Russian Ammo BANNED

Thin Man said:
Wellll.... listen to this podcast with Charlie Brown, owner of MKS Supply, one of (if not the) largest importers of Russian ammunition in the United States: GUNS Magazine BANNED: Russian Ammo | GMP #95 - GUNS Magazine .
In it he states that Russian ammunition currently makes up 35% of all ammunition sold in the US.
Or perhaps you don't believe him, either.
Whatever. Your choice. ;)

I know for a fact that at the gun shop I work in, steel case ammo sales make up 35% of all ammo sales for us easily.
Click to expand...

First off: Charley is a guy who works for Barnaul and will be profiteering from any increase in prices from a perceived shortage. Barnaul still manufacturers their ammo in Russia. They are one of the few. But if you listen to him, even he says that they still have form 6's that will be honored. So the immediate impact will be small. So if you want to believe this guy, go for it. But remember, he is a salesman.

Second: I think he misspoke when he said that 35% of ammo sales is from Russia. I think he meant to say that 35% of ammo sold is steel. I don't really believe that but even if he's right, not all steel ammo comes from Russia. In fact, since 2009, very little of it comes from Russia. It comes from Croatia, Poland, Philippines, Taiwan, Ukraine, Bosnia and probably a dozen other places including the US. NONE OF WHICH ARE AFFECTED BY THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER! So yes, you might have some problems getting Barnaul ammo AT SOME POINT. "We're still bringing in ammo. We just don't know how much we will be able to bring in in the future." Translation: "Run out and buy as much Barnaul ammo as you can find at our greatly inflated price because, you know, we don't know how much we will be able to get in the future!"

Third: I'm not going to get into it too much because it's not what this thread is about but he spent half of the blog telling us how great steel ammo is compared to brass. Who uses steel because it's "better" than brass? You use steel because it CHEAPER than brass. This guy is a used car salesman.

Now you say 35% of ammo sales at your gun shop is steel. Do you think that might be because 35% of the ammo you stock is steel?

I don't know anything more than anyone else does, but this whole Russian ammo panic has a bit of a stink about it. I'm thinking we might be getting just a little scammed. Now if you want to buy into it, good luck. I'm going to take off my foil hat and call Bravo Sierra on the whole stink show!
 
Well, as you like it.

I gave you a reliable industry source as well as my own experience (which I can, without ego, describe as "not insubstantial"), but clearly you know more than anyone else can tell you, so... your choice. And you must have really skimmed that podcast, because your conclusions are clearly being colored by your own opinion. No offense.

I'm curious; what exactly are all these brands of steel case ammunition that comes from "Croatia, Poland, Philippines, Taiwan, Ukraine, Bosnia" because in 30 plus years of buying selling and using this ammo I've never seen it.
Armscor from the Philippines and PPU from Serbia are brass, some S&B from the Czech Republic is steel, sure, but in extremely limited quantities in the US compared to Russian manufacture. WYTWÓRNIA AMUNICJI GROM from poland is brass as well as, and rarely seen here. Taiwanese surplus was brass and dried up a decade or more ago. PMC from Korea? Brass.

The Wolf ammo that came from the plant in Ukraine was in disputed territory that is now... wait for it... Russian. As are Barnaul, Tula, Golden Bear, Golden Tiger, Brown Bear, Silver Bear, and the Herters brand made for Cabelas.

What you're not grasping is the sheer manufacturing capability that The Russian Federation has in terms of steel case ammunition that was left over from the cold war and modernized as demand across the world increased, as well as exactly how much of that ammunition is in use here in the United States.

And trust me, the shop in which I work stocks WAY more brass cased ammunition than steel cased. I'm always amazed at the sales disparity, but inexpensive things sell. Just ask the Chinese.

But, hey, what do I know? As the kids say, "you do you".
 
Last edited:
Thin Man said:
Well, as you like it.

I gave you a reliable industry source as well as my own experience (which I can, without ego, describe as "not insubstantial"), but clearly you know more than anyone else can tell you, so... your choice. And you must have really skimmed that podcast, because your conclusions are clearly being colored by your own opinion. No offense.
Click to expand...

I listened to enough of that podcast to hear Charley tell us that Barnaul was still importing ammo and would be until the form 6's were exhausted. They usually run for 2 years but who knows. It sounds like he was caught by surprise by this, which is contrary to other interviews I have seen which said that this action was anticipated.

Wolf gets most of their ammo from Taiwan right now but I'm sure that they contract with whoever gives them the best deal. I know that their rimfire ammo is, or was, made in Germany. I'm not sure where they get it now. They stopped getting ammo from Russia in 2009 when they dissolved their affiliation with the Tula arsenal.

Red Army Standard ammo comes from Bosnia, Poland, Romania, Ukraine (Whatever their status is). Lots of that manufacturing capacity you talk about existed in Soviet satellites and was left behind when the USSR folded.

