Ammo Stockpiles

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Geez! How the hell you shooting 5-7k rounds?? You must have some really tired hands loading all of those mags up!

According to my calculator if I load one 30 round magazine a week it will take 4.4 years to load 7,000 rounds.

If it is for loading 15 round magazines, well I can only hope to live to be that old!

Even that is unspecific as "weapons" could be edged weapons (my old Boy Scout knife?) as well as firearms and "military equipment" could be a canteen and an entrenching tool.

Well according in the TSA at airports you are not no “Boy Scout” if you try to take it past the screening checkpoint. (I truly thought I was going to be arrested by the way the TSA female officer reacted to finding my small pocket knife).
 
For those of you willing to share,
How much is enough? Do you keep a certain amount and then rotate it out after a certain amount of time and how do you store it? Do you stockpile brass or steel cased?

When it begins to become problematical to store the ammunition then you have enough. Maybe you're just out of space you're willing to devote to ammo. Maybe it's becoming a safety issue. Or maybe your wife is going to go off on you if you bring one more box of ammo home! (laughing)

Until then stock up. How much depends on how often you use a particular gun or caliber of same. I have a lot more .22 rimfire than anything else because going through a couple of hundred rounds in a day at the range is nothing. A couple of hundred rounds of .30-06 would be something else! Home defense weapons have more ammo than those bought for historical or collector interest.
 
Geez! How the hell you shooting 5-7k rounds?? You must have some really tired hands loading all of those mags up!

I don't shoot that much. I'll normally shoot around 500 rounds per range trip. But everyone I shoot with knows that my truck is the ammo depot. We've burned over 2k in half a day's shooting.

I use MTM mini ammo cans to store my ammo, the AC15. They hold ~700 rounds of 9mm and ~400 rounds of .45 ACP.

I keep two cans each of my three favorite 9mm loads in the truck, and two cans each of three .45 ACP loads in the truck, that's ~3500 rounds right there. Then there are the .50 Cal ammo cans full of blasting ammo, one of .223, one of .308, one of 9mm and one of .45 ACP. Those are for the ammo leeches. Then there are the ammo boxes of loads I'm testing.

If I take a .22 LR to the range I just grab a case of ammo and put it in the truck, sometimes it stays in there for a few months. If I take my revolvers I need to add ammo for those, same for my 10mm pistols.

The stuff adds up REAL quick.

BTW, Maglula makes tools to save your hands. I've got a BUNCH of them.
 
BSA 1-

I can top the pocket knife story. Recently a TSA person at the airport celebrated finding the metal money holder clip in my wallet. The size and shape of a big paper clip.

Held it up and hollered to her colleagues about her victory over smuggling and crime.
 
Well according in the TSA at airports you are not no “Boy Scout” if you try to take it past the screening checkpoint. (I truly thought I was going to be arrested by the way the TSA female officer reacted to finding my small pocket knife).

My grandmother, who in her day was kind of a wild, whooping and hollering, cow roping rodeo type of gal, was stopped at Bradley Airport back in the 80's because she didnt take her lil colt .25auto pistol out of her waistband and when she went through security and beeped, pulled it from her waist and laughed, kind of like jeez whoops. She was asked "ma'am please return your firearm back to your vehicle if you'd like to proceed to boarding".


Nowadays, national headlines....
 
Giving serious consideration to buying reloading components. I don't reload doubt I ever will. They probably want be any cheaper. So good trade foder for the future. Buy low sell high. Doesn't cost anything to feed it. Just space.
 
I'll say this. When the ammo shortage showed up after Sandy Hook. Millions of gun owners were caught empty shelfed. Just amazed, and sickend me to see gun owners so unprepared. Ammo dried up, then components vanished. People were scrambling to get anything. And when we talk 22lr whats there to say. Walmart lines and price gouging at the LGS and auctions. I remember seeing people bidding on a brick of Thunderbolts for $95. And there were over 20 bids.
So the lesson to take away here is, make sure what ever caliber weapon or weapons you have. You have enough ammo / components to weather a shortage or God forbid a partial-total ban on ammunition. Never run out or be caught short. Keep the larder full. I also believe less is more when people talk about the amount of guns, ammo and components they have. That is just my opinion though.
 
