Ammo everywhere

[Kevin J.]

It’s all very similar to gasoline. Plenty available but at twice the cost. Speciality less used blends (calibers) like 92 octane at a premium rate.

 

[raljr1]

I was in an Academy store in Jacksonville recently and they had a pretty good stock of ammo. Cheap 9mm at $18. Other prices not outrageous, but not great. I have very little need right now so I didn't buy anything.

 

[max503]

Some of the Rural King stores around here look like ammo warehouses, but yes, the prices are up.

 

[teletech]

This looks like a good analysis of the current situation with some prediction of the near future:
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjDnEV5_YUI[/ame]

Decent size dealer says he can get all the 9mm he wants and could sell at $20/box.

 

[boykinlp]

32acp is like finding hens teeth. I use it for plinking mostly but have now gone to 9mm as it is abundant.

Haven't seen much 32acp ammo for sale either. Saw some last week for $38.99 for 50 rounds. I figure since this and other surplus gun ammo is not as popular as 9mm, it may be a long while before it is available. I was surprised to find some Makrov ammo for a kinda decent price today.
Larry

 

[pasound]

I regularly reload .38, .357. .44 spl, .44 mag, and .45ACP. I have lots of bullets, powder, and cases, but nowhere near enough primers. I have the dies, bullets, powder, and primers for .223 and .30-30, but need to shoot up a lot of factory to get cases. Odd powders I've never tried before show up, and I now have a few. Cost too much, but that's FFL fees ATM. Most are better than my old "tried and true". New technology.

Primers. That's the biggest shortage.

 

[tops]

A local gun shop is advertising Fiocchi 115 gr. 9m/m for $319.80 per case. Limit 1 a day. That's the best price I've seen in a while. Larry

 

[oneeyedpete]

I never reloaded pistol rounds in the past as they were plentiful and relatively cheap. When the pandemic began, I suspected we would have shortages so I bought dies for 9mm and .38/357 Mag and laid in some bullets, powder and primers. Fortunately, while pistol primers were hard to find, I could use small rifle primers that I had stashed away. Large rifle primers are still unobtanium so I limit most of my rifle shooting to rimfire and .223. Once primer become more available and prices moderate I plan to get a bunch. This all has the looks of repeating itself in the future given the political world we live in.

 

[Billylee]

Stopped at local Walmart this morning. Lots of handgun and rifle ammo. Scored two boxes (limit) 38 spl 158 grn swc, $23.00@. About 8 kinds of 22 lr, lots of 223 and 308, even some 30-30. Not a great selection of shotgun offerings. The guy who is the regular counter person at the ammo desk said the distributor told them 357 and 45 lc would be available by the end of the month…no mention of prices though. Looks promising.

 

[quikdraw67]

Stopped at local Walmart this morning. Lots of handgun and rifle ammo. Scored two boxes (limit) 38 spl 158 grn swc, $23.00@. About 8 kinds of 22 lr, lots of 223 and 308, even some 30-30. Not a great selection of shotgun offerings. The guy who is the regular counter person at the ammo desk said the distributor told them 357 and 45 lc would be available by the end of the month…no mention of prices though. Looks promising.

Where are you located?

 

[Greyman50]

Checked Cabella’s in Savannah today. Shelves were full of 9 mm,223/5.56, 308, 22’s, even 32 ACPs and few boxes of 45 ACP. They even had big boxes of 22 Mag.

 

[cmj8591]

I think, the point is that there's no REAL shortage, just a contrived shortage to drive up the prices...Like Ruger 22 says, there's plenty of ammo in upstate NY as long as you don;t mind paying about 3X the price that we paid before the fake shortage. Who thinks that $19.99 for 9mm, $34.99 for 38 Special and $44.99 for 357 Magnum should be considered a "good price". Only two years ago, I paid $9.00 for a box of 9mm. Yup, there is, indeed, PLENTY of ammo if you don't mind getting "hosed" at the cash register.
I'll pass thanks.
J.

Unfortunately these days, if we adopt the "I'll pass, thanks" position, we'll be passing on everything. Including food!

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Just because you see Ammo where ever you are don’t translate into Ammo everywhere.
Thur I went to Cabelas and the Warehouse.
Still no 38 Special or 357.
Plenty of 223-5.56, 9mm and others.
The prices seem to be edging back up.

 

[ggibson511960]

Contrived??

