Ammo Shortage

Try normashooting.com. Free shipping over $150. I bought some last week.

I bought some .38 special from Norma a month or so ago when they had the flash sale with free shipping over $50. 158 grain FMJ. Made in Hungary. $28 per box. Looks good but haven't shot it yet. Bought some for a friend at the Cabela's/Bass pro when driving through Bristol, Tn. 158 LRN at $32 per box. It appears to be slowly coming back.
 
Right after Riots or Verdicts?

Does ammo availability tend to dry up on right after riots or verdicts that are unpopular?

Yesterday evening, in the aftermath of Kyle Rittenhouse's acquittal, my downtown area had massive looting, while the adjacent city had "mostly peaceful" protests calling for "revolution."

I was the first person at the LGS today, which is in a city different from those two; they actually had a lot of ammo, and for the first time since I started looking .357 Magnum JHPs ($2.50 each, thank you very much) and I believe .38 SPL. There was one person behind me when they opened, and I didn't think to ask if the verdict led him to come today. The LGS didn't seem too worried about ammo running out today. While they were processing the sale, I overhead a group of three people asking the LGS newbie-level questions about gun purchases.
 
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At the gun show today, they were asking $45 for 50 rounds of cheapo steelcase. 45 FMJ. Ouch.
 
First can you move out of commiefornia? Do you have friends/relatives in a nearby state that could buy ammo through stores or on line for you and then you go pick it up? Obviously it would have to be a big enough order to make it worth your while but its at least a way to get some.
 
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First can you move out of commiefornia? Do you have friends/relatives in a nearby state that could buy ammo through stores or on line for you and then you go pick it up? Obviously it would have to be a big enough order to make it worth your while but its at least a way to get some.
Thanks.

I have family obligations in the People's Republik, so I won't be able to leave any time soon. Plus, there's a Cal-Exit 10 year tax.

I think our fearless leader, Gov. Nuisance, banned gun shows, and I don't recall that last time there was a gun show in my general area.

My neighbor is a lifelong acquaintance and he's out of state to gun-friendly Oregon, but it's illegal for him or me to buy ammo out of state and transport it across state lines unless it goes through an FFL. I only know of (and not know) an FFL that will accept out of state ammo that complies with Kalifornia law. Unfortunately, that FFL is a one-man operation by appointment only, is 1.5 hours away, and he's erratic as to reliability, eg off and on with answering e-mails.

Reloading isn't practical due to lack of space. That said, I plan to look for and save .38 SPL and .357 Magnum cases at the shooting range.

I'm thinking my best bet is to keep watching for ammo availability (two local big box store LGSs have on-line presence that I can check) and grab it as it becomes available. Right now, I"m in need of #1 buckshot, Federal FlyteControl #00 buckshot, .38 SPL, and .357 Magnum.
 
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I went to Academy Sports yesterday and was very surprised to see their ammo section pretty much full! 4 box limit still. Lots of .22 in bulk packs, .45 acp, and a ridiculous amount of .556. There were some other calibers but hardly any pistol ammo (I bought the last pack of .45). More .556 and .22 than I have seen in a long time. I picked up 1,500 rounds of thunderbolts! I’m not normally a Remington rimfire fan but the last bulk pack of thunderbolts I purchased (month ago) ran great without a single dud.


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This must be an "area" problem. The ammo selection here in Indiana is almost back to normal, but the prices are still elevated. I see .38 & .357 on the shelves here, pretty much any time I head to a gun shop.
 
We are getting 38spl and 357 at local gun shops, not at the big box stores. No other revolver calibers though.
What I've noticed lately is that ammo seems to be going up in price. When 9mm first started coming back there were some decent prices. Today, a gun shop had a good selection of 9mm but the cheapest plinking ammo is around $20-22, any 124gr, is close to $30 a box. HP's were close to $50 for a box of 50.
 
Thanks. I'm on Palmetto State Armory's (PSA) daily e-mail offer list. I've noticed that it seems all of their ammo prices have increased a bit over the past 1-2 months. My LGS's prices for 9mm have come down a bit.

My decision on a .44 Magnum (and .44 Special) was easy, recoil notwithstanding: there's still no ammo for it and I've never seen it in real life :(
 
What has been the availability of .38 SPL and .357 Magnum factory ammo availability been during the pandemic, particularly as compared to other hand gun calibers?

I've only been looking at .38 SPL and .357 Magnum for the past three weeks or so, and it's really hard to find. When I started buying guns in August 2021, I noticed that .45 ACP was out of stock at the LGS, which guided my decision to start with 9mm. I'm noticing now that big box LGS (Sportsman's and Big5) have .45 ACP, but rarely .38 SPL or .357 Magnum

I'm in California, so on-line ammo orders have to go through my FFL, which is a pain in terms of logistics. I also understand that on-line ammo dealers charge a hazardous materials fee.

Once I pass California's one-gun-a-month purchase club in about 2.5 weeks, I plan to buy a revolver or a lever action rifle in .357 Magnum. However, I'm concerned about being able to resupply ammo. I'm not in a place to set up ammo reloading, so for the foreseeable future, I'm limited to factory ammo.

Target Sports USA has .38 Special.Bulk Ammo for Sale Online Free Shipping Available
 
Was just down at Cabela's.
They had a fair amount of Ammo.
Bought 45ACP and 9mm.
No 38 Special or 357 to be seen.
 
.38 special can be had at normashooting.com at $29.99 per box of 50. Not that cheap but free shipping and insurance on orders of $150.00.
 
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