I'll say this. When the ammo shortage showed up after Sandy Hook. Millions of gun owners were caught empty shelfed. Just amazed, and sickend me to see gun owners so unprepared. Ammo dried up, then components vanished. People were scrambling to get anything.

Maybe the reason there are not shortages so far this time is folks are still well stocked from the previous Banic although I still don’t understand the reasons for the 22 shortage.
 
If the police ever raid my house, I'll be sorely disappointed if the newspaper doesn't call it "an arsenal."
The problem is the lack of specificity in words chosen by the media to either obfuscate or actually out and out mislead the unwary....Words can be used to shade an argument by the perceived meaning vs the actual meaning and the general level of ignorance among the populace at large is fertile ground for the media farmers of misinformation.
I don't disagree with you, FSR. IMHO, many members of the media take a lack of knowledge about guns as a point of pride. You know, why would anyone want to know anything about something so obviously evil?

ETA: Just for fun, I googled "police seize arsenal" and dug out a couple of ridiculous results:

First, I'll take "Wait. Where are the weapons?" for $500: https://www.rt.com/news/395200-hamburg-g20-plot-arsenal-seized/ I'll admit that I could enjoy a nice precision slingshot, though.

Second, in the "So?" category: https://www.deseret.com/1994/12/30/19150613/w-v-police-seize-arsenal-of-guns-explosives From the article: "personal arsenal - which included two crossbows, a loaded TEC-9 semiautomatic weapon, five partially completed grenades and several 30-round assault-rifle clips." Granted, he probably shouldn't have had the explosives . . . .
 
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Maybe the reason there are not shortages so far this time is folks are still well stocked from the previous Banic although I still don’t understand the reasons for the 22 shortage.

The .22 LR pipeline is pretty short. Normally only around 30-45 days supply in the chain at any time.

Most people, most of the time, don't really keep stock on hand since they know all they have to do is roll into their LGS and buy what they plan on shooting that day.

Once a panic starts everyone wants a couple three bricks on hand. CCI can make ~8000 bricks a day. That sounds like a lot till you realize that's maybe two bricks per Walmart per day. Nothing left for anyone else, just Walmart.

It's also incredibly expensive to start up a new rim fire production line. It's estimated that it takes 3-5 years before it can start to turn a profit. Rim fire production is very vertical. Brass, lead, powder, and priming material in one end and completed rounds out the other. They form the cases, cast the bullets, and mix the priming compound onsite. Priming is traditionally done by hand, unless you pay Eley a license to their technology.

It takes 1-2 years for someone to learn how to efficiently hand prime the cases.

Now couple the above with .22 LR having the lowest margin in the market and you'll start to understand why the shortages happen. The latest shortage was the third I've lived through. I learned my lesson with the first one. If polling shows the Leftist candidate winning the 2020 election then expect another shortage. If they do win expect it will take even longer to dig out than the last time.

Start prepping now. Stock up on rim fire rounds, start reloading and stockpiling components. It's going to be a rough ride, whether it comes in 2020 or after it is coming.
 
I stocked up prior to the Obama shortage and have maintained a healthy amount of ammunition for my use. I have a lot of 22LR, and worked to bring up my 22 WMR to a level I was comfortable with. Centerfire stuff gets replaced in batches (basically when I feel like it) as I use it. I tend to pick up 41 mag ammo when I see it if it is priced okay. But I keep a cache of that as well since it is harder to replace. All the ammo is stored inside a conditioned house. Occasionally I run onto 22 LR in ammo boxes still in my garage from the last time we moved (20 years ago). I'll check the seals and mark that ammo box to test fire down the road. It is usually old Remington golden bullet ammo that predates Sandy Hook. But most is inside the house.

About the only ammo I am buying right now is CCI 40gr 22 WMR, and medium grade target 22LR (stuff like CCI SV).
 
