything cheaper than I can replace it for.

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"Don't Give Up the Ship"

My thoughts too. They earned a BAD rep after Sandyhook when they canceled people's existing ammo orders and then relisted the exact same ammo for 2x-3x the price on their website the very next day.

$1.50 a round from them is no surprise whatsoever.

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Send lawyers, guns & money...

And that's the problem. I have plenty of ammo that I could sell. The problem is that I don't know when the supply will increase and the prices will return to what ever "normal" ends up being.

In 2019 and the first few months of last year, ammo was selling at unbelievable prices, especially 9mm range fodder.

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Can open, worms everywhere.

And what about people that bought that XX-X revolver for a hundred or two in the 70's, threw it in the safe and never shot it that are now asking 10 to 20 times what they paid for it?
Or the house with 10 acres I bought in 82 for 45k that is now worth 10 times that because farmers sold to developers on .5 acre lots?

Excellent point.

Judge not lest ye be judged people. We don't know people's needs or financial situations.

FWIW, although the scalpers trot it out to try to justify what they are doing, that comparison doesn't even begin to be valid.

There is a HUGE difference between buying and maintaining an appreciating asset and holding it for 20 or 30 or 40 years and then reselling it, vs buying a consumable commodity and selling it for 300% profit days or months later due to a shortage of said commodity.

It is even less valid when people are hitting every retail outlet in town, cleaning out the entire supply of that commodity at regular retail prices then turning around and selling it tomorrow or next week for 300% profit.

So, if that's what you're doing and making that ridiculous comparison is what it takes to helps you live with yourself or sleep at night, then keep telling yourself it's the same thing. It's not.

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Send lawyers, guns & money...

Apples and oranges

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USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597

I haven't sold 1 round of anything even though I could easily turn a 5 figure profit at this point.
But I plan in advance and bought what I needed, and not only guns and ammo, when the opportunity was there.

This is not the first, nor last time a shortage of something will occur. The same people that laughed as I bought xty 2 thousand 9mm, 22lr, 223/5.56, 38spcl, .270, 30-06, or 30-30 when it was on sale at every LGS every week are the same ones that are crying about gougers while they were spending on golf, sports, bars, and over-priced collectible Colts, Smiths, and Winchesters.

Sorry but if a person has dozens of guns but not the rounds to shoot them when they want or need, that is strictly on them. We all make choices in life and prioritize wants versus needs.
Less than a year ago you could get any and as much ammo as you wanted to buy. If you could not figure out that when paper products were wiped from shelves in a week that ammo would not be far behind, again, that is on you.

If you feel someone is unjustly profiting off the lack of insight of others, then don't buy it. Just like while I would like to have a NIB Registered Magnum and could afford it, I don't want or need it that bad to pay the price. I have lesser price revolvers that may not look as good or have the wow factor, but it shoots just as well at least in my hands.

Sorry about the rant, but this isn't much different than the whole Fight for $15 horse puckey going on right now.
You (the Royal you) did not plan or prepare accordingly, now blame everything on anyone but yourself.

Time to take guns out of the safe and replace with ammo, primers and powder...

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S&W factory revolver armorer

But, but, but I could sell a couple K primers and buy a new 9mm with the money. (I haven't.......yet. Dang, it's tempting.)

I agree with all that and like you I don't need anything because I bought plenty in between the shortages. Both ammo and reloading components.

BUT neither of us are new first time gun owners either - like the 8 million who just bought their first gun in the last 12 months.
And none of that makes your previous comparison any more valid or any less a case of comparing apples to watermelons either.

It also doesn't excuse scalpers lining up to clean out the shelves at the big box store every time ammo comes in - just so they can turn a 300% profit on it the next day either.

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Send lawyers, guns & money...

Yeah, same here - except for the fact that I don't know when I would be able to buy them for a better price - or even if I ever will.

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Send lawyers, guns & money...

