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.

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

IMHO I do not think that we as a country will ever come out of THIS AMMO SHORTAGE. With so many CRAZY Billionaires, spending hundreds of millions on political races, what is to stop them from buying up the component mfgs..What is a billion dollars out of your personal wealth? Just saying!!!

They could do that but they didn't get to be billionaires by being stupid. They don't spend a ton of money on a company to to lose it all closing it down. They also know somebody else will come along and build another one.

Simply wow & here we go again. Here’s my reply to last conspiracy theorist on this subject. This was specifically primers. Holding back supply for any reason other than safety in the face of record breaking demand is not a sales strategy, it’s incompetence, dereliction of duty, and definitely a fireable offense.

Post #13
Crazy run on primers...but not so much on powder?

Manufacturing ammo isn't where the high rollers are investing. Ammo is a commodities market like pork bellies and wheat. Buy the right company at the wrong time and see what happens.

Markets and investors are looking two years ahead. That's why DJIA is above 30K. Has nothing to do with present conditions because those will change. Ammo manufacturers will eventually catch up because the military has less need for high production. Check out the military surplus brass auctions. Nothing there indicating less training.

Olin, Federal and Magtech will catch up with demand within 12 months.

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That's just somebody talkin.

I was wondering when someone would bring up the toilet paper comparison. Combination of panic buying as well as millions of new owners buying. As far as building new plants, who would want to risk that amount of investment when you don't know if the anti-gun nuts might come out with serious ammo sales restrictions in the next year or so?

LOL, wowwww, some of the comments in here.

A-n-y-w-a-y...... GOOD LUCK!

Wow! There is a term often used for "tongue in cheek" statements. Called sarcasm. But some people have the sense of humor of a lead bullet and can't/won't understand obvious sarcasm...

Oh OK, THIS time I see the "sarcasm" in the above statement (not the former one)! Wow! Got it!

NEXT time why don't you try using the sarcasm emoji:

How did you guess. Some people are clueless and are a danger to the rest of us.

"GET OVER IT ALREADY"...

WOW! You still missed the sarcasm emoji
Hey Hang in there! Keep trying!

I missed nothing, especially the "mandatory" little faces. But I'll give you the last word, seems like it is needed...

mikld,
When I stated GET OVER IT, I was not being sarcastic. I find your post#40 to be exceptionally arrogant and politically derogatory. I was hoping you would eventually realize that and cease, but you proved me wrong on that.

Reality: if you shoot you create a shorthand directly proportional to it.

There's an ammo shortage? Hadn't noticed...

My problem is getting range time with the beer virus restrictions...

Well,... from Southern Tejas we just switched over to Lone Star.

Don't forget that All government agencies have ammo contracts with FEDERAL/SPEER /CCI /REMINGTON. Military has ammo contracts ,THEY will be served FIRST. We just get to buy what's left. Public loves 9mm , 5.56 and .308 because they are Military calibers but that puts you in direct competition with military for those rounds. They win that contest. Focus on non Military calibers and you might have better selection and inventory.

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V/r,
Markham

Silly statement. It is their money, their ammo, they get to shoot it the way they want. Like telling other people to not drive their 4x4 to save gas for your Prius.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

why can't we drive across the border and buy and come home.
what's the difference if I were buying clothes, shoes, tire for my truck or whatever ?

So far as I know, Right now the border is closed, without a valid reason, you can't just drive across. And seems i read something about needing a PAL license to buy components in Canada.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

Not a silly statement. Just a partial explanation of why some people are short on ammo. And it's not like telling other people not to drive a 4x4 to save gas for his Prius. It's like telling other people not to leave a moving van idling for an hour and then moan about not having enough gas. He already has enough gas for his Prius.

My outlook is a little different, and only applies to people who have been shooting for a while. We have been through this a few times. Time to wise up already and stock some.

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Formerly Model520Fan

You are a funny person. You don't want anyone else to enjoy what they have, just because you may not have the same, nor planned ahead sufficiently to have what others have and are enjoying.

Remember that this ammo shortage is self-created by "...people who have been shooting for a while..." and not from some conspiracy theory to take away our gunzz...

My advice is to go shoot what you have and quit worrying about how often/much others shoot.

Some stores are getting Ammo, but it is selling out as quick as it hits the shelves. The local Academy gets shipments in 3 days a week. They put everything they have on a rolling cart and roll it out to the middle of the floor on those delivery days. There are folks waiting at the door that go and buy their 3 limit max with their friends and family getting theirs. The ammo is gone in short order. If you are lucky enough to get there in time, you can get your 3 box limit for pre-panic prices. Many of those early birds are flipping the ammo on gunbroker etc. This is driving prices up also.

We are in a perfect storm right now. Questions about police authority, covid, election issues etc, hasn't allowed the manufactures to catch up.

If you remember a few years ago when the AR panic hit $600 guns were going for $2k+. Lots of new startup companies making ARs and this time last year you could get them for $400 or even less because the market became saturated with the new companies. Starting up a machine company building guns can be done in your garage. Starting up an ammo plant is a lot more red tape and cost. It would be nice if a new company could be started up in short order to catch up the demand and bring down the prices for us consumers, but I think we are just going to have to wait the storm out and hope the political environment coming doesn't make things worse.

Rosewood

I was at the LGS yesterday and noticed they had more ammo on the shelves than they've had recently. I didn't really check into what it was or what the price as I don't buy factory ammo. I was there buying powder.

I'm on good terms with the owner as I shop there frequently and as I was checking out he told me to come in Thursday as he's expecting to get some primers. You can bet I'll be there and if he does get them I'll buy whatever the limit is. Last time he had some the limit was 500.