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The .22 LR pipeline is pretty short. Normally only around 30-45 days supply in the chain at any time.

Once a panic starts everyone wants a couple three bricks on hand. A

Now couple the above with .22 LR having the lowest margin in the market and you'll start to understand why the shortages happen. The latest shortage was the third I've lived through. I learned my lesson with the first one. If polling shows the Leftist candidate winning the 2020 election then expect another shortage. If they do win expect it will take even longer to dig out than the last time.

Start prepping now. Stock up on rim fire rounds, start reloading and stockpiling components. It's going to be a rough ride, whether it comes in 2020 or after it is coming.

The 22 shortage was a classic example of a panic. There was no danger at all of 22 ammunition being banned or restricted. In fact 22 will be one of the last cartridges to be banned due to it’s low power and use in pest control. However as you say the supplies were limited and thanks to the fear on the Internet folks decided they had better get some ammo and stores quickly sold out.

Next year is going to be interesting as the polls the media is putting out already shows Trump will be easily defeated.

I do a lot of reloading so I need to a inventory of what I have on hand.
 
I've got a 35 year old 500rd brick of remington .22lr that an old guy gave me. It says $3 on the sticker. I'm pretty sure that was for the brick, not the individual boxes of 50. It still shoots great....
A brick for $3 from ~35 years ago? :what: WOW! That was a great sale!

When I was buying my own .22LR ammo in the early '60s up thru the end of that decade, at least, single 50rd boxes of the stuff cost ~50¢±. About a penny a round.

IIRC, I could still find 500rd bricks thru the '70s for no more than about $6.50. I still have a brick of Imperial .22LR that either Dad or I purchased at JM Fields department store (IIRC) sometime in the '70s. Inside, each 50rd box bears a 59¢ adhesive price tag. :)
 
Next year is going to be interesting as the polls the media is putting out already shows Trump will be easily defeated.

Yep I remember when Hillary beat him in a landslide back in '16. She'll beat him again!

Seriously though, even if you are broke now is the time to hit your local sporting goods store once a week and buy a couple boxes of ammo for what you shoot. By the time the smoke from the election settles you'll have a few hundred extra rounds at minimum.
 
A brick for $3 from ~35 years ago? :what: WOW! That was a great sale!

When I was buying my own .22LR ammo in the early '60s up thru the end of that decade, at least, single 50rd boxes of the stuff cost ~50¢±. About a penny a round.

IIRC, I could still find 500rd bricks thru the '70s for no more than about $6.50. I still have a brick of Imperial .22LR that either Dad or I purchased at JM Fields department store (IIRC) sometime in the '70s. Inside, each 50rd box bears a 59¢ adhesive price tag. :)
That's about right.... 1¢/round for promotional grade 22 ammo. $3.00 must have been a big sale.

Reportedly, Hillary is considering running again since we have a couple sickly poll leaders at the moment. I wouldn't say she's up to it however. Romney is considering a primary challenge, but he is not willing to fight hard enough to win.
 
I don't disagree with you, FSR. IMHO, many members of the media take a lack of knowledge about guns as a point of pride. You know, why would anyone want to know anything about something so obviously evil?

ETA: Just for fun, I googled "police seize arsenal" and dug out a couple of ridiculous results:
Second, in the "So?" category: https://www.deseret.com/1994/12/30/19150613/w-v-police-seize-arsenal-of-guns-explosives From the article: "personal arsenal - which included two crossbows, a loaded TEC-9 semiautomatic weapon, five partially completed grenades and several 30-round assault-rifle clips." Granted, he probably shouldn't have had the explosives . . . .
Most pertinent part was the next to last sentence:
Most of the recovered items, including the unassembled grenades, are legal and available over-the-counter at any Army-Navy surplus store in the state, Call said.
 
