GatorFarmer
Member
It (.40 FMJ) dried up until recently in my area and will probably dry up again. Though Gander had some at scalper's prices. Oddly, .45 FMJ has been the only thing consistently to be had.
Ammo Shortage?
- Thread starter lpfist
- Start date
It (.40 FMJ) dried up until recently in my area and will probably dry up again. Though Gander had some at scalper's prices. Oddly, .45 FMJ has been the only thing consistently to be had.
I'd agree, the real problem is the price of quality ammunition. This didn't happen when Obama was elected, this has been going on for the last ten years. To become comfortable and shoot often with a quality self-defense round it will end up costing you more than you paid for the gun, itself, in no time. You'd get a good laugh going through my 25+ .50cal ammo cans filled with ammo I purchased in the nineties. I've boxes of reload FMJ 9mm that still has the price sticker on the 50 round boxes-$5.25 Factory 9mm, $12 for 100 rounds. 7.62x39 used to be delivered to your door, including shipping. for $63 for 1000 rounds from the Sportsman's Guide. It's a good idea to buy now if you can find it because ammo, like everything else, never goes down in price.
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Whatever caused it, about mid-November, my local Wally World, which has been my source for Winchester White Box .45 ACP at $28.99 per hundred since the store opened a year earlier, simply dried up. The .38 special lasted a few weeks longer and the .22 LR until about New Years. They now have some bulk pack shotgun shells and a limited supply of hunting rifle ammo. They say it is on backorder but the warehouse has none and doesn't know when it will. Tried the WWs in the next town and the next county. Same story. This past weekend I took a drive across 3 states. It wasn't an ammo run, but I timed my rest stops to coincide with big-box and/or sporting goods stores. Results: Bass Pro: an end cap full of 9mm Remington hardball at $12.99, NO .45 ACP, 1 (20 round)box of .40 S&W self-defense rounds, all the rimfire ammo in the place on one end cap; Gander Mountain: NO .45, no economy grade 9mm or .40, plenty of rimfire in all calibers and grades; Wal-Mart #1 - 2 250 round bulk packs of UMC .45 Acp (Now only 1!) 1 bulk pack of 40 S&W, 2 of 9mm. No smaller boxes of any pistol caliber except .380 auto. I had to point out the bulk packs to the clerk, he thought they were completely out and gave the same account about the warehouse being out. (This is a very depressed area and it is just possible no one was willing to part with $85 for a box of ammo when they can trade turnips for a magazine full at a time - I can say that, because I are one of them!) Walmart #2: Clerk didn't even look - we are out, have been for months, warehouse is out, have been for months, don't know when we will get more. Visual showed a few boxes of .380, .357 Mag., .38 Spl.
Two of the WalMarts were in rural areas and typically have relatively well stocked sporting goods and firearms departments. The 2 closest to me are more suburban and being out of a specific caliber for a week or two is not unheard of.
If a retailer the size of Wally World can't get ammo it tells me that either the source at the wholesale level has dried up temporarily and will soon trickle down to the local shops OR Wally World and the Mega-Sporting Goods stores have a preset price they are willing to pay (maybe even have contracted to pay) and the manufacturers know that wholesalers will pay more in the current climate and pass the costs on to the customer.
Two of the WalMarts were in rural areas and typically have relatively well stocked sporting goods and firearms departments. The 2 closest to me are more suburban and being out of a specific caliber for a week or two is not unheard of.
If a retailer the size of Wally World can't get ammo it tells me that either the source at the wholesale level has dried up temporarily and will soon trickle down to the local shops OR Wally World and the Mega-Sporting Goods stores have a preset price they are willing to pay (maybe even have contracted to pay) and the manufacturers know that wholesalers will pay more in the current climate and pass the costs on to the customer.
Conn,I just got back from e windsor,The prices have gone up signifigantly[no specifics sorry] in the last two weeks. You are absolutely correct in that his shelves are packed. The Walmart up rte. 5 however has two boxes of 25 two of 38special one of 40 and one or two of 357.pretty sparse there. Something other than supply and demand going on there, I suspect.The show at the Big E this weekend may prove illuminating?
cshoff
Member
My Dad was at the Cabela's in St. Louis today and he said they had about 50 boxes of .38 Spl., and about 30 boxes of 9mm. He bought 20 boxes of the .38, and 10 of the 9mm. He said they didn't have as good a supply in .40 or .45 and they were completely out of .380. He asked at the counter about the .380 and they told him that not only did they not have any, but their computer system showed absolutely ZERO .380 inventory at any Cabela's in the country. And they had no idea when they would be getting any in.
