I have a suggestion to fight profiteers!

[Arik]

When it comes to friend i have no problem parting with a box or two of ammo. I dont ask for money and dont expect it. They are friends, they are more important then a couple measly boxes of ammo. When i see a good deal on 9mm i pick up some for my sister too. Again free of charge, she's my family and she often brings me stuff for free. I also give away ammo at the range. Not boxes and boxes but i do it consistently. If i have 5 rounds left in a box i'll give it to the next guy. Last month a i overgeard a guy next to me tell his buddy how he'd love to try a few slugs through his shotgun. I had a box and gave it to him. We all share a common interest and one thats often threatened. Why not stick together and help each other out?!? Sometimes i think we are our own worst enemy. I know a range run buy some old guy who will belittle you, ruin your good time and make you want to leave early because you have a black rifle. If its not pre 1950s he doesnt like it. Thats a great way to help new shooters in your area and keep the range going at the same time!

There has been a lot of talk here about "you should have seen this coming" and "if you didnt stock up before its your fault". People are forgetting that not everyone here has been shooting since the 60s. When Clinton got in office I was 12. When he left i was just starting yo discover rifles. Wasnt old enough for hand guns. Then comes stuff like college, bills, buy the time everything is said and done i only really got into firearms, heavy, 5-6 years ago. Or a friend of my who went through ivy league business school on his own dime. No loans, no credit cards, no bank finance, just cold hard cash that he had to work day and night for to afford schooling. He doesn't like debts. Theres little money left for anything else. He too has a passion for firearms but other things come first. And now he's getting ready to buy a house and since he doesnt like debt he's goal is a minimum of 25% down. When we talk about this current situation neither of us are happy about it but there are more important monetary issues in our lives than having a stock of ammo to go to the range once a week. This is why when a friend needs ammo i'll gladly give some....
.I know our friendships are worth more then $50 worth of 9mm and I know that if or when i ask they have no problem giving some to me.

I think people are putting this ammo thing on some sort of alter or at the very least a pedestal.

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[robctwo]

Last summer there was a SALE on primers and powder at Powder Valley. I bought a reasonable amount for a year or so of my normal shooting. 10,000 large and small pistol, 5,000 large and small rifle, and 16 pounds of powder. Total price somewhere around 1,000. I asked my neighbor if he wanted in, he said no, primers were $27 per thousand and there were lots. The next month I ordered the same amount again. When the shortage hit he panicked. I told him his order was sitting on the shelf.

What's going on with supply and demand? Are the manufacturers afraid that if they up production the the guys with the third storage shed full of ammo and components will suddenly stop buying?

I do a fair amount of divorce work. I'm waiting for the case where the marital estate includes $40,000 of ammo and reloading components purchased for $90,000. Reason for the divorce? $90,000 spent on ammo & components.

 

[CoMF]

People kvetching about profiteers again, saying something ought to be done about it and hinting at intervention but stopping just short of it.

Flippant use of the word "capitalism" to describe the actions of dirtbags who deliberately clean off retailer shelves to hawk their wares on auction sites at inflated prices or rubes overpaying on no-reserve penny auctions...

Yup, I've never seen a thread like this before.

*Sigh* Some things just never change...

 

[gregintenn]

I am currently supplying myself, my two sons, and wife with ammo. Also, my father occasionally bums a bit from me. That's all well and good.

What else do I owe the people in this country who will not prepare for tomorrow for themselves? Should I give everything I own to someone just because they don't already have it? They already get more than half of my earnings in tax related confiscation in one form or another.

If I give my ammo away, I can't go to the store and buy more at this time either.

 

[blujax01]

I am currently supplying myself, my two sons, and wife with ammo. Also, my father occasionally bums a bit from me. That's all well and good.

What else do I owe the people in this country who will not prepare for tomorrow for themselves? Should I give everything I own to someone just because they don't already have it? They already get more than half of my earnings in tax related confiscation in one form or another.

If I give my ammo away, I can't go to the store and buy more at this time either.

Why Greg, don't be such a Grinch. Ammo-wise, we're the "richest Americans" who are being asked to "Give Just A Little More."

Sound familiar?

 

[gregintenn]

Why Greg, don't be such a Grinch. Ammo-wise, we're the "richest Americans" who are being asked to "Give Just A Little More."

Sound familiar?

Yes it does, and after a day of dealing with folks who have the mentality that everyone owes them something, it really strikes a nerve.

Perhaps there should be a government subsidy for the less ammo fortunate. We have one for everything else.

 

[ladyT]

It comes down to choices. Why would anyone buy now when they wouldnt buy when it was cheap?

That doesn't float.

When a geologist and I were talking about gold purchases. He asked me why I would buy gold @$800 an ounce when I didn't buy it at $600 an ounce. So not knowing better I didn't buy any gold. Big mistake as gold made a head long push toward $2,000 an ounce. So if your not searching out ammo today and buying you stand to lose out like I did.

 

[Dezfan]

That doesn't float.

