More Ammunition Shortages?

smoothshooter · Oct 28, 2023

Based on recent world events and U.S. government ineptitude, it looks like U.S military caliber loaded ammo is soon going to be in very short supply for commercial sales for the foreseeable future, and whatever is a available to buy will be much more expensive.I hope I am wrong, but I doubt it. The ammo companies that make military calibers will have to reallocate resources in manpower and production priorities to meet the demand. Same for reloading components, particularly primers and possibly brass.
Better be stocking up now if you haven’t already.

JamesWP · Oct 28, 2023

Not to be a smart butt, but in all seriousness I think warning posts like this work against us to get people stirred up and accelerate the hoarding that otherwise may not give it much thought.

Spurdann · Oct 28, 2023

Many new shooters have not seen a drought before and should heed the warning. Remember when 22 was unobtainable for around 2 years unless you had time to hit the Walmarts and get one of the 4 boxes that came in that week? A warning is what some need to act now. Not every one was able to stock up with all they could ever shoot back in 1970 at 3 cents a round.

pharmer · Oct 28, 2023

Spurdann said:
....... Not every one was able to stock up with all they could ever shoot back in 1970 at 3 cents a round.

In the early part of the 21st century I bought 550 rd Federal "WallyBoxes" for $8.97. My wife asked: "Why do you buy 4 boxes every time we come to this store?" Replaced that at $.03/rd. Shooting the end of those now. Bought quite a few this year at $.056/rd. .22lr is a bargain all the way to $.11 rd, which it will be heading toward, shortly. Joe

DWalt · Oct 28, 2023

With the trajectory things are taking in the Middle East, I believe that reduced ammunition and components availability is likely. But if so, it will not personally affect me much.

Rudi · Oct 28, 2023

I never cease to be amazed.

smoothshooter · Oct 28, 2023

JamesWP said:
Not to be a smart butt, but in all seriousness I think warning posts like this work against us to get people stirred up and accelerate the hoarding that otherwise may not give it much thought.

I realize that is a risk.

Model19man · Oct 28, 2023

I bought what I think is a lifetime supply of primers and powder when it looked like there would be a President Dukakis. Thankfully that never happened but I still have a lot left that was purchased in 1988.

SVT28 · Oct 28, 2023

Omg panic! Israel is going to use up all of our ammo!! Please… JamesXP hit the nail on the head. A bunch of people start posting threads like these on a bunch of different forums, then a bunch of gun folks who shoot one mag out of their AR a year runs out and buys a case of green tip (which their indoor range restricts using anyways) then prices jump up a $100 a case.

Ammo is still available, if you didn’t buy any when prices were decent the last 12 months, or when Trump was president, oh well.

SVT28

Igiveup · Oct 28, 2023

I was told today that Lake City factory managed by Winchester is stopping civilian sales of military type ammo. I think they have to dedicate manufacture of this ammo for the current demands by the two wars, Israel and Ukraine

Skeet 028 · Oct 29, 2023

JamesWP said:
Not to be a smart butt, but in all seriousness I think warning posts like this work against us to get people stirred up and accelerate the hoarding that otherwise may not give it much thought.

Well not to be a SA...I kinda felt the ame way back a few years. Then a good friend came to me and said he needed10 boxes of 9mm ammo. I had bought 9mm at Cabela's a few months previousl for about 6.50 a box...223 for 2.44 a box. I bought all I could at the time and I hardly even used 9mm. I was not oing to sell him any and even offered him a box free. No he insisted he NEEDED 10 boxes and offered me 40 dollars a box. Did I feel bad when I sold him 10 boxes? No, not really, He even told me his shortage was his own fault. I still gave him a free box of the 25 round boxes of good SD ammo. He still has 15 rounds of it left. I told him to buy 9mm 2 weeks ago when the local farm store had Blazer Brass 9s for 10.99. He bought 25 boxes. I didn't need any and bought a "few" myself. 22s were 19.90 per brick of 500. He bought 10 bricks. I only got the last hidden brick. Don't be the one catching up too late. And I truly hope we don't have the run on everything we had during Covid