I worked in factories all my life. Both as a union employee and a supervisor. It has bee difficult to hire good workers for the past 40 years. How many of the lazy ones are yours? Mine all work for a living.

You may have me mixed up with some other poster. I have no problem with others' enjoying whatever they have, and I am certainly not motivated by some shortage of my own, because I have plenty of ammo of my own, of every caliber and cartridge that I use.

I do not believe that the present shortage was created by a conspiracy, or by people who have been shooting for a while, but it really doesn't matter to me, since I don't have a shortage, anyway.

I did defend mtgianni's right to comment on the use of ammo by some of those who are pissing and moaning about a shortage when they are pretty wasteful (in his and my opinion) of what they do have.

Capisce?

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Formerly Model520Fan

Well target shooting beyond 20y with a pistol isnt training either.
To each their own. Its their time & money. If they want to blast 100rds of 223 at 20y, have at it.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

Jmo, I dont think the guys blowing 25rds of 223 at 20y are complaining about ammo shortages. No its the part time shooter that was used to dropping by Wally for a box of ammo 3-4x a year. Serious shooters stock pile ammo or components so we aren't short during these ever increasing shortages.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

So you get to decide on what is useful or wasteful use of ammo??? Pretty bold for someone thst doesnt care???

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

Yep Fred,
Just remember that every time you "miss" the bullseye is a wasteful use of ammo...

Same issue as the toilet paper drama. Companies had a couple month surplus built up but even that was wiped out and they couldnt keep supply up to the stores. Same idiotic type people buying up all the ammo/reloading stuff available.
When I was in CA, I went to Walmart one morning early to get my wife a new battery before she had to drive to work. She had to have a jump start the night before. I usually have some sort of ammo/firearms hat on, get them from the reps that come to the academy. 4-5 guys standing, waiting for the door to open just stared at me. It was weird. Right before they opened, I took a cart to my car and got the old battery. When I got to the door , one guy said oh you need a new battery. I said yes, thats the only reason I would be there that early. Suddenly everyone was friendly and smiling. Oh we thought you were here for the 22 ammunition , it comes on thursday morning. Same guys reselling 22 ammo on the boards in CA , thats why normal people couldnt get any.
LAPD routinely purchased around 5 million worth of various ammo annually. It was common for the manufacturers to contact us to advise that they had some big 6-8 million round ammo orders in the future and we should get anything we need now as all machine used to produce pistol ammo would be tied up for 6 months. As they could only produce SO much SO fast. I grew up in East Alton Il. right behind the old S/W ammo factory. Believe me if they could make more money they would.

So you get to decide what I can and can't have an opinion on? Pretty bold for someone who has an opinion himself.

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Formerly Model520Fan

Like I said above, "...You are a funny person. ..." Yup, you Model520fan are so humble as to NOT have an opinion,... right? If not, read your own reply. Just sayin'


BTW, yew win... I kwitt cuz I cant deal with ut... DONE.

If you have a GT Distributors local to you there is some 40 and a little bit of 9mm. It didn’t help me though; I needed 380.

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As IF I could believe that a very MAJOR producer of ammo/powder/primers/brass/etc. would currently be shipping small packages of same product and size, multiple times a day across the USA (because they are/were NOT concerned about additional shipping costs of small shipments), read on...:

Yep, directly from the Golden Days of "Bait-N-Switch" brings you...

Got a response from floor personnel, that states:
Dear ZZZZZl,
Thank you for your email. I do apologize for the frustration this is causing. Due to the extremely high demand for some products they have been selling out quickly. We do have products coming in and out all the time. Sometimes multiple shipments of the same product come in on any given day. This was not intended to frustrate anyone but an attempt to keep them in stock.
If you have any additional questions or comments, please feel free to contact us. Our hours of operation are Monday through Friday 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM CST.
Thanks for Your Business!
Caleb xxxxxUSA Customer Support


QUESTION: Just WHY is/are all items regarding ammo/powder/primers/bullets ALWAYS "out of stock"??? That is EXCEPT for a few micro-seconds of "buy now"? Just wondering...

Just bide your time. 2 years from now ammo is going to glut the market and the prices will be very low...buy it cheap and stack it deep.

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Chief

Different situation in Canada
Much smaller population, fewer shooters, more gun and ammo laws, and I think it may be illegal to use a firearm for self defense.

Here's the crazy side of lead. 5 yrs ago lead was pretty HIGH.

Zero was still in office with ammo short in some calibers... NOW,

with the greatest ammo shortage l have ever seen lead is very LOW

Amen... this may be the worst in recent memory, but it's not like this is the first time this has happened.

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BT
EGO VOLUNTAS HAUD OBEDIO

Am one of those who occasionally practices at close up ranges with a short ar-15. Having a firearm for self protection means knowing how to use it at differing ranges, and the difference in sight picture/aiming point. It also means knowing how to engage several targets quickly at short ranges. These are commonly referred to as "skill sets".

Course then then there are those who never get off the sandbags at 100 yds. If this is what they prefer, who am i to knock them? The more shooters in the country, the better.

And i also enjoy shooting pistols at longer ranges. An excellent way to practice accuracy techniques. Course this is a different skill set than up close rapid fire without detailed aiming.

It may behoove some to think about the future, as the political winds are indeed changing with a new set of young-uns coming up the political ladder. Am as worried as real high prices due to taxes/restrictions on ammo and handloading supplies, as another shortage eases.

Firing rounds at just paper could be considered wasting ammo.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

Lead is used for a lot of things & world economy has been pretty much **** all 2020. Of course lead cost is low, but that is the cheaoest aspect of any round of ammo.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

Cheap ammo will neber return imo. It will become more available, but prices wont be less than this time last year.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

Opinion should be based on facts not emotion. So yeah, your opinion on how people use their ammo means little to anyone.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO