When will it end? Ammo shortage

[Glock1736]

It’s impossible finding ammo. Unless you’re okay with $2 per round.

 

[Glock1736]

Factory 41 mag is like a Ghost

 

[cgt4570]

Thankfully I can cast and reload for dozens of cartridges and I have a decent supply of components. I can't imagine paying 10x or more per round for what's in my ammo stash.

 

[Glock1736]

I’ve never reloaded and wouldn’t know where to start. But reading post from ones that do. You guys are the smart ones for sure.

 

[roscoepc]

I’ve never reloaded and wouldn’t know where to start. But reading post from ones that do. You guys are the smart ones for sure.

I reload but not because I'm smart.. It's because I own a 500 and even in 2014 ammo for it was about $3.00 per round!! Ammo for me runs between $0.38 - $0.80 per round!!

And I LOVE to shoot that Beastie!!

 

[Ugly Hombre]

It won't end IMO...

 

[Racer X]

It’s impossible finding ammo. Unless you’re okay with $2 per round.

I was just looking at 9mm for a friend tonight, and @70 cents a round is common for in stock FMJ rounds. Found plenty to buy at that price.

 

[CH4]

I was just looking at 9mm for a friend tonight, and @70 cents a round is common for in stock FMJ rounds. Found plenty to buy at that price.

This morning my LGS had 20 rd boxes of 9mm defense ammo, unfamiliar brand, for $31.99. That’s $1.60 a round. Their prices are usually very reasonable on most other items. For instance I bought four boxes of federal 12 ga target loads for $7.99, which is about a buck more than Walmart. I left all the 9mm for some desperate soul.

 

[robertrwalsh]

It will end when the current political and market situation / climate changes. That may be a LONG while. I would plan on at least 20 months and likely 44 months.

 

[CCantu357]

It seems like the best thing to do is to buy what you can when you can. There always seems to a run on ammo with every political cycle, but I suppose the pandemic has amplified the situation quite a bit.

One difference I noticed is that in past ammo shortages, oddball calibers could still be found while common calibers sold out. For example, 9mm and .45 might have been sold out, but you could still get 10mm or .41 Magnum because no one was buying those rounds then. Now it seems all of the calibers are scarce.

 

[rubiranch]

Unless they come to take my guns I'll never shoot all the ammo that I have.

 

[Jon651]

I have no clue when this shortage will end, but I can say it has made my 380EZ unusable. .380 ammo seems to be particularly rare and expensive these days, running around $1.50-2.00/round - which is ridiculous for such a small round. I've found both .45 and 9mm in quantity for less than half that price, but I fear they aren't even producing .380 right now in favor of more popular handgun cartridges.

For now, the days of going to the range on a whim and putting 100-200 rounds downrange are just a fond memory. Hopefully we will get back there.

 

[NJM15]

Local GS

A local gun store had blazer .9mm 115 gr
50 for 37.00, they weren't in individual boxes but in
plastic lunch bags they must have gotten a bulk shipment
didn't buy, i roll my own , but getting short on small
pistol primers

 

[505Gibbs]

Another reason that it might be quite awhile is that state and local law enforcement are having issues getting supplied with ammo and I'd bet they'll get high priority as manufacturers scramble to get caught up with demand - IMO.

 

[rct269]

For those so inclined, there is a current YouTube presentation which purports to answer this question---------for those so inclined.

Ralph Tremaine

 

[SF VET]

About 15 years ago, I resumed my mostly pistol shooting when I began to shoot a defensive "game" called IDPA. At that time most of my shooting buddies reloaded, so as to precisely tailor their pistol loads to their guns and the necessary "power-factor", a load that minimized recoil, and yet met IDPA for power. I started with a progressive press for pistol ammo, and then began to load precise ammo for my rifles with a single stage. The rifle because ammo for my vintage rifles was just expensive or hard to find.

I have't bought any ammo for at least a decade other than .22. So I suggest a "long-game" for folks who want to continue to shoot when the periodic shortages and expensive ammo re-cur. Right now reloading equipment and components are scarce, but with time and patience, one can slowly gather up what is necessary.