There is also PPU in Serbia who has made ammo for all of them at one time or another.

They are all still in business and still importing ammo as fast as they can get containers to ship it here.


That last YouTube video was way better than the Army guy by the way!
 
Last edited:
Not to hijack the thread, but this is a very good video.
So after viewing this, I think I will just stay quiet now.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJhvjaTIQ28[/ame]
 
The patriotic thing to do is to Buy American. I won't buy anything that is Russian, or has a Russian brand name, including vodka.
 
Accurate Reloads on the Cheap

This situation has its pros and cons. I have never
bought Russian ammo and probably never will.

The funny thing is I have .223 steel (not rusted
nice condition) found on the ground that I
reload the same as brass.

Turns out the steel reloads are some of my
most very accurate in my AR15. I reserved
these for my best reloads.
 
Question - I have not read this thread all the way thru (it gives me a headache), but is this ammo sanction just for ammo made in Russia, or is it directed at the Russian manufacturers themselves, regardless of where they subcontract to have the ammo made? Makes a difference...

Larry
 
cmj8591 said:
Hurry! Cash in your kids college fund and buy steel case, Russian ammo. We're never going to be able to get it again in our life times!

Can anyone tell me, accurately, not some internet blog nonsense, how much ammo sold in the US is actually MADE in Russia? I know that the stuff that comes in a Wolf box is made all over the planet, not just in Russia. I'm guessing that the others do the same thing and source their ammo from wherever they can get it the cheapest. The other thing is that this isn't going to have an effect for two years. This whole thing is just political eyewash! The only shortages and price increases that take place are the ones we are going to create ourselves. This isn't like the interruption in the supply chain we are going through where things are actually not available. This is just a change in where the stuff comes from. It might be as simple as printing "Made in Poland" on the box. This is Tula having to ship their ammo to the Philippines where it gets packaged up and shipped to the US. Calm down! The people who sell this stuff are not going to let this put them out of business.
Click to expand...

Prices on steel case 7.62x39 are already going up. Watch the ammo bot sites if you don't believe me. It isn't the customers that are causing that because there isn't a shortage of steel case ammo right now. The price increase is from dealers and distributors getting ready for the stick it to consumers for ammo they already have in the warehouse.
 
Last edited:
LostintheOzone said:
Prices on steel case 7.62x39 are already going up. Watch the ammo bot sites if you don't believe me. It isn't the customers that are causing that because there isn't a shortage of steel case ammo right now. The price increase is from dealers and distributors getting ready for the stick it to consumers for ammo they already have in the warehouse.
Click to expand...

It won't affect the amount of ammo coming into the US immediately. Of course they will use this ban thing to jack up the prices. That's a given. It's no different than having to pay 10 cents a gallon more for gas today than you did yesterday because there was a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. It's the same principal of using perception to create demand and drive price.
 
AJ said:
A long time ago I had a couple of Russian 91/30's (sniper and straight rifle) and a 44. We had steel ammo and had trouble extracting the spent steel cased ammo. Tried polishing the chambers and cleaning the ammo, no joy. Switched to brass cases and they got better. Sold them as interests were elsewhere. Bought a NIB SKS for $100 about five years ago and picked up 2K of brass cased 7.62 X 39 and it all sets in the back of my gun cabinet (for a rainy day).

Since the importation ban is a moot point now. There is not much we can do about it. I hate to say that, but that is where it is at. Hopefully the Serbs or someone picks up the slack for folks.
Click to expand...

I have several Russian and Finn Mosins. Some are battle tested
rough ones, and others are reworked. I even have 2 NOS that are in awesome condition. Back when Century sold u-fix-ems for $19 I bought a whole bunch with an 03 FFL, most being sold after sorting out the good ones. Also at that time spam cans of steel cased Mosin ammo sold for pennies a round.

Short story long, the surplus steel ammo worked for me 100% when used in the rifles for which they were intended. I still take the old relics out a couple times a year and still no problems.

Boy the days of a $19 rifle are long gone....
 
People nowadays would rather make money from manipulating prices and markets, instead of being productive. To some of these folks, there is never a bad market panic, even if it is based on outright lies, fibs, or exaggerations.

it does not matter if the sanctions will dry up steel case ammunition. All that matters is if people perceive there is going to be a shortage and act accordingly. Panic buying on an already dry market will just make sure the drought cannot get better. And that was the whole point, now wasn't it?
 
Russian Ammo Ban

When does this go into effect, and those of you using Russian made ammo, what is the plan going forward?
 
Last edited:
From what I've read, it only says no NEW import licenses would be granted so existing licensed importation would continue. But I could be wrong.
 
Much ado about almost nothing.

  1. Existing import licenses will remain in force. They are good for 2 years.
  2. Much of the "Russian" ammunition is not manufactured in Russia.

