Current Ammunition Situation

[SammyJoe]

Hello All,
Had a very upsetting conversation with a buddy of mine today about the current ammo shortage/inflation situation we are all subjected to currently.
He seems to think that we are going to have to put up with this for close to a year before it get back to normal. By normal I mean the good ole days of $19 boxes of decent target ammo.

Does anyone here on the forum have a very educated opinion on just when we will be able to acquire ammo regularly and at a price that is not INFLATED?

I really would love to hear everyone's take on this, I need some good information because I am getting too lazy for all this tedious reloading business. Ha
Thanks
-Sam

 

[Muss Muggins]

I'd like to know what your buddy's basis in fact is . . .

Hello All,
Had a very upsetting conversation with a buddy of mine today about the current ammo shortage/inflation situation we are all subjected to currently.
He seems to think that we are going to have to put up with this for close to a year before it get back to normal. By normal I mean the good ole days of $19 boxes of decent target ammo.

Does anyone here on the forum have a very educated opinion on just when we will be able to acquire ammo regularly and at a price that is not INFLATED?

I really would love to hear everyone's take on this, I need some good information because I am getting too lazy for all this tedious reloading business. Ha
Thanks
-Sam

 

[Rpg]

I think ammo will gradually become more available in the coming year or so, but I don’t think we’ll see prices return to pre-pandemic levels.

 

[SammyJoe]

Muss,
He was told by a LGS owner that since the ammo producers are so badly backed up on orders, it will take them a long time to get caught up. Until they can produce the ammo that is demanded of them and get it distributed in a timely manner, prices will remain inflated. The seller can set whatever price he deems necessary.
That is what he told me, not sure if it is correct or not. Just wondering what everyone else has to say about it.
-Sam

 

[AzShooter]

Check CCI and Federal. Every few days they put ammo up for sale at normal pricing and if you buy over $ 100 there is free shipping.

I bought a case within the last 2 weeks. I'm good now for all my match shooting this year so I'm holding back on buying more.

 

[ken158]

Here is a thought. I know a small time LGS owner that has followed the advice of other independent dealers and has ordered - seriously, half a million bucks worth of ammo, knowing he will never get it delivered and could never come close to paying for it if it was delivered. Thinking that these types of orders have inflated the demand which has put the manufacturers into high gear 24/7 which will eliminate the shortage quicker then we think. My local sportsman Warehouse had ammo all last week and 9mm prices were down to $19.97 per box of 50 which is about $10 less then other places.

 

[JamesWP]

things are getting better....

I think things are starting to get slightly better. I can actually find some ammo on the shelf here and there and even found a pound of 2400 at an LGS the other day. It’s going to take a while, but I am convinced we’ve seen the worst of it and that ammo will return to pre covid prices. The people who swear the days of cheap ammo are over also said that back in 2012. Frequently they also have ammo they’d like to sell....
But that my opinion, and worth what you paid for it....

 

[SammyJoe]

Check CCI and Federal. Every few days they put ammo up for sale at normal pricing and if you buy over $ 100 there is free shipping.

I bought a case within the last 2 weeks. I'm good now for all my match shooting this year so I'm holding back on buying more.

That is fantastic!
Is there any type of email alert system that lets you know when a certain type of ammo is in stock?
-Sam

 

[portugeejn]

Demand is huge. New gun owners needing ammo, panic buying, hoarding because of fear that ammo may not be available in the future or be too expensive to purchase-when demand for a product increases and manufacturing cannot keep up with that demand, prices go up.

FWIW my opinion is that ammo will become available again, and prices will come down (although perhaps not to their former level.) If the government becomes involved in control of ammunition sales, I would think that all bets are off.

 

[SammyJoe]

I think things are starting to get slightly better. I can actually find some ammo on the shelf here and there and even found a pound of 2400 at an LGS the other day. It’s going to take a while, but I am convinced we’ve seen the worst of it and that ammo will return to pre covid prices. The people who swear the days of cheap ammo are over also said that back in 2012. Frequently they also have ammo they’d like to sell....
But that my opinion, and worth what you paid for it....

Well said...
Thanks
-Sam

 

[AzShooter]

That is fantastic!
Is there any type of email alert system that lets you know when a certain type of ammo is in stock?
-Sam

No, you just have to check every day.

 

[luvsmiths]

Check CCI and Federal. Every few days they put ammo up for sale at normal pricing and if you buy over $ 100 there is free shipping.

I bought a case within the last 2 weeks. I'm good now for all my match shooting this year so I'm holding back on buying more.

Im seeing a 4 box limit and 27 a box for 9....

 

[SammyJoe]

Im seeing a 4 box limit and 27 a box for 9....

LuvSmiths,
That is not a bad deal at all.
Personally I am not in the market for 9. Plenty of that cached up. Need more high quality 357 defensive loads.
-Sam

 

[Skeet 028]

Think of it this way..last year Remington which produced approx 1/3 of the domestically produced ammo went out of business.. We had the pandemic whether you believe in it or not... created a shortage of materials in more than just ammo making. And then the large increase in sales of firearms and the political climate really put the icing on the cake. Instant perfect storm for hoarders and scalpers. I mean people are using bots to buy ammo as soon as it hits the online sellers lists. The Remington plant is back in business, Winchester is opening another plant in Alabama and Federal CCI Speer etc are all making ammo as fast as they can..or so they say. I have had my ear to the ground in the industry and am hearing and seeing the companies starting to catch up. And at the gun shows at least out here the people are starting to back off on the high priced stuff. As things do catch up a bit it will slowly start getting shelves stocked again. I mean it was only slightly more thn a year ago I bought 9mm ammo at Cabela's for about 7 bucks a box on sale(Last of March 2020). Ammo will get better fairly quickly this time I think. But when it comes to prices the old retail will be the new wholesale...again... We have made it perfectly clear we will pay more...much more than we used to. I feel about July things will loosen up a bit more and more supplies will be available...as long as the pols stay out of our hair.... which it seems they are loathe to do.

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

The smart money says that the shortage will be over August 18, 2022. Be there or be square.

 

[Dave Lively]

It took a year before things returned to normal in 2012. No reason to think it will be any quicker this time. If anything your friend might optimistic. Due to material cost increases prices could settle to a point 10% higher than 2019 but they will come down.

I am with you on reloading. After 20 years of reloading I quit 10 years ago because I found it tedious. I still haven't got around to selling my reloading gear but at this point I would just try to make what I have last the rest of my life before I started reloading again.

 

[cadmike]

OP I can’t really say how long it will take to return to normalcy, but I don’t think “close to a year” is a terrible bet.

But I’ve been paying close attention, things are definitely beginning to loosen up and become available, albeit very slowly.

 

[jeffrefrig]

I ordered a 50 ct. box of .44 mag couple days ago. With shipping & tax it came out to $79. (Shipping was about $14, I believe.) That's good for 4 range days with that thing. I have some intruder rounds here, and some .44 spl.

 

[triaxle]

I been finding 9 alum and brass for 17 to 19.99 a box and brass 45 auto 25 to 30 a box of 50 rds

 

[Doug44]

Ammo is not the only thing in short supply. Look at the price of lumber. Here is the big question, where are the scalpers getting their ammo. Why can’t the lgs get it also.