When a geologist and I were talking about gold purchases. He asked me why I would buy gold @$800 an ounce when I didn't buy it at $600 an ounce. So not knowing better I didn't buy any gold. Big mistake as gold made a head long push toward $2,000 an ounce. So if your not searching out ammo today and buying you stand to lose out like I did.

Besides, just because there is ammo being sold for stupid high prices, doesn't mean you have to purchase it at that price.

I and several others have added substantial amounts of ammo to our cache while still paying pre-panic prices.

 

[cmj8591]

I must be missing something here. If people are profiteering then why is anyone paying the inflated prices? I mean this is ammo we're talking about! It's not food for your family or medicine you need to stay alive. This is a hobby. How much ammo do you need to defend yourself? Anything beyond that is for entertainment. I hate to burst anyone's bubble but this zombie apocalypse thing is fantasy so if you're stocking up for that you might want to reassess how you are using your time and resources. Does it suck that I can't go to the range every weekend? It sure does but I'm not going to get all nuts about it and set my alarm clock for 4am so I can go to Wal Mart in hopes of scoring a box of bullets. And I'm sure not going to part with my hard earned cash so some would be "capitalist" can enrich himself at my expense. Everything will equalize, the supply will return, the prices will come down. The world will not end.

 

[Dezfan]

I can shoot to my hearts content (as far as 22LR is concerned) and all it cost me was a little organization, a hour or two of sleep, and being resourceful.

No need to NOT go to the range, no need to pay outrageously high prices, and no need to complain about having to do either of the first two!

Now that's priceless.

 

[brokenprism]

Well, so far looks like I am wrong. I guess most of us shooters are a stingy bunch.

A noble sentiment, depending. But I'm not sure I understood who you were talking about on the receiving end. People with none that need some? The question is some for what? I wouldn't give it away to someone who just wanted to shoot. To survive, yes, but to do the shooting that I'm not even doing because I don't want to deplete what I have and carry an Obama Paperweight, no. If we're in a gunfight and we have the same mags or whatever and you yell "I'm out!" then I'll consider it, but if you want to blow a Saturday afternoon with ammo I paid a buck a round for after a long search, probably not. I'm not cheap, I'm just not flush, so I'm saving. Not hoarding, saving.

To the 'free market economy' capitalist theory, I call BS. A liberal I work with even calls this gouging, and those who intentionally gouge should be sure to look presentable at the Judgment; not for this, but for related reasons, as surely there will be some.

 

[brokenprism]

I sold it for $17 each, which is what I paid for it.

This is what separates you from the animals. Good on you.

The guys who took a grand to the gun store on Dec 15th and bought out all the .22 ammo with the express purpose of flipping it are the same guys who would sell clean drinking water after a hurricane for $50 or whatever. Sadly, they walk among us. These are not the guys who start auctions at retail and hope for the best -- that's honorable, and I hope they get prices through the roof.

Some dude on eBay bought a couple of new Milt Sparks rigs. He paid maybe $250 total, and he wants $300 each. Sure, he waited in 'line' and suffered like the rest of us, and yeah, maybe he's appealing to base instincts in people who have impulse control issues and should pay a 'cost' for that, but that kind of greed is what gives this country an underbelly.

 

[redlevel]

To the 'free market economy' capitalist theory, I call BS. A liberal I work with even calls this gouging

Yeah, your liberal friend as well as Karl Marx agrees with the sentiment.

To all the people who "call BS" on someone who buys something in hopes of reselling at a profit, just exactly when do you believe in a free market economy?

 

[macdab]

Those that bought gold in 2004 for less than $400 are asking almost $1,600 for it today. That is crazy - they should be happy just doubling their money and selling it to others, like me, for $800. Stop the profiteers already!

 

[vytoland]

if the price is too high.....just don't buy....

 

[TMAXXII]

I don't about the rest of you, but I have a problem with a LGS selling a gun for $100.00 more than list to a first time gun owner who wants to protect his family. After I watched this guy about to get ripped off, I asked to come away from the gun counter with me. I not going to mention the make of gun he was going to buy, but it was a piece of junk. I offered to sell him one of my Glocks for $ 50.00 less than what I paid for it 2 yrs ago. It was 9mm G26 Gen 4, which are selling for around $ 599.00 right now. I told him I sell it to him for $ 425.00 about $100.00 less than he was about to pay for piece of junk. He did not know the law in Louisiana and told me it be illegal. Good old media. I told him it was not illegal but he said he wanted to buy it the right way. So he went back to counter and filled out the paperwork and purchased the gun. He told the clerk he needed ammo, the clerk reached behind and put a box of 50 rounds of 9mm Gold Dot Hollow Points +P on the counter. The guy goes and pays for it and they ring up $69.95 for the ammo (that is BS). At this point his wife and three kids join him. I don't why I felt so bad, maybe because he had to ask his wife for more money to pay for the purchase, which he was still $ 50.00 short. The clerk took off the ammo and the guy now has a gun, well something like a gun and no ammo. Well, I walk out of gun shop behind them and when we got outside I asked what he was going to for ammo. He said I have to wait to get my next pay check. I told him and his family to follow me to my house and I can help you out, on the to my house we stopped at my normal LGS and the owner explained to him the law.