I want to retire in 4-7 years and I don't want to run to the LGS to pick up ammo, so about 15 years ago I started stashing back ammo.
I never thought I would see shortages like we see today so I cant say I saw this coming. I started by picking up a box on payday to shoot and some times 2 box's, one to shoot and one to put back,
If I had overtime I would pick up 3 or 4, shoot 1 stash the rest.
I moved up to a better job and started to buy by the case. I have a good supply of most calibers that I need. I thought about selling some to add to my retirement at these prices, but I just can't rip off anyone.

Explain your view of the real "need", please.

I'll admit if you buy your first gun you will need ammo for it. Right now, you'll be paying through the nose for any ammo you can find.

If you already have guns and ammo for them, I'm not seeing a need, unless you are into self defense shootings on a weekly basis.

If you buy a gun in a caliber you don't already have, then you have a choice to make, buy or not to buy in the current market, but you don't actually have a need, IMHO.

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Release the Kraken

If I was a new gun buyer I'd see the need to buy some ammo to go with it. I'd look around and buy a box or 2 or 3. I would shoot a box or 2 for familiarization and keep the rest so I would have enough ammo for the uses I bought it for. I wouldn't "need" to buy a case to feel good about my purchase.

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dd884
JMHO-YMMV

What do those of you upset with the open market setting the price propose as an alternative?

If the going rate for 9mm FMJ is $.80/round someone is going to be making some extra money. I would rather see most of it going to the manufacturers and the normal supply chain than scalpers who have time to wait around for trucks to come and resell the ammo at a huge profit. I am with you on scalping being a problem but the way to solve it is to temporarily raise the retail price of ammo to match the market price.

Gun and ammo manufacturers are not huge corporations that normally make obscene profits. They are often on shaky ground financially. Remington just went bankrupt, Twenty years ago Saf-T-Lock bought S&W for $45 million (pocket change to the big tech CEOs), Colt was recently acquired by CZ after having gone through chapter 11 in 2013, etc. When I visited a LGS before the pandemic I never saw one that gave the impression they were swimming in money, a lot of them come and go. Most of the big box outdoor stores dedicate most of their store to clothing, hiking/camping gear and in the case of BassPro, fishing tackle. If the extra profit from panic buying goes to them maybe they will be better able to survive the lean time.

In 2008 (the 1st of the "modern ammo panics) I paid $60 for a box of then new Federal 9mm HST. As soon as things got "normal" again I bought a case if same for $300 or $15/ box. Still got half the case. It's going for $125/ box 50 if'n you can get them. Been offered "crazy money" for ammo lately. Not selling 1 round. Don't want to be called a scalper and don't know about "replacement pipeline" in the current climate. So folks call me selfish because they're out of ammo. Joe

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Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

Ahhh the voice of reason. You see the forest through the trees. Ive been saying this for years.
It’s ok when you rip someone’s throat out for something other than ammo but I’m a bad guy for making money on something.
The biggest hypocrites on this board with cry like girls when they see someone sell a brick for $100 but wont think twice selling you a handgun for a 1000-1500 that they paid 1-200 for.

In the memorable words of one of our great political leaders:
"C'mon, Man!"

Do you really want me to go through the song and dance of
"Your need may be different from my need and different from the guy who is a serious action pistol competitor and blah blah blah"?

Next will you be asking me, in the words of another great political leader
"What the definition of "is" is"?

You can set yourself up as a czar who decides who needs what, but I won't.

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You're shy a few manners.

Posted in the other threads on this, we're not talking about $20 for a gallon of gas or water on a hurricane evacuation route, gouging, we're talking about paying more for consumables in a hobby. It'll go back down eventually, this is the 3rd or 4th major panic I've seen, and it's just part of shooting. I'm still shooting ammo I bought during the good times, and I'll replenish (and buy ammo for things I didn't know I'd be into, mainly hunting ammo) during the next period of low prices. I sold the guns and ammo I did not want, was happy with the prices I received, and kept the guns/ammo I do like (and continue to shoot them!).