I think, the point is that there's no REAL shortage, just a contrived shortage to drive up the prices...Like Ruger 22 says, there's plenty of ammo in upstate NY as long as you don;t mind paying about 3X the price that we paid before the fake shortage. Who thinks that $19.99 for 9mm, $34.99 for 38 Special and $44.99 for 357 Magnum should be considered a "good price". Only two years ago, I paid $9.00 for a box of 9mm. Yup, there is, indeed, PLENTY of ammo if you don't mind getting "hosed" at the cash register.
I'll pass thanks.
J.

Everyone is frustrated and saddened at the scarcity and expense of components, but the growing prevalence of conspiracy theories is disheartening. It reminds me of the tales of oil companies dumping tank truck loads of gasoline in the desert at night. I don't want to make excuses or defend what manufacturers, distributors, retailers and scalpers are doing, but for the life of me I cannot fathom how anyone could contrive a shortage. Covid, urban unrest and a new administration drove millions to buy guns and the economy reacted. As availability increases and prices come down will the theorist contrive an explanation at odds with the laws of supply and demand? Let's face it, we are all part of the problem. Count the number of stories here where the writer tells us all how shrewd he is to have "stocked up". There is no answer except to calm down, shoot less, and be less paranoid about the world, if that's possible.

 

[Dave Lively]

Let's face it, we are all part of the problem. Count the number of stories here where the writer tells us all how shrewd he is to have "stocked up".

I completely agree with you about the conspiracy theories.

But stocking up when prices are low and not buying when prices are high reduces the impact of wild swings in demand, it doesn't make things worse.

If stockpilers hadn't been buying a lot of ammo a few years back when ammo was cheap ammo makers might have decided to get out of the business or cut costs by reducing their production capacity to meet reduced demand. Importers might have decided it was not worth the hassle to start selling in the US market. So supply would be even more restricted and prices would be higher today.

And if everyone shooting from their stockpile was instead buying ammo demand would be even higher today. And so would prices.

Stocking up a few years ago when prices were low was a shrewd thing to do. Ammo was everywhere and inexpensive so it didn't hurt anyone else then. And it is certainly not making ammo more expensive today.

 

[llowry61]

I have been getting emails from LGS about "flash Sales" 9MM at 15.99 a box, can't recall the other pricing but most common calibers are available at inflated "Flash Sale" prices. Once they become warehouses for the manufacturers, they will move this stuff.

Availability continues to improve. I remain patient.

I would like to shoot some sporting clays, but I will not pay the prices they are charging for the 12G target loads.

 

[Frailer]

…If stockpilers hadn't been buying a lot of ammo a few years back when ammo was cheap ammo makers might have decided to get out of the business or cut costs by reducing their production capacity to meet reduced demand. Importers might have decided it was not worth the hassle to start selling in the US market. So supply would be even more restricted and prices would be higher today.

And if everyone shooting from their stockpile was instead buying ammo demand would be even higher today. And so would prices.

Stocking up a few years ago when prices were low was a shrewd thing to do. Ammo was everywhere and inexpensive so it didn't hurt anyone else then. And it is certainly not making ammo more expensive today.

As someone who practices the “buy it cheap, stack it deep” principle, I’m probably biased, but I agree with you.

I bought ammo for the first time in over two years this past week, two bricks of .22 at pre-pandemic pricing. I may start buying 9mm again when it drops back down to <$250/case. Which—despite the doomsayers—I feel confident it will.

 

[wood714]

I bought a 1000 rounds of CCI Blazer Brass 124gr 9mm on March 29th for $356 shipped.

Not good, but way better than a couple years ago or so. I bet people were buying this stuff too!

 

[54ball]

Any .32-20s?

 

[smithra_66]

I think, the point is that there's no REAL shortage, just a contrived shortage to drive up the prices...Like Ruger 22 says, there's plenty of ammo in upstate NY as long as you don;t mind paying about 3X the price that we paid before the fake shortage. Who thinks that $19.99 for 9mm, $34.99 for 38 Special and $44.99 for 357 Magnum should be considered a "good price". Only two years ago, I paid $9.00 for a box of 9mm. Yup, there is, indeed, PLENTY of ammo if you don't mind getting "hosed" at the cash register.
I'll pass thanks.
J.

This makes no sense though if you understand economics. If you just simply jack up the price to the point that the market won't bear it, you'll make LESS money.

Also, sometimes lowering the price and selling more units allows you to make more money than raising prices.

None of this is a conspiracy. It's simply supply and demand and a market that is self-correcting and leveling off now.

What you paid 2 years ago means nothing. There is only what the market will currently bear, and what it will not.

Currently, and at current prices, ammo is flying off the shelves. When that starts to subside, prices will come down, and vice versa.