I guess I was blessed not hurting for money, so when we get to my house I gave him 100 rounds of Ranger Ts and 100 rounds of practice ammo. Now you can call me a real sucker, I sold him the Glock for $12.00. Ouch! He wanted to give me the gun he just bought, but I explain to him that would be illegal. That the first question on the paperwork you just filled out.

 

[Malpasowildlifer]

I still continue to help friends with ammo, even though I'm really watching my stash of factory loaded stuff. They're always so appreciative and I'm glad to help.

What goes around comes around! Take care of your friends.

 

[blujax01]

I don't about the rest of you, but I have a problem with a LGS selling a gun for $100.00 more than list to a first time gun owner who wants to protect his family. After I watched this guy about to get ripped off, I asked to come away from the gun counter with me. I not going to mention the make of gun he was going to buy, but it was a piece of junk. I offered to sell him one of my Glocks for $ 50.00 less than what I paid for it 2 yrs ago. It was 9mm G26 Gen 4, which are selling for around $ 599.00 right now. I told him I sell it to him for $ 425.00 about $100.00 less than he was about to pay for piece of junk. He did not know the law in Louisiana and told me it be illegal. Good old media. I told him it was not illegal but he said he wanted to buy it the right way. So he went back to counter and filled out the paperwork and purchased the gun. He told the clerk he needed ammo, the clerk reached behind and put a box of 50 rounds of 9mm Gold Dot Hollow Points +P on the counter. The guy goes and pays for it and they ring up $69.95 for the ammo (that is BS). At this point his wife and three kids join him. I don't why I felt so bad, maybe because he had to ask his wife for more money to pay for the purchase, which he was still $ 50.00 short. The clerk took off the ammo and the guy now has a gun, well something like a gun and no ammo. Well, I walk out of gun shop behind them and when we got outside I asked what he was going to for ammo. He said I have to wait to get my next pay check. I told him and his family to follow me to my house and I can help you out, on the to my house we stopped at my normal LGS and the owner explained to him the law.

I guess I was blessed not hurting for money, so when we get to my house I gave him 100 rounds of Ranger Ts and 100 rounds of practice ammo. Now you can call me a real sucker, I sold him the Glock for $12.00. Ouch! He wanted to give me the gun he just bought, but I explain to him that would be illegal. That the first question on the paperwork you just filled out.

You know...

When I prepare to make a $500 or higher purchase whether it be for a gun or a stereo system or a car I DO MY RESEARCH FIRST. Now I will admit to making an impulse buy once or twice and maybe once I got fleeced, but it was my choice and I paid the price. Lesson learned. You know, the one about taking responsibility for my own actions?

Let me ask you this: Would you interrupt the sale of a new car and try to undercut the dealership by offering to sell the customer a used car out of your barn for cheaper? Really?? You don't have a problem with that? Guy needs a car to get to work but to pay for it he can't afford insurance or tags until the next pay cycle. Should step in and save him or let him take the bus another week?

So the guy overpaid for a gun and has to wait another pay period for ammunition. Like this is an indictment of the Capitalist system? This is how it is supposed to work. If you can't afford it, save up until you can.

There's a huge too-doo in Ohio right now because a few years ago natural gas was deregulated and everyone was allowed to make their own choice for a provider. These term contracts automatically renewed unless the purchaser stepped in and either terminated or renegotiated. And I'm quite certain every contact said: READ THIS BEFORE YOU SIGN HERE.
Thousands of people signed the contracts and promptly forgot about them. The contracts renewed at the older, higher price and now the terms of the old contract are unappealing, but still binding. They're crying "foul" because "they forgot" and now don't want out to be held liable. Let me guess which side of that argument you're on.

 

[blujax01]

... These are not the guys who start auctions at retail and hope for the best -- that's honorable, and I hope they get prices through the roof.

....

So if it starts at $0.99 and consistently sells for $50, that's okay but if the seller sees that $50 is the going rate and starts with a Buy-It-Now of $50 and sells, then the seller is a pig?

Mister, you make no sense.

 

[blujax01]

...
To all the people who "call BS" on someone who buys something in hopes of reselling at a profit, just exactly when do you believe in a free market economy?

Why, when I'm the one with the goods, of course!

Seriously, I'm on your side in this and I'm afraid there are way too many folks on this board who scream "I am not promoting social welfare and resent the implication" yet that is exactly what they are doing. They make comparisons to milk not realizing that the government oversight of the manufacture and distribution of milk is the very definition of a Socialist Program. As it should be.
For the record, I have never sold one round of ammunition but have given plenty away to friends and family. Coughed up a piece of brass or two as well. But I stand firmly on the side of the Capitalist in this, and always will.

God Bless America.