Ammo shortage of 94?
- Thread starter bob1981
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It wasn't ammo back then, just primers. They were all but impossible to find. I don't remember the prices going as high though. A lot of us learned then to always "be prepared."
Erich
Member
No, what's happening now is pretty interesting - a much better show. As in '94, however, I was adequately stocked and am just enjoying the show from the sidelines. I expect it'll calm down here soon enough.
The Great Primer Scare was something, though: I know fellas here who are still using up primers that they set aside back then.
VAdoublegunner
Member
I'm with Erich, I watched the whole thing with some amusement then, same as now. Unless the Apocalypse breaks out, I'm good to go for a while.
GatorFarmer
Member
There were several shortages that took place around that time, some of which predated '94. There was a drought of 7.62x39mm caused by the abrupt shut off of cheap Chicom ammo - it took a bit for sufficient supplies of Russian, Finn, etc ammo to come in. There was also a shortage of JHP personal defense ammo caused by Metzenbaum's idea to have a 10,000 percent tax, or some such number, on ammo as well as statements that JHPs might be banned.
The primer scare was partially caused by rumors that ammunition was being date coded to go bad after a certain time.
Linda Thompson, of Waco conspiracy fame, was spreading some of these rumors at the time. She also said that reflective dots on the back of road signs were to help guide UN occupation convoys, and that the then new show "The Xfiles" was based on real NSA files. She also said that I was working for the CIA to discredit her when I argued with her.
Anyway... The shortages that took place from circa '92 to '94 were not as severe as the current one and did not involve all calibers the way things now are being hit.
Keep in mind that ARs still weren't that common in '94, nor even were AKs and the lot.
The depression (little d, for now) going on now, as well as the problems with Mexico, and now the spreading of a plague are all going to influence the shortage. However certain calibers, particularly military ones, were already getting hard to get and pricey as far back as 2006. I had to hunt around to stock up on 5.56mm back then.
In '94 you wouldn't have had to go to a Walmart and see bone empty shelves, pay 70 bucks for .380 ammo, or have to pause to ponder about when the last time you saw some .38 ammo on a shelf.
The primer scare was partially caused by rumors that ammunition was being date coded to go bad after a certain time.
Linda Thompson, of Waco conspiracy fame, was spreading some of these rumors at the time. She also said that reflective dots on the back of road signs were to help guide UN occupation convoys, and that the then new show "The Xfiles" was based on real NSA files. She also said that I was working for the CIA to discredit her when I argued with her.
Anyway... The shortages that took place from circa '92 to '94 were not as severe as the current one and did not involve all calibers the way things now are being hit.
Keep in mind that ARs still weren't that common in '94, nor even were AKs and the lot.
The depression (little d, for now) going on now, as well as the problems with Mexico, and now the spreading of a plague are all going to influence the shortage. However certain calibers, particularly military ones, were already getting hard to get and pricey as far back as 2006. I had to hunt around to stock up on 5.56mm back then.
In '94 you wouldn't have had to go to a Walmart and see bone empty shelves, pay 70 bucks for .380 ammo, or have to pause to ponder about when the last time you saw some .38 ammo on a shelf.
SWID
SWCA Memebr
I think the real problem in '94 was primers, they went from under ten bucks a thousand to around thirty, and it didn't take long. As Gatorfarmer said there was an attempt by the gun phobes to have them expire after a time. That went nowhere but people panicked. As a reloader that was what concerned me. I now have enough primers that my son will have to use a truck to take them away when I croak.
I went to the Reno gun show last weekend and people were hauling ammo out on hand carts. I bet you that next year it will be very available on Craigslist.
I went to the Reno gun show last weekend and people were hauling ammo out on hand carts. I bet you that next year it will be very available on Craigslist.
rburg
Member
I seem to remember the price surge, and me just swallowing any pride I might have had. I blew a huge chunk of change, probably $150 and bought over 10,000 primers. I'm thinking some of the benchrest primers down in the powder magazine are from that era.
Jack Flash
Member
It's hard to believe that it was 15 years ago. I remember it well.
Before the run on primers, I had luckily bought enough in bulk that I was pretty well stocked.
After the panic subsided, I made sure to restock, and then some.
Right now, I am buying when I see a good deal. You see a lot of odd-ball stuff for reasonable prices, but it may be awhile before that's true of popular ammunition / components.
