the new 22 ammo reality?

[m657]

Been keeping track of 22 ammo lately and found these local examples. Hope this isn't 'the NEW reality':

1) WalMart never has any pistol ammo but plenty of shotgun shells;

2) BiMart sometimes has 22 ammo, but has erected a semi-permanent sign that states how difficult it is to get. Been at 3 different BiMarts in the last month, one had bricks of Remington at $17. I took the last 2 bricks.

3) Local small shops (3 last week): 2 had 22 ammo. From $27-$40/brick. $3.50 and up for single boxes of Winchester Wildcat 22.

Certainly I'm one of those with "Hope for Change".....

 

[Lee in Quartzsite]

Think about this. Almost everything we own or need on a daily basis comes from China. Without the massive Chinese imports we wouldn't have clothes to wear, lightbulbs to see in the dark, and all other necessities to get us through the day. Don't you think it's a bit strange that they don't make ammunition?? Or could it be that they are making ammunition and not selling it to us Americans?? I am sure they are well aware of our serious ammo problem...strange that they won't supply our needs. One needs to remember that China is a Communist country and that their ultimate goal is to rule the world. America is not the Super Power it once was....even much less with no means to shoot back in a National emergency. I am not paranoid, just a worried American.

 

[sparkgap]

Lee, I might be wrong and if I am I'll stand corrected. I believe that Clinton stopped all imports of firearms and ammo from China.

I could buy cheap SKS ammo at the gun shows, now it all comes from Russia.

Anyway I think thats the answer.

Good morning,

Bob

 

[Gary]

I was at walmart yesterday. They have significantly reduced the area that used to be used for ammo. They now have a knife display in most of it.

 

[84CJ]

The Chineese have plenty of lead. They put it in everything they make and import to the US

If china makes ammo to import I probably would not buy it anyway.

Sad that we have to purchase China products daily.

 

[cowboy117]

the chineese have plenty of lead. They put it in everything they make and import to the us

if china makes ammo to import i probably would not buy it anyway.

Sad that we have to purchase china products daily.

+1000.

 

[41]

I am beginning to think we will never see the old prices again. The dollar will continue to lose value and the prices of ammo will continue to adjust accordingly.

41

 

[alde]

I am beginning to think we will never see the old prices again. The dollar will continue to lose value and the prices of ammo will continue to adjust accordingly.

41

But our income dosen't. We may see shelves full of ammo again but who will be able to afford it?

 

[Polar Boy]

I was in a small outdoors store today that has a tiny guns and ammo department. They had a lot of high priced guns jammed into that little space. Not that the guns were anywhere worth the asking price mind you. The biggest sticker shock however was the tag on a brick of Remington "Golden Bullet" .22 LR - $39.95! Darn bullets must have really been made of gold, eh?

 

[CJofWolfcreek]

So long as someone pays the $39.95 the price will remain that high for the Remingtons. Same goes for the people shelling out $50-100 for a brick of primers on gunbroker. When people calm down and stop paying outrageous prices, the prices will come down.

 

[USAF385]

I picked up a brick today at a small local hole for $12.00

At Wal Mart I picked up a 100 round box of winchester .38 spl 130 grain fmj for 27.97 and a box of 50 winchester 40 s&w 180 grain fmj for 14.97.

 

[GatorFarmer]

China makes plenty of guns and ammo. Only the shotguns can be imported into the United States under current law. I think shotgun shells could come in as well, but they don't, since the last batches that did were pretty crappy paper cased products straight from the local market (some farmers in China have shotguns). Norinco ammo used to be pretty common, albeit that it wasn't the best. Norinco guns are still imported into Canada where they have no restrictions against guns and ammo coming from the PRC.

Anyway, .22LR ammo is available sporadically in many markets. Buy it when you find it basically.

Beyond that, now's a great time to explore the wonder world of shotgun sports.

 

[Crazy K38]

I think anyone who can martial an army of a formidable size and have plenty more cant be trusted, and I figure that when people stop buying up all the ammo there will be a LARGE surplus from overproduction and then I will be ammo rich and money broke.

 

[shooboy]

Hey m657, If you need a few boxes of Federal bulk 550 round let me know. I have about 10 boxes and can replace it eventually at my WallyWorld, Shoo

 

[butchd]

I've been trying to find CCI std. vel. since last Fall with no luck. It's the only thing that is flawless in my 41. A friend went tp PA to visit one of his kids. While there he picked up a 5K case for $250.00 at Grice's. Maybe the shortage is easing up.

 

[Smokester653]

.22 used to be the cheapest round to go plinking with. I know that a lot of the "old school" shooters prefer this round over others because of the cost and recoil as well. All one has to do is look at some of the posts on this site and they will see why there is a shortage of .22 and other calibers as well (buying all they can find) and the companies can't keep up with the demand that we have put on them. My local Wal-Marts stay wiped out now since the summer season has started (I live in a resort area) because of the amount of vacationers coming through. Shooters are going to buy ammo wherever and whenever they see it.

 

[rburg]

At the gunshow over the weekend my table partner was doing a brisk business selling ancient 22 ammo. His sister acquired it from an estate. In all fairness, he did a good job of bagging and labeling his stuff. But he sold a few boxes of old 22 shorts, some longs, some magnums (9 in a bag for $1). Buyer after buyer came along and shoved a $1 bill, picking up some ratty old ammo with corroded lead bullets (lets call them "in the white.")

I've been buying full boxes of 22 ammo for several years now. Charlie Sherrill was even amused at my quest. We'd sit and talk, then one of my bird dogs would return with a location and I'd run away from my table, buy the goodies, and return. But my method was fairly easy, I'd buy full boxes that looked like they'd been stored under good conditions. What I saw selling over the weekend was the dregs. It looked like stuff that had bounced around in your glove compartment or under the seat of your pickup truck.

It wasn't priced all that high, maybe a $1 for a box of "Mohawk" brand ammo. Probably hasn't been produced in 30 or 40 years. Made everyone happy, I guess.

I've also been told WalMart has raised the price of Federal 550 bulk packs. I haven't bothered to wander into one recently. I figure I've got enough 22 ammo to last the rest of my life, and probably my kids, too. But as the prices float upward, so too does the prices of other ammo. Odds and ends that should have been shot up (or maybe more correctly finished up) long ago. The ammo shortage seems to be drawing that stuff out of both estates and just enterprising shooters range bags and junk drawers.

The sales are kind of fun to watch. For the last 15 or 20 years I've haunted garage sales, barn sales, and yard sales (all the same animal, just with different settings.) What I had been buying was older boxes of premium grade ammo. Things like WW with the chrome plated cases were always my favorites. Wait until my poor oldest son has the unenviable task of cleaning out my shooting junk! Wow, is he ever in for a problem.

 

[Evil Dog]

Considering the production capacity of our ammunition manufacturers I am really surprised with the ongoing "shortage". Millions of rounds produced a day but few seem to filter down to the local markets. The majority of the production being used to fill military contracts??? Somehow I just can't buy that one. Maybe the oil companies and the ammo people have something in common.

 

[Landpimp]

just chill out and wait a bit longer, ammo prices ARE droping and will continue to do so I believe.

 

[Wayne02]

3) Local small shops (3 last week): 2 had 22 ammo. From $27-$40/brick. $3.50 and up for single boxes of Winchester Wildcat 22.

If that is really the new reality price wise then I'm out of the game for good.