Ammo shortage...Out of hand

If it were me, I'd sell two boxes to each customer, explaining why, and try to order more if I could. At least this way, several people could have something to shoot for the week.

Small businesses need to be as accomodating to their customer base as possible. It's the personal service that sets them apart from the Big Box Stores.
 
So you figure this Gun Shop owner is supposed to sit there with a case of ammo on his shelf and tell his customer that they can't buy more than one or two boxes of ammo because they need to share???

I suppose that the Gas stations need to start only letting you buy two gallons of gas at a time, too. And the Grocery stores need to only sell you two eggs because that is your share!!!

It's clear that neither you nor Dick have ever been in business before. You both want to force a store owner to do something that goes against the basics of Free Enterprise!!!

If I have a Customer and he wants all of anything I have to sell, and can pay the price, well, I'm going to sell it to him.

I don't have any plans on becoming a Democrat or a Socialist for you or anybody else!!!
 
It's gonna be ok KKG. Government education has had the last 100 years to mislead people about the "evils" of capitalism. It's gonna take time to reeducate them . . . one person at a time.

If Perdue had allowed gas stations to charge whatever they wanted for a price of gas in Atlanta last summer, we would not have had more than a week of gas shortages. Instead we had the better part of 3 to 4 weeks of gasoline lines.
 
I'm beginning to wonder if there is a real shortage of ammunition or just a shortage at the prices people want to pay. The local Dick's Sporting Goods has a good supply of all common calibers, and my local sporting goods dealer does not seem to have a problem getting ammunition either. However, I do not see any cheap military surplus ammunition around or even available online.
 
I think the case of Dick's is just gun owners being lazy . . . they don't want to have to lug two cases of 9mm down two escalators, across the first floor and out in to the parking lot . . .
 
I've never owned or worked in a gun store but I did spend some time working in retail sales management. I understand what you're saying Mike but I think there could be some merit to placing some kind of limit, per person, on items with limited availability if only to get more customers into my store. 1 customer buying 9 boxes of ammo = 1 happy customer likely (hopefully) to return. 9 customers buying 1 box each = 9 customers likely to return. If you don't get them into the store you can't sell them your other merchandise.
 
not only in short supply, but getting higher priced too- i find i shoot a ;lot more 22 now-
 
Originally posted by KKG:
It's clear that neither you nor Dick have ever been in business before.

I think both Dick and Barb have made very valid points. Your 'point of view' kkg, is more from a walmart standpoint. There is a difference between small business and big business. When you have a small business, like many gun shops, you have to have things to sell people who come to your store, and give them quality service or next time they will go somewhere else. There are too many options out there these days for people to be stuck with the closest store...as Dick pointed out, there is always a walmart close by.

This owner clearly has difficulty getting ammo, specifically to this thread 9mm, did he make his money...yes...what about everyone coming to him for the same thing. Maybe you wouldn't put a minimum on something that you 'might' sell...but these days if you have ammo, it's gonna sell.

Walmart doesn't care who buys their stuff, but people who run small businesses rely on creating good relationships with people. I don't think anyone was trying to convert 'you' into being a socialist..I don't recall anyone referencing you at all, wallstreet.

spearcrow again!
 
A small business gun shop owner should have his finger on the pulse of local demand. His livelihood depends on getting cases of ammo to all his customers who want them. By now he should have ordered massive quantities of ammo, and added additional brands to make up for shortages of the usual brands and types. Some stores are doing it right and can at least offer something to fulfill customer needs. Others are ordering by the old rules and losing business. Customers will be at least as disappointed to be prevented from buying ammo they see on the shelf as they would be to find an empty shelf, and rationing is bound to result in disgruntled customers.
 
Thank goodness we live in a country that is relatively free. That may be changing, but in the mean time, a business owner has the choice to sell or ration. His choices will eventually dictate whether he stays in business or not. I don't care if the business sells me all the ammo they have or one box. If I don't like it, I am free to do business elsewhere..........To each their own.
 
Careby, your solution seems logical...everyone go out and by massive quantities of ammo. The problem is, everyone has been buying massive quantities of ammo for too long. Now everything is back ordered or otherwise unavailable.

At the least, we are securing the jobs of a lot of factory workers out there, which is good.
 
Originally posted by rburg:
If he'd limited the first buyer to a more reasonable quantity, there might be a box or two left over. But the proprietor did just what Wally World does, he sold the product to the first guy who tendered the cash.

He's in business to make money. If I'm selling something at a set price, and someone wants to buy all of it that I have in stock, who am I to argue?

It's not a question of moral high ground, it's a business decision. If he *didn't* sell the entire lot to that customer, he has no guarantee that the remaining ammo won't sit on the shelf for the next three years. Inventory costs money.

If I was waiting for some ammo, and my shop knew it, maybe even offered to call me - and then sold it out from under me? Then I'd be upset. As is, the guy is trying to keep his doors open... I can't hate him for that.
 