Now having said all of that, he was looking for target ammo, not personal protection or hunting ammo, so it's possible they did have some HP's in stock that he didn't inquire about.
Now having said all of that, he was looking for target ammo, not personal protection or hunting ammo, so it's possible they did have some HP's in stock that he didn't inquire about.
GreenGael, the Rocky Hill and Cromwell Walmarts are usually well stocked for ammo. East Windsor and Newington are a waste of time. Cabela's has everything as well as Hoffman's. Like the gun store in East Windsor, they want your eye teeth for a box of 50 The E. Windsor gun store has the most incredibly high prices on handguns that I'm surprised they're still in business. Come on, a Sigma 9VE for $365 Used guns seem to be drying up in the Hartford area. You'd think that with tough economic times the gun stores would be full of guns on consignment or trade-ins. The worst part about buying ammo at any Walmart is finding someone to unlock the ammo case and ring you out. Last Wednesday I found 2 boxes of Winchester 40S&W at the Rocky Hill Wally and was willing to walk around the store for 15 minutes for some help. Glad I did.
CG2
Member
I timed my trip just right today. I stopped by a walmart on my way home from work and found they had just gotten in about a dozen boxes of .40. I hadn't seen .40 around here for awhile. After me and they guy behind me checked out there were only a couple left. If I find it I buy it.
My local WalMart has been out for the past 3-4 weeks. I stopped by Wednesday morning after work to pick up dog food and out of habit swung by the sporting goods counter. Low and behold there were 7 boxes of Winchester 100ct 9mm, 3 50ct boxes of .40 FMJ and 4 50ct boxes of .40 JHP. I left with 2 boxes of 9mm for my mother's pistol and 2 boxes of the .40 JHP for myself. Oh, and the dog food as well. I make it a point to pick up at least 1 box of each every payday if possible. I've located a pawn shop nearby that's sitting on a mountain of various Winchester white box handgun calibers at comparable prices to WM.
bad_man_ one
Member
All you have to do in the Newington Wal-Mart store is ask for it,
it's in the Tire and Lube Center area behind a locked door.
It is no longer in their glass ammo cabinet,
the lock broke and they decided to not get it fixed.
They always have plenty of ammo in all the caliber's.
The manager that orders for the hunting supplies is a good guy.
Regards,
BM1
bad_man_ one
Member
I think they get restocked on Thursdays.
If it's after 4:00 pm., go over to electronics department and ask for assistance in getting ammo.
They will page a manager.
Regards,
BM1
If it's after 4:00 pm., go over to electronics department and ask for assistance in getting ammo.
They will page a manager.
Regards,
BM1
dsmdon
Member
Try Scheels, the one here in Des Moines is still very well stocked. It IS THE ONLY PLACE that still is.
inherited
Member
I know this won't help most of you, but, if your anywhere close to middle Tennessee there's plenty of all kinds of ammo, an FFL friend of mine told me last night that there's a place just outside of Murfreesboro, TN. @ exit # 89 on I-24, called the Outpost, (Ph. # 615-848-5060), they have literally pallets of .45, .40, .357, .38, 9 mm, .380 whatever you might need, and at good prices he says. Also rifle calibers, .223, .308, 7.62X39 etc. I don't know if this would have anything to do with it or not, but, it's owned by Ronnie Barrett, of Barrett Arms, (.50 ca. Barrett BMG Rifle) which is located just down the road ! ! !
CarlP2
Member
That's not too far from me. I spread the word to a couple people that are having trouble finding certain calibers, including .380
iafirebuff
Member
Our local Scheels has tons of 40 and 45. (mm is gone within a day. Just today my local Farm and Fleet had WWB 100 round boxes of 9mm, 40 and 45 - LOTS of stock! The 9mm and 40 is limited to 5 boxes per customer. The 9mm was on salle for $18.99 per 100 rd box.
