Lessons learned from the recent Guns/Ammo Shortage

[feralmerril]

Through the years I/we have seen "shortages" even on toilet paper. I belive most of these shortages are purposely caused. I belive the administration`s " never let a crisis go to waste" thinking was reason to buy a zillion rounds of bullets for homeland security at the worst time. That will drive up the prices to where many people will sell their guns to the far right wing nuts thus consolidating them so less of the populace has them. I remember once right at thanksgiving they put a ban on cranberries due to some weak excuse of someone supposedly getting sick on them. I think some of this is done as sort of a test seeing how the populace will react and to learn to fine tune a man made crisis for farther events. Yeah, I need to scrub my foil hat. Anyway, I wont give em the satisfaction of falling for it and run out and pay 5 x the price it has been. Look, common sense should tell you that a few months down the road manufactors will want to continue selling their ammo or whatever, and if it costs the same to make it as it always did, they will happly produce it again and price it near the compitition. You can jar the marketplace for a time but not forever. They will take their greed for a short while but when the suckers get busted and quit buying the manufactors will get hungry again and get back to sanity.

 

[LVSteve]

1) I learned that there are a lot of stupid people about.. wait, I knew that already.

2) I learned that stupid people get quite cranky when you point out their stupidity.. wait, I knew that, too.

3) I learned that the control freak gene was alive and well in the US population... no wait, never mind.

4) I learned that my Dad's advice to sit tight and watch while all around you are panicking was good advice. Actually, I relearned that one.

 

[perrazi]

this is the fourth such occurrence in my shooting lifetime. learned after the first one to buy a lifetime supply when it's cheap. I can last out any shortage for the next 10yrs. at least. btw, went out this morning and shot up 500rds of assorted ammo and had a great time. the only factory ammo I shoot is 22lr

 

[deralte]

I learned that my previous stocking of ammo was a wise move on my part. Several have said they were going to reduce the number of calibers they have - I would suggest they keep all of them in case the SHTF - never know what caliber you will be able to get.

 

[Faulkner]

I learned that us evil "hoarders" pretty much have the range to ourselves during the so called shortages. It's been kinda nice.

 

[old bear]

My interest in owning firearms is very limited, and I have more than I really need, but not as many as I want. So a firearm shortage was not a concern for me.

What I did learn from the 2008 shortage is, to replaced every round I used with 2 rounds, so I still have a decent supply of ammo.

What I learned from the 2012 -201? shortage is some people will pay insane prices for something they never felt the need to buy before. Or as P.T. Barnum is alleged to have said "a fool and his money are soon parted."

 

[Xtasy]

I will stock up massively when this is over. I warned my wife already

 

[Fishslayer]

I didn't learn a whole lot this tme that I didn't learn in '08-'09. .22LR has always been a bit spotty in my area so when I was working third shift I'd hit the Walmart on my way home. Amassed a pretty nice stockpile. Jumped on deals when I saw them. The present situation simply reinforces what I've learned in the past.

I've been panic buying for 5 years...

 

[Mike7.62]

this is the fourth such occurrence in my shooting lifetime. learned after the first one to buy a lifetime supply when it's cheap. I can last out any shortage for the next 10yrs. at least. btw, went out this morning and shot up 500rds of assorted ammo and had a great time. the only factory ammo I shoot is 22lr

That pretty much sums up my experience too. I load everything I shoot except rimfires, and have some "warstocks" of .mil ammo in the usual calibers. I get real tired of people condemning those of us who actually learned our lesson the first time around and bought when things were plentiful. Hopefully the newer shooters will learn something from this too, and if/when stocks are replenished and readily available will do some "hoarding" of their own. Government is only going to get more restrictive on shooting supplies and everything firearms related, so if you like to shoot, better be prepared for future supply constraints. If you don't, you only have yourself to blame.

 

[Malpasowildlifer]

Buy a little at a time but often. Each time you walk into a LGS buy a mag or a box of ammo. It adds up

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

Well said. I'll always be walking out with something, at least once a pay period.

A buddy on here on the west side of WA last spring said every pay period for the past 5 years or so, he got a 100 box of Winchester white box 45 ACP at Walmart.

When you get something new and need mags, especially if they are hi cap, get the mags. Got a M1A socom a while back and never got extra mags. Of course I put it off until post Sandy Hook and realized I needed some. Got 5 at an OK price and I'm glad I didn't pay too high, but should have bought them when I bought the gun.

Keep a decent stock of all your calibers. Look what happened with 22's. We would have never guessed it'd be 22. It was a crummy feeling when everything hit the fan and I only had a brick and a half.

