2012 Shortage/Hoarding Mega Thread

[BullfrogKen]

The Great Primer Drought was terrible. I had a good supply before the shortages hit and kept using them, completely clueless as to how bad the situation was. Had I known I would have rationed myself a bit.

As my supply got low one day I decided to go restock. I was stunned at the bare shelves, and the price had more than doubled for what was in stock. I still had 1k bricks with $13.99 price stickers on them. I was happy to find bricks selling for $35.00 per 1k.


Regards to using small rifle in place of small pistol. Yes they will work. IPSC guys used small rifle primers in 38 Supers back in the 80's when making Major. I still use small rifle in my hot 38 Supers.

The only problem you might have is the cup is harder, so a weak hammer spring might not set them off. Or you could have gas leakage around the back of the primer. A rifle primer is harder to withstand the higher pressure, but it still expands to fill the primer cavity when fired and seals off the gasses. Pistol primers do the same thing, just at lower pressures.


FYI - Large pistol and large rifle primers are NOT interchangeable. They have different external dimensions.

 

[denton]

The world has just so much ammunition production capacity. Almost all of it is dedicated to producing military ammunition. The sporting market gets what's left over when military demand is met. A small increase in military demand consumes the available sporting ammunition and components capacity. It is the nature of the market to give us periodic spot shortages. I'm surprised the recent DHS mega-buy hasn't caused more disruption than we have seen.

 

[Rail Driver]

The world has just so much ammunition production capacity. Almost all of it is dedicated to producing military ammunition. The sporting market gets what's left over when military demand is met. A small increase in military demand consumes the available sporting ammunition and components capacity. It is the nature of the market to give us periodic spot shortages. I'm surprised the recent DHS mega-buy hasn't caused more disruption than we have seen.

For what it's worth, while it's a large order, it's not intended to be filled all at once - I'm pretty sure the order is to be filled over a certain number of years.

 

[1-UP]

Every time I've stopped by the local big-box shops and sporting goods stores lately they've had ammo on the shelves. 9/10 they've had ammo in the caliber I was looking for. The dicey part has either been they have a price I don't really want to pay OR the brands they have left are not brands I care to use.

/shrug

 

[anchorman]

Ammo hoarding...

What's the deal here? Websites selling out of most of the formerly cheap stuff... Are people actually paranoid that the president is going to commit political suicide and enact some new draconian gun restrictions? Or is it just normal spring/early summer uptick in demand?

 

[Warp]

What's the deal here? Websites selling out of most of the formerly cheap stuff... Are people actually paranoid that the president is going to commit political suicide and enact some new draconian gun restrictions? Or is it just normal spring/early summer uptick in demand?

Well, as some people keep repeating these days...what political suicide? Once elected to a second term as president, what future political life does one have to worry about?

The coming election is most certainly a factor. A big factor.

There will be shortages. They have already begun. Probably not as bad as four years ago though.

 

[Kingcreek]

I don't consider myself a hoarder but I have bought quantities, more reloading components than factory ammo. I've bought when it was a bargain and I've never seen anything priced lower at later dates. Maybe I have somewhat of a bunker mentality but mostly I just want to be well supplied and not feel limited regardless of current market costs. So when I bought 5k brass and bullets and 8 pound bottles of powder they were less than half what they cost now, is that hoarding? I'm running out of $10/pound powder and primers marked $11/k. I have cases of shot shells from when I shot a lot of clays that I paid 30-35 for and sell for 60 now. All I have to do is live long enought to shoot what I have stockpiled and it won't be hoarding.

 

[CoRoMo]

I stock up on long lasting food stores and useful goods for the same reason that I stock up on ammo and reloading components; it's undeniably a good idea. When shortages come, I'll be better off having prepared.

Probably not as bad as four years ago though.

IMO, if the president is reelected, this coming January 2013 should experience a firearms and ammunition shortage that will make January 2009 look like an obscene and plentiful surplus. People panicked then and they will panic exceedingly more this time around. Everyone should have simply practiced stocking up in moderation rather than in an urgent rush.

 

[Warp]

Why panic more this time? This time he has established a many years long track record of not doing anything.

And don't forget that most things require the legislature, and they do need to worry about re-election

 

[HGUNHNTR]

Ever stocked up on toilet paper when it was cheap? I've done the same with ammo. I can see the writing on the wall just like 2008. I'm buying a lot of ammo now because I think there will be a "Joe Shooter" induced shortage. Not because of any real world legislation or policy, but because of a perceived shortage. It's a good idea to evaluate past human behavior (rational or not) and act accordingly.

 

[Boomm]

Well it would definitely be political suicide for himself as well as the democratic party in the next election.

 

[CoRoMo]

Why panic more this time?

I don't know. People just do and will. I offer no explanation for their actions.

 

[wkumatt]

It don't eat anythinghing and it ain't getting cheaper.

