More ammo talk

[bamabiker]

Went to eat lunch at Subway in the local Wal-Mart today. After eating we walked back to the ammo case. Lo and behold there was one box of 380 for $15.88, several boxes of 9mm and some 45ACP. We had to find someone to open the case and while talking to him found out some guy comes in there regular and buys all they have. This was the first 380 I've seen in a Wal-Mart for some time. I grabbed the 380 and a 100 count box of 45ACP. Will this ammo craziness ever end?

 

[USAF385]

And I bet that guy sells half of it for a huge profit and locks the rest of it away... He probably even buys cals he doesn't own.

Perhaps they should have a box limit (for him only)...

 

[Jack Flash]

How much was the .45 ACP? I know my WW used to charge $29.99 back in the days when they had it.

If the "quantity buyer" bought out most of the stock, he may be able to sell the .380 for $50 a box. That's quite a profit margin.

 

[bamabiker]

The 45ACP FMJ was $29.99 for the 100 count box. They also had some 45ACP hollow points for about $30 a box of 50.

 

[Frizzman]

The Walmarts around here seem to be limiting handgun ammo to two boxes per customer. That seems reasonable to me.

 

[bamabiker]

Originally posted by USAF385:
And I bet that guy sells half of it for a huge profit and locks the rest of it away... He probably even buys cals he doesn't own.

Perhaps they should have a box limit (for him only)...

I don't mind people buying all they can for themselves but when they buy it just to turn around and sell it at a much higher price it just rubs me the wrong way. Maybe if I could afford it I would look at different but I don't think so.

 

[USAF385]

Gander Mtn. had a box of 250 Remington UMC .38s for $99. I ALMOST bought it since I haven't been able to find any .38 special....

INSTEAD I bought a used New England Firearms Pardner 12 gauge 3" single shot breach action shotgun for $70 total.

I think I made the right choice.

 

[Milton]

bamabiker,apparently several Wal-Marts in the Birmingham area have daily visits from people or a person for the sole purpose of buying desirable ammo for resale.

 

[Racegunner]

Wallyworld has a six box limit per visit per day around here. I know some are opposed to it, but it makes sense really for both retailer and customer, especially if you walk in just seconds behind the a-whole that bought everything. There has been speculation that some smaller shops are buying it up to resell. At a mark-up or not, it may be the only way for some to get ammo to sell. The manufacturers are catching up...the shortage should be over soon if the emails I've been getting from online ammo places are any indication.

 

[USAF385]

Originally posted by Milton:
bamabiker,apparently several Wal-Marts in the Birmingham area have daily visits from people or a person for the sole purpose of buying desirable ammo for resale.

That's just wrong. I also don't have a problem with someone buying a lot for their own use, but buying just to turn around and sell it... that aint right...

 

[bamabiker]

Originally posted by Milton:
bamabiker,apparently several Wal-Marts in the Birmingham area have daily visits from people or a person for the sole purpose of buying desirable ammo for resale.

Yes I know. I have not been able to catch any at the store in Trussville. The one I went to today is on the other side of town and have caught some 22s, 9mms and 45s there but today was the first 380s I've seen.

 

[epj]

I checked the WW in Hueytown a day or two ago, almost nothing in the way of handgun ammo. A little bit of 40, no 9s or 45's or 38.

 

[rburg]

I doubt if the ammo shortage ends soon. I'm guessing it will continue for a few more years. The ammo that has been bought will remain in peoples closets. The little that has been resold will just get shot up, or be socked away, just like that purchased at lower prices.

What this little exercise has been teaching people is the supply chain isn't reliable. In the past folks were happy with a box of ammo, some of it shot. They'd just go to the local store and buy more when they loaded the last few rounds. Many people were comfortable with that process.

The election with a congress hostile to shooters has caused a lot of unrest. Suddenly new shooters are coming on board, and even more new gun owners. They don't remember the good old days of fully stocked shelves. They'll be buying.