Besides, making one's own ammo is a contemplative, relaxing and rewarding hobby. In past years, I always bought components when I came across them so I can probably continue to shoot for the rest of my life.

While by now my equipment is extensive to make my rifle and pistol ammo, it isn't necessary to begin with much more than a sturdy work table and a single stage press, a die set for your pistol, a scale, caliper and when you acquire bullets, cases and primers, begin the very rewarding hobby of "rolling your own."

Ask friends to see how they reload, read the forums, and begin your search. Right now primers are scarce, but be ready when they become affordable again. Bullets and cases are available.

As for dies, when I recently bought my first modern revolver, a 38/357 N frame, it only took me a month to have two sets of dies for that caliber, and by then I had cases and bullets. Enough "stuff" that I made and mailed 100 38 special rounds to somewhen who bought a S&W but had nothing to shoot.

So.....accept what the present and future are going to be for recreational shooting, and begin your Plan B. A single stage press with dies and other equipment will run you less than maybe $400. Before too long, you will be shooting again.

All the best, and stay safe, SF VET

 

[swagmeister]

.38 Special is impossible to find, unless one pays $3.50 per bullet for common copper ball practice ammo!!! The local shops have gone to placing glass containers with individual rounds in them at $2.50 per bullet for .380, $3.00 per bullet for 9mm, $4.00 per bullet for .45 ball, and as mentioned above, $3.50 per bullet for .38 Special. Of course all of these are just ball practice ammo, no hollowpoints. One store has a "deal" on .40 caliber at $100.00 for a box of 50 White Box Winchester ball ammo!!!!! Those boxes have been sitting on his shelf for several weeks. These gun stores and pawn shops have lost their mind with all this price gouging. I fear the ammo shortage will continue for several more months and when (and if) it ever comes back, there will be a substantial price increase. Most of the ranges locally are suffering economically due to people not using the range because of the shortage on ammo.

 

[Bumpus13]

It’s very simple.

It’ll end when people stop panic buying everything in sight the second it hits the shelves.

*sheesh*

“We’re” worse than a plague of locusts. Even the toilet paper morons knew when to stop.


There are two important actions to take here:
1) Stop buying now. Slow down for a bit. Take a breath. Let the pipeline catch back up. Things WILL return to normal, but not until then.

2) Once we return to normal, do what many of us have done ... Don’t act like you’re entitled to walk in to a store whenever you want and have ammo just sitting there for you. Plan ahead. You don’t have to buy multiple cases at a time, just pick up a couple extra boxes whenever you are buying. It adds up quicker than you think, and then next cycle you’ll be prepared. By having your own pile, you won’t have to join the madness. Thus saving yourself the money and aggravation, and also not contributing to the shortage. It’ll end up ending a little bit sooner and even if it doesn’t, it won’t impact you.



This too shall pass. And when it does, I’ll still have some in my pile. That’s when the time will come to start building it back up. So when it happens again, it won’t affect me again.

I only had to be burned by a hot stove ONCE as a kid. You?!?

 

[Johnnu2]

It appears to me that these ammo and component shortages end abruptly when the new normal price becomes stable at exactly double the price prior to the fake shortage. So once you guys are content buying a 50 rnd box of 9mm for $35.... it should end then.

What do I do? I don't buy; and will quit shooting when I finally run out of stuff to go bang. I've never really been able to go with any 'flow' ))))

IMHO as always,
J.

 

[hyena]

I stopped in my LGS several days ago and they had Blazer Brass 9mm for $30 per box on a pallet. The pallet was getting pretty low. I stopped three days later and there was still some left, so apparently the number of people willing to pay that much is limited. In contrast, a month or two ago, they got in a pallet load priced at $18 per box, limit five boxes, and sold the entire pallet in just over a day. I bought five myself, even though I don't shoot that much 9mm.

This time they also had .45 ACP at $40 per box. Like the 9mm, there was still some on the pallet three days later.

I reload .38 and .45. I've got primers and bullets, but can't find Unique. Can't find any powder, although I don't want to change from Unique. I keep my reloads very simple. One load for .38, one load for .45.