I'm buying as much as I can afford.

Sent from my PB99400 using Tapatalk 2

 

[firesky101]

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=649691&highlight=shortage%2Fhoarding+mega+thread

These threads rarely go anywhere new/productive. It is a self fulfilling prophecy and we are our own worst enemies, unless of course you sell anything firearms related and have the habit of turning a profit.

 

[Warp]

Well it would definitely be political suicide for himself as well as the democratic party in the next election.

What political suicide? What other election would a second term US president ever possibly have to worry about?

 

[CoRoMo]

...we are our own worst enemies...

I don't know; these panic buying sprees do a lot to strengthen the industries that our little hobby depends on. Gun makers, ammo makers, accessory makers, gun clubs & ranges, local shops; they all get a boon out of it. They'll profit highly now, hopefully, and they'll all be around for us regulars after it's all settled down. Most of them donate to the guys who lobby our cause too.

More panic buying = more profit for the product makers = more capital power for the lobby = more secured future? Maybe so!

Let everyone else panic. They can buy up all the guns and ammo at whatever prices may be. Just don't get caught up in it yourself. Do your part and prepare for storms to come. We all might be better off for it.

 

[Warp]

Of course, the catch is that you ought to already be prepared for the storm, and be able to weather at least a solid year of said storm.

When B. Hussein O. was first elected and people went nuts buying stuff I actually went something like a year and a half without hardly buying a single firearm related item.

 

[Glock Novice]

I'm generally a pretty calm person, but if the man who said this:

"Deadly assault weapons have no place in Massachusetts," Romney said, at a bill signing ceremony with legislators, sportsmen's groups and gun safety advocates. "These guns are not made for recreation or self- defense. They are instruments of destruction with the sole purpose of hunting down and killing people."

... is elected, I actually will panic.

 

[Hacker15E]

Once elected to a second term as president, what future political life does one have to worry about?

Fortunately, this is a ridiculous argument.

Just because someone doesn't have to run for re-election does not mean that they're not still accountable to the citizenry. This is why we have options like impeachment -- the President is certainly not The King.

More importantly, because the President is not The King, any significant firearms legislation will have to go through Congress....and despite a 2nd-term President Obama's ineligibility for re-election, all of the members of the House and Senate who would have to pass such legislation are not so ineligible. They absolutely would be held accountable for such legislation and absolutely would be concerned about their potential for re-election.

Let's not forget that the last railroaded piece of legislation, the Health Care bill, had trouble getting ramrodded through even with a Democrat supermajority.

That supermajority no longer exists, and it's unlikely that that will change this November. In addition, that Health Care bill is finding it's way through the Judicial Branch of government currently....further proof, again, that one man's vision isn't so simply implemented in US politics, especially if it is a divisive issue like firearms law and policy. There are three separate branches of the Federal Government for a reason, and in general that structure works to prevent complete idiocy from occurring in America.

It will be very difficult for the Obama Administration to pass sweeping firearms legislation in a 2nd term, despite some folks' fears.

 

[22-rimfire]

Just because someone doesn't have to run for re-election does not mean that they're not still accountable to the citizenry. This is why we have options like impeachment -- the President is certainly not The King.

More importantly, because the President is not The King, any significant firearms legislation will have to go through Congress....and despite a 2nd-term President Obama's ineligibility for re-election, all of the members of the House and Senate who would have to pass such legislation are not so ineligible. They absolutely would be held accountable for such legislation and absolutely would be concerned about their potential for re-election.

I think you actually believe this. Why do you think all these Czars exist? The term is somewhat interesting and its historical ramifications.

As far as impeachment goes... forget about it. It takes too long and eventually the politicians will see it as not being fruitful and the new laws or regulations continue on long after a particular President or Congress.

 

[Warp]

Hacker15E, I won't nit-pick because I agree with you overall. The legislature does stand to lose a lot.

I was pretty confident going into 2008 that all of the doom and gloom about bans and restrictions would never come to fruition. I am less confident this time around, but still see it as not likely.

 

[rajb123]

I say buy a bunch of ammo now since the prices will be much higher later.

 

[22-rimfire]

I received an order today via Big Brown. Didn't particularly need any of it (this year), but I think prices will continue the move upward steadily. I buy when I have the funds and inclination as I think others should do.

 

[DammitBoy]

Let's not ignore the danger that if re-elected, Obama can appoint a new Supreme Court justice or two...

 

[Hacker15E]

I think you actually believe this. Why do you think all these Czars exist? The term is somewhat interesting and its historical ramifications.

The "Czar" term in US politics is slang.

The people in those positions cannot create legislation - they are policy directors.

Despite the ominous implied parallels to the Russian monarchs, they are simply not even related in terms of what they're empowered to do.

Laws are still handled by the Executive, the Legislative, and the Judicial.