I'm guessing as more people shoot a little, they'll perceive an even greater need for a few boxes of extra ammo. Old shooters have been thru this before. We're tired of the BS. We also mostly have more resources (read $$) to stock some extra ammo. Besides that, we're a lot smarter than we were the last cycle, and we know how to use the smarts (and treachery) to get the ammo we want (as opposed to need.)

Add on to that the idea that Homeland Security is pressing for more and better training for LEOs. Some can burn up a huge amount of the popular center fire calibers.

 

[JcMack]

My stupid job takes me to the whole upper half of Illinois, as far west as Iowa, as far north as Wisconsin, and N.W. Indiana where I live. When I see a gun shop I stop in. All in this area mentioned have experienced "gang buster" business in the last 7-8 months. Reports are though, and I've seen it myself, things are dramatically slowed in the last 2 weeks. I got the same reports in 3 N.W. Indiana shops today. 6/3/09. Hopefully the ammo demand will slow. I fear manufacturers will react to less future ammo demand by slowing production and charging more.

 

[Class III]

Ahh, yearning for the good old days. About 12 maybe 13 years ago there was a WW not far from my office that was closing. They where selling everything down to the fixtures in the store. I walked in as they where pulling pallet after pallet of ammo from the back room. Most of it was shotgun and rifle ammo. I picked up a few cases of 12 and 20 guage in various lengths and shot sizes both lead and steel. Then someone pulled out a pallet with Federal Gold Medal Match 308 168 gr. I bought all 500 boxes for $1.68 per box. I used most of it as plinking ammo, though about 2000 rounds still reside in the ammo safe. Most of the people I shoot with thought I was crazy for shooting high $ ammo at tin cans, stumps, golf balls and other informal targets. Now the same ammo runs average retail about $1.25 per round. I wasn't hourding, I bought for long term use at a price that I knew I would never see again.

Class III

 

[Jack Flash]

There is no disputing that there is greater demand. But I think the manufacturers are catching up.

Obviously, most domestic ammo makers are running 24/7. Additionally, foreign makers are stepping forward to meet the shortfall. I see a lot of MagTech, S&B, Wolf, etc. gracing the shelves of local dealers.

I think we are starting to see the end of the shortage. But if I'm wrong, well, it sure won't be the first time.

 

[Raider]

I was at the gunshow last Sunday. Some A-hole was selling Wally 550 packs for $40.00 per box. Same stuff as Wally sells for $13.99 per box when they have it.

THAT rubs me the wrong way.

Charlie

 

[Steave]

I think you will see ammo becoming much more available around the end of the summer. Many of the folks who have bought more ammo than they've ever bought before are not volume shooters and are just squirreling it away, yes, some will got shot up, but not most. And it is true there are many new, first time guy buyers that have purchased guns, but I would bet the vast majority of these just bought guns in the frenzy and most will not become serious shooters. I know the demand for guns has fallen off sharply over the past several weeks, so I would imagine ammo will follow.

Who knows, though, that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

 

[Polar Boy]

Up until last October the gun stores that I frequent always had a good supply of new guns and (more important to me) used ones. Ammo and reloading stuff was also plentiful.

After the election I saw the stores get cleaned out and as of April they had yet to recover. I stopped going because there was nothing to buy. But I went back yesterday for the first time in about 7 - 8 weeks thinking the situation must have improved by now. Nope! The shelves were just as bare as before.

In one store I saw two guys almost come to blows over which one of them was first to lay his hands on that last box of primers in the store.

The store owners say whatever supplies they get from the wholesalers are only trickling in. They also say that a lot of what they do sell is going to people who don't know one end of a gun from the other.


When will this madness end?

 

[Cobroller]

Has anyone noticed a difference in ammo supply depending on the size of the WalMart store? Some of the smaller stores do not stock firearms, but seem to have at least as much ammo as the larger stores.