I was pretty good with reloading components, but factory loaded ammo is always good to have.

Make sure you have dies for everything. I never got 9mm dies. Now they're up there with P mags.

Like others have said, remember the gougers. I quickly have stopped visiting stores that were selling (or at least displayed) 50 boxes of 22 for $75.00 or stores where the employees brag about taking all the scarce stuff home.

And of course, continue to remember family and friends. It felt good to help out and get helped out.

 

[SW_shooter]

What have I learned?

hhhmmmm,
I learned not to take for granted that ammo will always be available.
I learned I need to learn to re-load
I learned that talking (or posting) about how much I have or don't have or want does no good and only serves to provide fodder for others to criticize.

 

[Wee Hooker]

I'm 57 yrs. old and I cannot recall a previous "shortage" of this magnitude. Previously, .22LR was never in short supply, and I always enjoy shooting .22LRs. So, something else I'll be doing in the future is routinely storing .22LR ammo when possible. My plan is that rather than buying one bulk box of .22LR ammo at a time, I'll probably buy 3 instead - one box to shoot, two boxes for "just in case". I had plenty of .22LR ammo on hand, and still have several additional bulk boxes on hand. My son and I shoot Steel Plate competition, and as before the shortage, fellow shooters would loan, or sell you (if you insisted) sufficient ammo to complete the competition if you ran short.

Any advice or strategies from others would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Dave

I would agree, I've never seen a panic (and resulting ammo drought) this bad in the past. Fortunately, I learned my lessons several scares ago. Simply put, don't ever be without less than a years worth of ammo and reloading supplies for every caliber i shoot. It takes a bit of investment and time to get there but it's rewarding in the end. Now panics come and go and all I need to do is wait them out on the sidelines.

 

[Faulkner]

What have I learned?

hhhmmmm,
I learned not to take for granted that ammo will always be available.
I learned I need to learn to re-load
I learned that talking (or posting) about how much I have or don't have or want does no good and only serves to provide fodder for others to criticize.

Americans in general have come to abide by the Walmart or drive thru mentality. As a society we have just come to assume that "it" will always be available at the local store. We take for granted that there will be bread and milk and canned vegetables and toilet paper and gasoline and, yes, ammo, any time we want it. Even after significant events like Katrina and Sandy we don't seem to learn our lesson to be more prepared. We Americans have come to take it for granted that Walmart will have whatever we need whenever we need it.

I'm not a prepper by any stretch of the imagination, but a country boy does learn to keep a few more necessities on hand for the unexpected. After being sent to south Louisiana on TDA following Katrina I saw first hand the hardships of folks not prepared to be self sufficient for just a few days. It wasn't pretty and I took away a valuable lesson from that trip.

 

[Grayfox]

I learned my lesson back in 94. In 08 there was a spell where I was seriously concerned about primers, but I did make it through. This time around, I'm good for quite a while. Plan to be the same when the next shortage hits.

What I have learned this time is that my faith in human nature is sadly misplaced.

 

[venomballistics]

I learned a good bit about recording and audio engineering while trying my best to sit out the crunch.
the ammo you have today in hand will be there for you tomorrow if and only if you do not squander it.
use only enough to maintain proficiency and hope for better times.

 

[chud333]

I learned that CTD is not really CTD.
I learned the employees get first dibs on all ammo at WM.
I learned my habit of buying a little .22 ammo each time i get
paid since B.O. got elected paid off big time.
I learned that rolling my own and keeping components on hand
is also a good strategy.

Chuck

 

[Xfuzz]

Learn nothing. Ahead of the curve I guess concerning ammo.
The AR thing surprised me a bit.
Rburg and Faulker hit it.
Get the guns and ammo you feel you need NOW.

 

[BlueOvalBandit]

I should have bought a 22 (rifle or handgun) much sooner, it would have given me more time to accumulate ammo. 2 week before SH doesn't give much time.


12-18 months supply buffer of reloading components (15k+) isn't enough in CA.

I need more room for storage.

 

[redlevel]

Just curious, but what lessons have you learned from the recent guns and ammo shortage?

Any advice or strategies from others would be greatly appreciated.

Buy all the ammo/components you can afford to buy every chance you get.

I posted this nearly four years ago. I still believe it to be good advice.
http://smith-wessonforum.com/ammo/98299-plan.html

 

[Engine 21]

I have always had a system to replenish ammo used. Basically simple, for every box used at the range I replace it with two boxes. No, I don't go out and blindly purchase as I do look for deals. I don't bulk purchase but I do have a decent supply of various calibers. This system works for me.