.22 Shortage

[the ringo kid]

Because I'm buying every bit of it that I can until I reach 100,000 rounds!!!!!

Sorry, humor is all I have left to contribute to this conversation as it's been beaten to death. A google search will bring you plenty of insight, speculation, conspiracy theory and production info.

https://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=AgepeHh2dH2W3Qb8Ws7v2lebvZx4?p=.22+ammo+shortage&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-901

Add to it a rumor I just made up, which is: The antis are buying up all the popular rounds so "gun nuts" cant have any.

 

[jimmib]

DOGBONE 1...you can't take the responses personally on these threads...there is no way to tell what direction they are going to go...sometimes you get the answer you want and sometimes it takes off in a direction that doesn't make any sense...took me a long time to figure that out and get thick skinned...also the 22lr ammo has been beat to death and you will get a lot of frustrated answers...find what you can and enjoy your shooting....

 

[DOGBONE1]

DOGBONE 1...you can't take the responses personally on these threads...there is no way to tell what direction they are going to go...sometimes you get the answer you want and sometimes it takes off in a direction that doesn't make any sense...took me a long time to figure that out and get thick skinned...also the 22lr ammo has been beat to death and you will get a lot of frustrated answers...find what you can and enjoy your shooting....

Much appreciated! Thanks

 

[dcxplant]

Take your pick:

-the government is secretly buying it all up
-preppers are stockpiling
-market crashers are going to use as money when the dollar tanks
-nefarious sellers are controlling the outflow of inventory
-people really like shooting it

 

[ladyT]

Well we went from 80 million gun owners to 100 million + gun owners. The advent of AR style 22's and other large capacity 22's

 

[Hack]

I buy it whenever I find it. We as new yorkers are no longer able to buy through online sites unless we have it shipped to an FFL holder.

You live in one of the most beautiful areas of New York.

Too bad the state is controlled by one of the most ugly...

 

[Orgone1]

The night of Sand Hook (a Friday) I stood in my LGS buying up everything in .223 I could find. Cart full of mags. It then hit me...literally as I stood in the aisle...22 I mused, everyone is going to go for .22 once .223 is tapped put. I then bought every single box of .22lr they had. By the next week the frenzy was in full force and .22 has never recovered.

I have 12,000+ of .22 as of today. A marginal amount IMHO.

 

[Kevin8503]

Too many people wearing tin hats...


That being said, I really don't understand the whole "using it as currency" theory. I mean sure, you technically could; but the only people who would buy/trade with you are others with the same caliber weapon, which by looking at everyone around here, probably has their own little stockpile. In other words, I would imagine the pool of people who would give two craps about your ammo would be pretty small...

EDIT: The pool of people who have your caliber, don't have their own little stockpile, and would actually accept ammo as currency.

 

[LTEK]

It has been covered by most of the responses here. .22 "trainers" have become very popular. Many of them have the feel and functionality of their big brothers. I know a few agencies around me that have purchased .22s to train with. This has pros and cons, but everything does. There's nothing perfect for training, you run in to so many variables that there are just to many to list. The .223 shortage was due to the great and immediate increase in the 5.56/.223 rifles that became available and then not soon after they became available there was in many peoples mind the threat of loosing the chance to get them. There is a real threat to gun ownership, don't get me wrong. I also believe that after obtaining so many 5.56/.223 variants people became interested in something "different"....different calibers. I believe I read a article in one of my NRA rifleman magazines about the ammo shortage and it gave a good break down of the numbers of gun owners old and new to the market and then the numbers as to ammo purchases including the infamous "Homeland Security theory". Homeland security has so many agencies under its title such as USCG, Air Marshals etc etc and that is why they were getting such a high 5.56/.223 allocation. The article also had interviews with ammo producers and many of them claimed .22LR fell to the wayside as their plants had retooled and increased shifts on production just to meet the 5.56/.223 demand. As with most things with the AR, give it time it will catch back up. I don't know when, and the scarcity of .22 does make it difficult to shoot as much with my two boys. Patience now days is an uncommon virtue for many of us. Myself regrettably included.

 

[Smitty357]

Pretty simple........Because a .22 round is better than having nothing at all.

