I don't think this ammo shortage will be as bad as the last time.

Do you think the shortage will be as bad as the last time

  • No.

    Votes: 20 8.3%
  • Yes.

    Votes: 197 81.7%
  • Not sure.

    Votes: 24 10.0%

  • Total voters
    241
  • Poll closed .
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clutch

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Location
Northern Michigan
I know for a lot of people the current lack of supply really stinks. The population of gun owners consists people born across decades.

For some this is the first ammo shortage, others 2008, others 1994 and you can insert what ever other dates where things got tight.

Once you experience one panic, you tend to ramp up your holdings of ammo and components. Those of us that have been through this many times, have likely ramped things up a bit more because each time we add to stock and think just a bit more makes a lot more sense. We are not hoarding the stuff but we put some away to get by, didn't burn it all and after the next time, we put a bit more away.

So I think things will get back on the shelves sooner that we expect and sales of ammo will stay strong. I don't see ammo buying falling off the cliff.

My thoughts apply to reloading components also.

Clutch
 
I hope you are right but this feels a lot worse than the one in 2008. There are those who have learned from the past and there are those who are learning with this one.... ones new to the sport. I don't know when the current buyers will think they have enough to be satisfied but as long as those who find it buy all they can carry then this will perpetuate for a long time.
 
The crucial difference is unlike in previous shortages the President had not announced his intention to disarm as many Americans as possible including use of Executive Orders if he can not get Congress to pass the restrictions he and his gang of anti-gunners want.
 
I've been through it before. This one is different. Here in NJ, there is a very real possibility that online ammo sales will be outlawed. That may not sound so bad, but where I am, Walmart and Sports Authority no longer sell ammo.

Complaining about $50 for a brick of 375 mini mags? I see that as the new future here if these laws go through.
 
GF went on a road trip, drove from Dallas to Memphis. Came home with 450 rounds of assorted (9mm, .40S&W, .45ACP) ammo from two Walmart stores along the way. It may be worse in other states.
 
I have been very active with firearms since 1980 and 2008 was the first shortage that i really noticed. Apparently, either my buying habits in the eighties and nineties smoothed out the shortages or their was a time in the nineties that i was busy with other things.

In 2009, there were no inventories but do not remember too much overpricing or excessive overpricing, at least with the stuff i buy. It just was not available.

This time is different. Fortunately, I planned ahead and was well stocked before the election. This panic has not affected me at all so far except that I am not buying anything ammunition related right now.
 
Yes. Because, unlike 2008, there's a huge gob of bad legislation to fight this time around. Not just on a national level, but state as well.
 
This panic is like 2008 on steroids. No sign of letting up in my neck of the woods.
 
Actually I thnik this shortage is worse than any I have seen previously and I've been buying guns and ammo for 30 years or more. The reason I say this one is worse is I have never seen a run on this many calibers all at one time.
 
I've been in guns for about 60 years and I've never seen anything like this.

The last couple shortages don't hold a candle to this mess.

I've seen many, many people that never had any interest what so ever in guns buying their first gun.
 
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Same here. I found what I needed back in '08. I can still find .270, .44, but that's it. No .22, 7.62x39, no 12 GA other than target loads. I have plenty of ammo to get me through, but I'd feel more comfortable going to the range if I could buy a box of 22s on the way.
 
Nope, this is the worst I've seen in nearly 20 years. I've never seen .22 rimfire stockout like this. All the other attempts at bans were mostly national efforts, with the states following suit afterwards to keep the temporary provisions permanent.

This one is failing to gain traction at the national level, so the various blue states are working so rapidly its as if they are competing to see who can pass the mostest, quickest.
 
The larger problem that i forsee happening is that now that the prices have skyrocketed, and the market has supported it, will there be any reason for the sellers to drop their prices. It's just like the CEO of BP said about gas prices, they can sell gas at 4 dollars per gallon because the American people will support the market. They won't stop needing and they won't stop buying. Now that the sellers of ammo have seen that they can charge exorbitant prices and they'll still sell out, why would they go back to pre-panic prices?
 
Why did people jump to the irrational conclusion that .22 ammo is to be taxed much more, or will be produced in smaller quantities etc?

In other words, why did they panic and assume that .22 and many other types of ammo will soon be much more expensive, when living/working outside of CT, NY, NJ, CA etc?
 
This is the worst I have seen in 50 years with no end in sight. I cant buy, it and haveing a difficult time trying to get componets to reload
 
I/O = people are buying up .22s because that's all that is left for guys who still want to be able to go to the range on a nice day and actually be able to shoot something instead of watching everyone else shoot.
 
Been hitting Wally's, Gander, Dick's, LGS everywhere I go in FL and it's the same: pure luck crap shoot, mostly coming up zeros.
 
Sure when the supply comes back the dealers will realize we will pay $50 a brick for .22's. But all it will take is for one clever fellow to figure out he can sell a huge pile of ammo for $49 a brick and the race to market price is on.

There's always one that spoils a good thing for the rest of us.
 
Bullfrog Ken:
That makes lots of sense, as I seldom go to the club range, prefering to shoot in a natural setting. A .22 always goes along, and means less desire to then use up too much of the other ammo (7.62x39, .303 etc).

As to why so many guys ever let their supply of .22 get so low (<1,000 rds.?), that is hard to imagine.

The tragedies of Tucson, Aurora, Portland, exploited by the media, should have been a "wake up call", but everybody assumes so much,
even with two unique Presidential elections. Good hints and clear indications of trouble don't work with most people.
 
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It is already worst than last time. I have never seen shelves w/o any kind of 22LR in my 25 years of shooting. Can't even find 22LR it online save for the $15/box stuff.
 
I/O - because the vast majority of the 80-100 million or so gun owners here in the US of A aren't of the persuasion to keep 1,000 rounds of .22 rimfire in their home. Many will buy one or two hundred on their way out to their local shooting spot, or expect to buy it at their local public range when they get there.


My FIL and uncle are the people I know like this, who might go out shooting once every few years. Or when "the bug" hits them one nice weekend. And just like the other 50 -80 million or so gun owners who always expected to be able to buy .22 ammo right when they needed it - at Wal-Mart a week before an outing; on the way to the range; or at the range itself . . .

Now they have found out they can't. And that's because the manufacturing industry can't support those "occasional shooters" alongside the "more regular" shooters who have bought up .22s because nothing else is left. And when those range-outing-once-every-five-years gun owners realize even the .22s have become scarce . . . everyone starts buying the .22 ammo whenever they see it, just because they don't want to be caught without it again.


And that is what has caused the .22 rimfire shortage.
 
Not going to be as bad as the last time? Were you around for the last time? Trust me, this is as bad as I've ever seen it. Last time it was just some brief, annoying shortages. This time it's different... the buying pressure is relentless.
 
In the remaining years; we need to find a good candidate for the 2016 election. It feels like the 1970's again in regards to the political leadership and atmosphere.
 
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