I'd like to know who bought up all the .38 S&W (not special) recently. Took me a bit to track some down. Dark days indeed when everyone is stacking away shells for their old topbreak. Oh wait, that's what I was doing.

Anyway, if you're worried about it, just buy more guns. That way you have something in every caliber that you might turn up. No .38 Special left? No problem, there's some .45 ACP on the shelf, ooh and there's some .357 Sig...
 
Originally posted by KKG:
If I have a Customer and he wants all of anything I have to sell, and can pay the price, well, I'm going to sell it to him.

You had better hope he is a HELL of a good customer.If you were in my part of the Country and put the screws to customers of 10, 15, 20+ years and sold it all to one person you would be down to that one so called customer!
 
A “case” of 9mm doesn’t amount to much ammo, or much money.

If I walked into any shop or store and there were 500 or 1000 rounds of 9mm and I wanted it all, it would seem flat out weird for the store to ration me to something less than that. Now if one guy bought the whole pallet that hit the store we might have something to talk about.

Now I’m glad I saw it coming well enough to stock up some on ammo, but I sure don’t have a lifetimes supply.

Emory
 
Originally posted by GatorFarmer:
Anyway, if you're worried about it, just buy more guns. That way you have something in every caliber that you might turn up. No .38 Special left? No problem, there's some .45 ACP on the shelf, ooh and there's some .357 Sig...
Somehow that doesn't sound as crazy as it might have a year ago.
 
"In less than a year, those days are gone."

It's only temporary. In a couple of months folks are going to concern themselves w/summer activities that don't include continued spending on stockpiling even more over-priced ammo. The shortage now is a direct result of political upheaval and grown men acting like spoiled brats.
The NRA, gun rags and the chosen ones, (the 25% of the general population being gun owners), have decided to throw a hissy fit coz their guy didn't get in office. The NRA, gun rags and the chosen one's preached loud n long from the pulpit on how the end of the world was near if their guy didn't obtain the election. Well, not enough wanted the old, white guy living in Az. that had been leap-frogged by his party on numerous occasions. Rather than deal w/opposing party's choice they hatched a brilliant plan. We'll preach more gloom n doom, buy as much as we can of ammo while laughing how OB is the greatest ammo salesman of all time. We'll convince everyone how the end is near and start a stampede of all the fear stricken sheeple. Forget about being part of the solution, we're gonna buy all the marbles we can and contribute to the problem @ hand. Now that you've contributed to this false sense of worth the folks are buying ammo like commodity brokers. How typical that you don't take the credit, yet try to lay the blame @ the current administration's feet. JFK, the man hasn't even put in the first hundred days. Fifty-seven I believe is the count. During WWII many items were placed on ration so everyone could get some. Maybe not what they wanted, but enough to get by while times were tough. Times sure have changed. It's all about me, what I can grab and screw the next fella. Some real patriots out there. Keep listening to them. They are the ones that whipped this madness into a frenzied, fever pitch. This market manipulation is turning shooting into an elitist sport of leisure. Not peculiar, yet interesting that all this run on ammo has done what those who wish to limit sales couldn't accomplish. The very, buy now, end of America strategy has made the average shooter a third world person of interest as they scour the streets looking for their caliber of choice. You've screwed yourself. Keep drinking the kool-aid and preaching baloney, but don't waste your time blaming the current administration. If your looking to assign the blame you have to look no further than the mirror. You've embraced false fear and spread it like the plague until it snowballed out of control. Now your scratching your butt trying to figure out how it's the dems fault. You want to blame them in the worst way, yet all those evil socialists/dems/tree huggers aren't buying the ammo. Keep up the good work boys. Hell, I even bought a few boxes @ waly world so I could be a hoarder too. Get 'em while ya can, Yee-Haw the end is near! I heard on-line that a ammo shipment is being delivered to your waly world tonight. Be there or be square. To thine own self be true...
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dt1fBjCm49g
 
I went looking today, Walmart had a few boxes of 9s, 380 and 38, no 22s. They also put up a sign saying 2 boxes per customer. I didn't like that at all.

Sports Authority had boxes and boxes of all you could want. The prices were 19.99 for 500 22s. 24.99 for 100 9s and I couldn't see the prices on the 38s or 357s. They were all Winchester. The prices are higher but it was there. The were also running a sale for 20% off all Shotgun ammo. If they were giving 20% on all ammo I probably would have bought some. As of now I will just keep buying from Mastercast.
 
Originally posted by Nicksterdemus:
... You've screwed yourself. Keep drinking the kool-aid and preaching baloney, but don't waste your time blaming the current administration. If your looking to assign the blame you have to look no further than the mirror. You've embraced false fear and spread it like the plague until it snowballed out of control...

Your post is just too long to quote in it's entirety. I have to agree that this whole business is just a bunch of nonsense.


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