There is already a thread about this:

Russian Ammo BANNED
 
Been offline dealing with Hurricane Ida for the past few days, let me just state for the record: having the power back up is great. Had a generator going, absolutely can't see us moving from fossil fuel to batteries anytime soon. If the grid is down, you're hamstrung. Without gas generators, we'd have been living in the 1800's.

Now, re the ban- it's clearly a swipe at a particular class of firearms. Remove cheap 9mm from the equation, as most of us don't use it much.

AK owners absolutely do use Russian steel x39, and a lot of it. This is a potent midsize rifle round, being bought and used IN BULK, by guys who own a rifle not renowned for it's accuracy or precision, but because of it's durability and reliability. The potential mayhem an AK can do dwarfs what a 9mm can do... and that's the closest caliber in price range.

I'd wager that this has always bothered anti's, and likely a lot in government. They aren't as concerned with SKS's, but the AK is something that scares the daylights out of them. Outside of SWAT teams, the local PD is at risk of being severely outgunned.
I suspect this is merely a 'reasonable excuse' to limit the flow of ammo for that platform.

We will likely see a similar move on .223, if they can find a way to do so.
 
Oldsalt66 said:
Here's one:

Russian Ammunition Imports Halted, May Send Demand, Prices a

Absolutely no reason for rejoicing over higher prices and limited availability due to shortages.
Click to expand...

kbm6893 said:
If Russian ammo accounts for 30-40% of ammo bought then it seems to me non Russian manufactures can make a killing by stepping into the void. We always hear about them not wanting to invest in more production if the demand isn’t going to be permanent, but with this Russian issue seems like the demand isn’t going to go away.

There’s a major demand for the product. Time to ramp up production.
Click to expand...

cmj8591 said:
Hurry! Cash in your kids college fund and buy steel case, Russian ammo. We're never going to be able to get it again in our life times!

Can anyone tell me, accurately, not some internet blog nonsense, how much ammo sold in the US is actually MADE in Russia? I know that the stuff that comes in a Wolf box is made all over the planet, not just in Russia. I'm guessing that the others do the same thing and source their ammo from wherever they can get it the cheapest. The other thing is that this isn't going to have an effect for two years. This whole thing is just political eyewash! The only shortages and price increases that take place are the ones we are going to create ourselves. This isn't like the interruption in the supply chain we are going through where things are actually not available. This is just a change in where the stuff comes from. It might be as simple as printing "Made in Poland" on the box. This is Tula having to ship their ammo to the Philippines where it gets packaged up and shipped to the US. Calm down! The people who sell this stuff are not going to let this put them out of business.
Click to expand...

cmj8591 said:
Vladimir, is that you?

I don't know about the veracity of Gun Digest when it comes to world economics but I find it hard to believe that 40% of the ammo sold in the US is made in Russia. That seems like hyperbole to me. For what it's worth, most of the ammo produced by Wolf comes from outside Russia. Most of Red Army Standard is produced in Bosnia and Poland. Barnaul is still mostly produced in Russia but I don't see them producing anywhere near 40% of the US consumption. Perception is reality but reality is not always perception.
Click to expand...

Thin Man said:
Wellll.... listen to this podcast with Charlie Brown, owner of MKS Supply, one of (if not the) largest importers of Russian ammunition in the United States: GUNS Magazine BANNED: Russian Ammo | GMP #95 - GUNS Magazine .
In it he states that Russian ammunition currently makes up 35% of all ammunition sold in the US.
Or perhaps you don't believe him, either.
Whatever. Your choice. ;)

I know for a fact that at the gun shop I work in, steel case ammo sales make up 35% of all ammo sales for us easily.
Click to expand...

40%???

Well, here's an analysis by a source that presumably does NOT have a self-interest in creating a panic buying market (Chief Economist Jurgen Brauer of Small Arms Analytics):

Breaking Down The Biden-Russian Ammunition Ban With Real Numbers


“Russia has been the U.S.’s largest external ammunition supplier for 16 years running,” Brauer told AmmoLand News.

“While the total number of rounds in the U.S. market is not known, it is likely that Russia supplies about 5% of the U.S. market. The impact will not be immediate as the U.S. Customs and Border Protection service apparently will honor existing import permits even if shipments arrive after the U.S. deadline.

“Despite the circumstances, it is perhaps helpful for U.S. shooters to learn that a very substantial part of U.S. ammunition supplies, or parts thereof, come from overseas. After Russia, the next four top suppliers in 2020 were Italy, Mexico, Turkey, and Germany.”
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

P
44 Russian ammo question...
2
Replies
26
Views
2K
unspellable
U
S
44 Russian and 44/40
Replies
9
Views
802
iby
I
bobsguns
BATFE loses in court
Replies
19
Views
1K
SlamFire
S
S
S&W DA New Frontier 44 Russian trigger guard
Replies
5
Views
157
Steve Dee
S
mojave30cal
7.62 X 39 AK-47 ammo corrosive?
2
Replies
23
Views
2K
Fishinfool
Fishinfool

Latest posts

Back
Top