Before the run on primers, I had luckily bought enough in bulk that I was pretty well stocked.
After the panic subsided, I made sure to restock, and then some.
Right now, I am buying when I see a good deal. You see a lot of odd-ball stuff for reasonable prices, but it may be awhile before that's true of popular ammunition / components.
Landpimp
Member
I know a guy that stocked up in 93-94....now he is too old to move it all
oldRoger
US Veteran
For those with really long memories, I think we were also having supply problems back in the 60’s when Congress was discussing the original gun control act (68), prompted by the RFK & MLK assassinations, that bill had been languishing since after JFK was killed.
The shortages in the early 90’s coincided with the passage of the Brady Bill (94).
Evidently we stock-up when we see problems coming, sort of like Hurricane Preparation here in Florida.
Now of course we have the internet which tells us that it’s not just our local shop it’s country wide. Way to really put a scare into an old guy.
To add to the current problem, I suspect that many of us let our supplies drop during the 2002-2007 period because of the price escalations. The price increases were to a degree justified by material price increases most notably lead and brass. That of course was brought about by the housing bubble.
I suspect many of us are cynics about government, we expect that the progressives are waiting for the right tragedy to ram through a nasty control measure.
You know what? Considering who is in charge both in Congress and the White House, a little panic might be in order.
The shortages in the early 90’s coincided with the passage of the Brady Bill (94).
Evidently we stock-up when we see problems coming, sort of like Hurricane Preparation here in Florida.
Now of course we have the internet which tells us that it’s not just our local shop it’s country wide. Way to really put a scare into an old guy.
To add to the current problem, I suspect that many of us let our supplies drop during the 2002-2007 period because of the price escalations. The price increases were to a degree justified by material price increases most notably lead and brass. That of course was brought about by the housing bubble.
I suspect many of us are cynics about government, we expect that the progressives are waiting for the right tragedy to ram through a nasty control measure.
You know what? Considering who is in charge both in Congress and the White House, a little panic might be in order.
Andy Griffith
Member
I wonder if there was a run on firearms and ammunition before the Roosevelt's 1934 GCA went into effect? (I love blaming things on the 2nd Roosevelt!
)
I don't remember much about the GCA of 1968...
Unfortunately, I wasn't paying attention to such things when I was younger...I was primarily concerned with...females.
I don't remember much about the GCA of 1968...
Unfortunately, I wasn't paying attention to such things when I was younger...I was primarily concerned with...females.
45Wheelgun
Member
What ever happened to that crazy lady? I always enjoyed reading her off the wall nonsense.
Is she enjoying her golden years in a rubber room?
Jack Flash
Member
A little panic before November, 2008, might have been more appropriate.
I remember the primer prices of the 90's well. The price increase was mostly all dealer price increase not distributor. We were fortunate to have a dealer locally that never raised his prices. He had problems for awhile getting them, but never charged greater than $12 to $13 p/1000. That's why we all kept going back to him to buy guns, because he treated everyone fair.
GatorFarmer
Member
That's a good question. I honestly don't know. You'd think that she'd have been on hand for 9/11 conspiracies - and maybe she was, I didn't keep track of those.
Wiki lists here as last active in the late 90s http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linda_Thompson_(attorney) . Maybe the CIA/UN/Reptoids finally got her.
Huh?
GatorFarmer
Member
Originally posted by G-Mac:
Huh?
More people own AR15s, AK clones, and what not these days compared to 1994. The AR15 was not yet "America's rifle" in the early '90s. Thus demand for "military" calibers is going to be higher now than it was in 1994.
jrm53
Member
The folks in Arkansas started buying in Jan 93 even before Billy took office Primers wernt to scarce in Jan of 93 but I made a gunshow the first week in Jan. and everybody was buying.
ACP230
Member
I rode out the primer scare of '94.
In late '92, or early '93, I found a deal on Remington primers. A shooting buddy and I bought a bunch at $9 per thousand.
When I used mine up I switched to Winchester pistol primers. Still have quite a few of them around, mostly because I haven't been reloading as much as I once did.
In late '92, or early '93, I found a deal on Remington primers. A shooting buddy and I bought a bunch at $9 per thousand.
When I used mine up I switched to Winchester pistol primers. Still have quite a few of them around, mostly because I haven't been reloading as much as I once did.
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Searching the web for info on how long previous ammo shortages lasted, I found this in the way back machine.My how prophetic you were...
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