Ammo shortage?

skwchock · Jul 13, 2020

I went to the range this weekend to shoot. The range/store manager told us that due to a "shortage in getting ammunition", he could only sell ammo that was being shot at the range. He could not sell any ammo to anyone to take home. I noticed that at some gun stores, the ammo pickings are getting "lean", too. Are people starting to hoard their ammo for the 'zombie reawakening'?

ContinentalOp · Jul 13, 2020

This has been going on since the lockdowns started back in March when there was a surge in new gun purchases and people fearing a shortage started stocking up on ammo. I think it had started getting better, but then the riots and unrest exacerbated the situation, starting it over again.

You may have to go to online sources for ammo. There's a recent thread on ammo availability in the Ammo subforum that may be of interest to you.

Ziggy2525 · Jul 13, 2020

skwchock said:
I went to the range this weekend to shoot. The range/store manager told us that due to a "shortage in getting ammunition", he could only sell ammo that was being shot at the range. He could not sell any ammo to anyone to take home. I noticed that at some gun stores, the ammo pickings are getting "lean", too. Are people starting to hoard their ammo for the 'zombie reawakening'?

Supply and demand. Here 9mm is really hard to get locally. Not much online either. Expensive too. If you can find it, 9mm seems to have gone from about $8 or $9 a box to $15 or more. Ranges have the same restrictions you ran across.

There may be some hoarding, but every LGS here is basically sold out of 9mm carry guns. Between the corona and the riots, all the "I'll never own a handgun" crowd is buying handguns and ammo. Before, my local LGS/range was running a CHP class once a month. For the last couple months, they've been having 3 per week.

.40 is easy to come by.

CH4 · Jul 13, 2020

Shelves are empty in CA, NV, OR and WA.

jscheck · Jul 13, 2020

I believe ContinentalOp is correct. First it was first time gun owners, now it's the civil unrest situation. I've been buying 5.56 lately and it's rationed as well as hard to get (two or three box limit per day). All other ammo is also in limited supply and has purchase limits.

kaaskop49 · Jul 13, 2020

ContinentalOp said:
This has been going on since the lockdowns started back in March when there was a surge in new gun purchases and people fearing a shortage started stocking up on ammo. I think it had started getting better, but then the riots and unrest exacerbated the situation, starting it over again.

You may have to go to online sources for ammo. There's a recent thread on ammo availability in the Ammo subforum that may be of interest to you.

During the ammo "crunch" of 2012-13, there was no shortage of 12 gauge 'business' ammo: buck and slugs. Everything else had been bought up. Now, even the 12 gauge loads are unavailable. I looked online at a major ammo dealer's website: virtually everything out of stock. Same for Midway. This has been the case for weeks.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

two-bit cowboy · Jul 13, 2020

I was in my pal's shop last week. I picked up four boxes of 9mm, half of what he had, and a few boxes of .357. I primarily shoot .38 Special, but he had none.

He's having trouble keeping hardware in stock, too -- suppliers are either out or rationing most things. He got in a new Model 60 two weeks ago -- it was in the case less than 24 hours. $575 out the door. No wonder.

muddocktor · Jul 13, 2020

Sure makes me glad I reload and have a decent stock of components on hand.

pharmer · Jul 13, 2020

Saturday's Orlando gunshow had very little .22lr ammo @ $.15/rd. 9mm ball was $250/500 rd case. .223/5.56 was $450/1K which was a bargain if you're out. I gave a 550 rd "Wally box" to the Doc and one to my A/C guy, another guy got a box of 9mm and .38 spl. That's all I'm giving away for this "panic." What's the old saying: "P*** Poor Planning on your part does not create an emergency for me." Hopefully next Spring will bring back something resembling "normal." Joe

Geno44 · Jul 13, 2020

I am a regular member on this forum and also another one that mostly discusses a well known German brand. Both forums have had frequent posts for many years about the concept of buying when things are "quiet" and warnings about how frail "quiet" can be. I don't want to seem unsympathetic but I would think most of us read about the ant and the grasshopper when we were very little.

Jack Flash · Jul 13, 2020

Geno44 said:
... Both forums have had frequent posts for many years about the concept of buying when things are "quiet" and warnings about how frail "quiet" can be. I don't want to seem unsympathetic but I would think most of us read about the ant and the grasshopper when we were very little.

While I agree with those sentiments for old birds like me, we all should realize that there are young people coming along every day who have just turned old enough to make legal purchases of guns and ammo. It's tough that someone like that is hit with this mess.

Bucher33 · Jul 13, 2020

Went to the Tulsa gun show a few weeks back. Same day as the Trump Rally actually. First show of the year that hadn't been cancelled so didn't really know what to expect. There was a decent selection of hardware and ammunition. Really no shortage of much of anything. Only problem I thought everything was overpriced by 20-30%. Didn't realize at the time the state of the gun market. And no I still haven't contracted Covid-19.

THE PILGRIM · Jul 13, 2020

Was just down at Cabelas.
22LR, most handgun ammo, gone.
Rifle calibers, spotty.
Good inventory of Shotgun Shells.
Not sure they had every option in every gauge, but if you need shot to send down range they got it.
Interesting as to what’s left.
Like .17 cal Hornet. Some more .17s.
218 Bee. 204. Etc.
Stopped at Big 5 on the way home, scored 1,000 rounds of Aguilar 22LR.
First time I ever had any of that.

redlevel · Jul 13, 2020

My biggest woe is that a lifetime supply of ammo ain’t near as much now is it was when I started hoarding near on to 30 years ago. :-((

zeke · Jul 13, 2020

All it takes is one election, and the resulting exercises in executive authority to completely change things as we know it. While sympathetic to new gun owners, have been through assault rifle bans, magazine capacity requirements, multiple ammo shortages and off /on again reloading supply shortages. If you were not stocking up, you may have missed the boat.

Course all the resulting shortages may be attenuated by a certain generations passing, and the resulting estate sales.

Gunslinger808 · Jul 13, 2020

Buy it cheap, and stack it deep has been my motto for decades.
It’s funny how people I told this ignored me, and now expect me to help supply them.

Not going to happen, from Sandy Hook on, it’s been a roller coaster and many just ignore the good times, then cry when it’s lean out there, I’ve lost any sympathy I might have had after this latest scare.

And it’s just going to get worse as election time nears.

Something something, learn from the past or repeat it?

BC38 · Jul 13, 2020

muddocktor said:
Sure makes me glad I reload and have a decent stock of components on hand.

AMEN to that brutha'!
Plus at least 1000-2000 of every caliber I shoot (and more than that of some of them).

Wrangler Rich · Jul 13, 2020

I'm kind of like that one armed deputy in Unforgiven...

"I don't want to get killed for lack of shooting back."

WR

lrrifleman · Jul 13, 2020

I buy most of what I do buy in "larger" quantities from Sportsmans Guide. Most of what they have on-hand is the "odd-ball" cartridges. After perusing their site tonight, they are taking orders now for ammo that should be delivered to them sometime in November.

At the moment, my greatest concern is finding adequate supplies of lead and wheelweights at reasonable prices! Fortunately, I have all of the business-oriented molds that I need!

Golddollar · Jul 13, 2020

I'm glad I worked on stocking up Groundhog Arms before all of this started.

Ammo shortage?

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