Plus if ever a time is needed. They make great varmint hunting weapons. So u can easily take down some food when you need it. Plus they are much more quieter than the bigger calibers. So in survival mode (while hunting food). You shoot the .22lr to harvest ur food and no one around u can pin point where the shot came from (if they can even hear it).

Save the bigger calibers when u need to take down 2 legged creatures that may pose a threat

 

[LVSteve]

It's when I read threads like this I regret that the forum does not offer a "flogging the dead horse" emoticon.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

22LR ammo used to be "stupid cheap" to shoot but not since 2008. All the panic people bought ammo at extremely inflated prices and let the manufacturers know how much some shooters would pay for 22 ammo. Now that brick of 22 ammo that used to cosr $8.99 went to $19.99, then $39.99 and if you're lucky you can find a brick for under $25 but don't hold your breath. Yes it's cheaper than centerfire ammo but it's no longer cheap. (thanks to the panic people)

 

[Smitty357]

A wise man once said. If ever comes a time that u can no longer find .22lr ammo sitting on the shelf at any store. You better go home and clean all of ur guns.

 

[Woodie99]

.22 Million Round Club

I heard there is a club whos entry requires 1 million rounds of a caliber? I thought maybe it was clubs just trying to stock up?

 

[NJM15]

Obsession?

22LR ammo used to be "stupid cheap" to shoot but not since 2008. All the panic people bought ammo at extremely inflated prices and let the manufacturers know how much some shooters would pay for 22 ammo. Now that brick of 22 ammo that used to cosr $8.99 went to $19.99, then $39.99 and if you're lucky you can find a brick for under $25 but don't hold your breath. Yes it's cheaper than centerfire ammo but it's no longer cheap. (thanks to the panic people)

I admit, I buy just for the feeling of finding and purchasing "Thrill of the hunt" I finally said this is going too far , tracking down ammo , waiting in line, calling the day before to ask what's on the manifest and the disappointment of being fourth when only three are available. I don't really need it, I have plenty I only shoot one 22 firearm. I think this may be more of a reason than most people are willing to admit! From now on I will buy only when necessary

 

[Ohsheepdog]

Oh THAT'S why I can't find any 22s...NJM15 bought all of them!

 

[blujax01]

The recent events notwithstanding, even before December 2012, I noticed that there were always a dozen guys with their LegoArms AR's, all decked out like Christmas trees with lights and lasers, bipods and whatnot, spraying a brick downrange as fast as their little booger pickers can yank the trigger. Never mind that at 20 feet, their "pattern" resembled a screen door more than anything else; they were having a ball.

Meantime, I put a round into my Winchester 67, take careful aim, let fly, eject the round, and replace it with another.

There is more than one reason that 22's are in high demand.

 

[traderdell]

You live in one of the most beautiful areas of New York.

Too bad the state is controlled by one of the most ugly...

Thank you and I agree. The saddest part to me is that we have the numbers as gun owners to relegate our governor to a foot note but we are so busy chasing out tails and infighting that it likely won't happen.

 

[rwsmith]

Just plain fun to shoot.

Just about everybody and his brother has a .22 if they just shoot for fun. I can fire 20-30 rounds of center fire rifle cartridges per range trip as opposed to 50-100 rounds with a .22. Light with very little noise and no recoil. And if .22 has gotten expensive and scarce so has anything else. To shoot center fire I HAVE to reload. To shoot .22 I just open a box.

Also, think of how many military pattern rifles are actually chambered in .22lr.

 

[cyphertext]

That being said, I really don't understand the whole "using it as currency" theory. I mean sure, you technically could; but the only people who would buy/trade with you are others with the same caliber weapon, which by looking at everyone around here, probably has their own little stockpile. In other words, I would imagine the pool of people who would give two craps about your ammo would be pretty small...

EDIT: The pool of people who have your caliber, don't have their own little stockpile, and would actually accept ammo as currency.

Really? I have seen people already using it as a currency to trade for other goods and services. In another thread, one guy said he used 1500 rounds to pay for a brake job on his wife's car. Another poster traded .22lr for a scope.

Many folks have .22lr, and many of those folks have a stash of .22lr... but many don't. I never stashed away .22lr when I could go into any local sporting goods store and purchase any amount I wanted on the way to the range. Now that local stores can't keep it on their shelves, I buy it when I can to keep it on mine.