I only have 17,000 rounds of 5.56. That is if I don't count my range ready ammo that's in my shop.
Not sure how much 22 LR ammo I have, but the last time I ordered some it was just over 15,000 rounds.
I have about 8,000 rounds of 9mm.
And close to 10,000 rounds of 8mm Mauser, maybe more.
This pic was taken a while back and I have added several more ammo cans. I now have over 100 ammo cans.
I ended up moving all of my pistol and 22 LR ammo to a different location, because I was running out of room.
IMG_0596 (1).JPG

Here are just a few of the full crates of ammo I have.
D8567FEF-DFE9-4BFF-8F2B-AC8CAD2EA925.jpeg
 
How much is enough?

Ecclesiastes 5:10-11 with a few words replaced in brackets:

The one who loves [guns] is never satisfied with [guns], and whoever loves [ammo] is never satisfied with [his stockpile]. This too is futile. When good things increase, the ones who consume them multiply; what, then, is the profit to the owner, except to gaze at them with his eyes?


Panic and fear are huge motivators for gun and ammo sales.
While it is wise to prepare for what may happen in 2020, fear...
has some folks buying ammo they will never be able to shoot in their lifetime

Any number posted is just that... a number. It doesn't account for how much a person enjoys their hobby.

It is wise to do the math. How many times do you go to the range? How many cartridges do you shoot on average? For instance, one person buys a case of ammo that lasts them 10 years, while another person buys that same case, but it may not last 10 weeks. That is why posted numbers don't matter, it does not take usage into account.

While it sounds good to say X number of rounds for every caliber. Do you shoot all your calibers equally? Most people do not. IMHO, it would be more beneficial to weight the calibers by usage and have more of what you use more often.

I'm not saying that it isn't wise to purchase JHP's or to not take advantage of deals or rebates. However, it is my personal opinion that hoarding JHP ammo is a silly thing. Why? Because the usage is even less than target ammo. Some people hold on to their GoldHSTDutySabers as if they were are a priceless commodity. I'm not saying some flavors of your favorite defense carry load aren't scarce. I'm just saying to be smart about it. Carry ammo needs to be switched out because being on your person is not a cool or dry place. You can decide the interval on your own. If a person shoots up your what is in their carry mags, checks zero on their CCW, even chrono's their defensive load, and then reloads the mags - for most people, they aren't even shooting 50 rounds of JHP's per year. The point is to count the cost and your timeframe. Also, since JHP's are somewhat of a technology product, be prepared that your precious GoldHSTDutySabers will not be the new hotness when version 2.0 comes out or some paid advertisement YT wonk promotes a new and improved product offering.


The last thought is to prepare for what people who don't know any better will want to hoard. 22LR, 5.56/223, and 9mm are givens. Remember, there was a time when 9mm was almost unobtainable, but 40S&W, 45acp, 38/357 were just sitting on the shelves. There was a time when Cabelas wanted $20 for a 20 round box of Remington 55gr FMJBT 223. There was also a time when a WM hoarder was trying to get rid of his $11,000.00 22LR stash because he realized that the drought was over. WM (if you even go there anymore) and your big box outdoor store will typically still have your deer hunting caliber on the shelf. At one time during the drought, I was shooting a lot of 308Win simply because it was always available.

All that to say, be wise and prepare for the future, but there is no reason to panic. Even presidencies are limited, just as our constitution reads.
 
I don't have a ammo cache to prepare for the "world to end", but rather that I have it when I feel like shooting and don't have to run to the store or even consider that they might not have what I want. Or... simply so I don't have to plan ahead to shoot something that is harder to find.
 
So cougar1717 I guess that is a long winded way of saying that you don’t have enough ammunition stashed away. Don’t feel bad about it. I don’t either (although you may feel I have to much also).

Money is a little tight for the rest of the year with holidays coming up and new additions to the families so I recently got a Prime Membership in Target Sports. With free shipping I plan on buying ammunition every payday even if it is only a few boxes.

It is only too much ammunition until it isn’t.
 

GunnyUSMC your ammo can stack keeps inspiring me. My Gun Club is having our annual Fall Gun Show this coming weekend and the one item I always buy are 30 and 50 caliber surplus ammo cans.

Since a empty ammo can is a unhappy situation I will be working on filling them up over the winter so that I can do it all over again in the Spring.
 
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