Three Tees · Oct 29, 2023

I have also read from multiple sources that the LCAAP (run by Winchester) has been ordered to cancel all civilian contracts. They produce 30% of all civilian 5.56 ammunition. I have been hearing/reading this as of about two weeks ago. Not sure when the cutoff date was/is but it seems to be more of a fact now than a rumor.

alwslate · Oct 29, 2023

I stocked up before the pandemic. Have at least 10-12 K of 9mm and 7.62X39 and 5-6 K of 5.56. So at my age and the limited amount of shooting I do now I probably need to sell instead of buying, but I just like to have it sitting around

Super Trucker · Oct 29, 2023

SVT28 said:
Omg panic! Israel is going to use up all of our ammo!! Please… JamesXP hit the nail on the head. A bunch of people start posting threads like these on a bunch of different forums, then a bunch of gun folks who shoot one mag out of their AR a year runs out and buys a case of green tip (which their indoor range restricts using anyways) then prices jump up a $100 a case.

Ammo is still available, if you didn’t buy any when prices were decent the last 12 months, or when Trump was president, oh well.

SVT28

"Most" people aren't like that.

I've been telling folks in my area for the last year to buy a box a week/month, whatever they can afford.

I've had three calls in the last week asking if I have any "extra" ammo.

I remind them that until I have 7.3 Billion cases of each caliber, I'll not have "extra".
I have enough for 4 years of my wife and I shooting twice a month at the range and a once a month competition.

Life is full of choices. Folks making bad ones, suffer.

brucev · Oct 29, 2023

This is JMHO and that is all. I remember 2008. My daughters wanted to shoot their little Ruger rifles. It was all I could do to get enough ammo to let them shoot. Never had previously had problems buying plain Jane .22 LR, much less .38 Special, .45 ACP and certainly not 9mm. FMJ rifle ammo went crazy. I remember. So ... over the years I've made it a practice to buy ammo when it was affordable. Right now, if you can find affordable 9mm, .22 LR ... buy it. It doesn't eat. It doesn't rot. Buy it. In the recent go round of short supply and high prices, I had church members who were in the same boat as I was in back in 2008. I gave them ammo. I gave ammo to men I saw at the range w/ their children/grandchildren. Hurts to see someone having to basically ration ammo to a child. Stinks. The smile on that child's face ... and the response of the parent is worth the price paid. My grandchildren live up north and have no opportunities to go shooting. When they get down here to Ga., they have opportunities! We use a Bugassault on the back porch. Salt is cheap. Fun to shoot bugs, leaves, etc. Later, when they are old enough ... there are two Red Ryder's waiting ... and two 10-22's. So ... I'm keeping an eye out for salt ... and BB's ... and .22 LR!!! And, for my son-in-law ... I'm also watching for .38 Specials and 9mm. Sincerely. bruce.

Skeet 028 · Oct 29, 2023

what people like SVT28 don't understand is we aren't affecting the prices. The Biden admins order to Winchester to make no more commercial sales from ammo produced at LC cuts 30% of US produced blow away ammo off the market...That affects not only availability but the other companies producing ammo naturally raise prices...and possibly production if they are able Hunting ammo for many calibers are at low supplies equaling higher prices.

SVT28 · Oct 29, 2023

Skeet 028 said:
what people like SVT28 don't understand is we aren't affecting the prices. The Biden admins order to Winchester to make no more commercial sales from ammo produced at LC cuts 30% of US produced blow away ammo off the market...That affects not only availability but the other companies producing ammo naturally raise prices...and possibly production if they are able Hunting ammo for many calibers are at low supplies equaling higher prices.

Your post makes my case. Tell me more how I don’t understand supply and demand. Yes government cuts and ill management reduces supply, however supply has been enormous for quite some time now. Couple that with the every ill prepared or dramatic “panic panic” forum thread I’ve seen in the past two weeks, has the common man and woman going out and buying 223/556. So, OUR higher demand, with speculative supply dwindling, is driving prices up. Ammo is still available to purchase, it’s just a little more expensive.

LVSteve · Oct 29, 2023

If supply is short and prices are high, not shooting as much is actually a thing. (Dons flame suit and runs for bunker)

Faulkner · Oct 29, 2023

Remember folks, "ammo hoarder" is a term that will be used for those who prepared by those who didn't.

SnidelyWhiplash · Oct 29, 2023

More Ammunition Shortages?

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