People are driving themselves crazy trying to find ammo at good prices, and if you see some obviously go for it, but this is a great time to focus on other hobbies and let concerns about ammo supply, resellers, etc drift out of your head. Take stock of what you had plenty of, make a list of what you were out of, and set aside the cash you would be spending on ammo now to stack it deep during the good times.

I don't see how this is any different than selling a gun you bought at a GREAT price and turning around and selling for a GREAT profit.
I have never felt that I was "gouging" when I recently bought a pre 64 model 70 for $450 and took to gun show and sold for $1100 nor did I feel obligated to give somebody a good deal just because I'm a great guy!
As others have pointed out this is the free market working here and it will eventually stabilize.
Just my feelings on it!!

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Regards
Paul

There is nothing wrong with selling a box of 50 .22LR for $10 that you paid $1 for like there is nothing wrong with selling a rifle for $1100 that you paid $450 for.
All of a sudden Capitalism is a bad word if I don’t like what your doing.
Remember in the end nobody is forcing you to buy anything.

Wife and I have a bunch of social ammo available. That we hardly shoot now as we have a good amount of practice ammo for our carry weapons.

Been shooting a bunch of 22s. Put a lot of rounds through my 17 and 18 and she uses her newfangled bottom feeders. On occasion I drag out the 7722 and put a box through it!

We both have a very decent supply of .22s Its been a bad winter so we hit the private indoor range. (about 22 miles away) As were retired 9 out of 10 times during the week day we have the place to ourselves.

Unless things go totally wacky we are not going to contribute to the ammo scalpers retirement fund.

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

IF or WHEN I run out of ammo I hope some is available at some price. I had rather it be a high price and available than a low price and not available. Larry

BINGO!!!!

It's the hypocrisy of, in this case, gun owners. They are freedom loving, gun toting, flag waving, proud-to-be-a-[insert whatever title here]. But when they dont get their way, when they feel THEY are being slighted, well its wrong, and "somethin' oughta be done"! So many gun owners are pro-capitalism until capitalism cramps their style and then they are like "a little regulation never hurt nobody".

They like to use terms like "scalpers", but never mind the fact that anyone who sells anything for a profit is a scalper to one degree or another. And they use the term "scalper" or "profiteer" like its a bad word.

They hate on the guys/gals out in front of a big box store at 7AM daily to get ammo at non-markup prices and criticize them when they are selling. They conveniently forget that those people are investing time and effort to get that ammo, they are doing the leg work you arent willing to do, and you think they shouldnt be compensated for their time and effort expenditure? "Oh I think its fine to make money of of ammo sales, but not THAT much money". Seriously, go be commie somewhere else.


One of the worst parts of this thread lies with the author of the original post. It's a bunch of se;f-serving, ego stroking non-sense, and the poster should be ashamed and embarrassed.

So dont pay the $1.50-2.00 from a scalper on line, pay it right there at home at your local gunshop! Oh the gunshop isnt the scalper though, it's Billy who used his time and effort to make some money.

Actually it is because as “people like us” we did not have the foresight to buy enough reloading components (mainly primers and powder) to ride out another panic.

As a “people like us” I wish I had brought more primers and powder but I made other choices with guns and ammo. I have no one else to blame for the choices I made (and am not unhappy with my choices for reasons not allowed on this forum).

Have been reading the responses on this thread. Whatever happened to the Golden Rule many of us were taught as kids back in the day. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you".

It is a matter of ethics. Just do the right thing in regards to your fellow man/woman.

CTD, when it comes to magazines and ammunition, has never been reputable. They are scoundrels of the first order and have been for decades. Piss on them.

Kinda like the guy that sells brass for an inflated price he’d typically throw out or sells grips for ‘market value’ that he probably has nothing in even stating he doesn’t even know what some fit...................OH WAIT THAT WAS YOU LOL!