Ammo Shortage merged threads, aka UberUltraMasterAmmoThreadOfPower

[CornCod]

Every smart man knows his weaknesses and I am a klutz and would almost certainly have "kabooms" all over the place. I do, however, respect those who can reload.

 

[9mm+]

I am glad to see that the IDPA events are filling up -- that's great news! Regarding my comment on the ranges, one of them caters to newbies and it's almost always full. I credit this to the gun-buying rage and newbies wanting to break them in. The other range (where I mostly go) caters to more experienced shooters and its attendance is off. The biggest complaint I hear there is the cost, but most of them are now moving towards reloading to save money so perhaps this attendance will come back up again in due time.

 

[gideon_70]

Ammo prices are comming down.(slowly).
Reloading does not take all that much room. I load for 4calibers and do it in A 5'x4' space
I hate to see fellow shooters leaving the sport over ammo issues.
And reloading relieves stress.
Keep shooting

I started reloading and bought a 150.00 setup. I went expensive and got an RCBS reloading press, reloading book, scale, powder measure, primer tool, case trimmer and a bunch of little stuff. I also needed to buy a set of shell holders (about 30.00) and a set of dies for what I do (Lee, about 20.00 each). I also bought a jiggler (tumbler) and a medium separator (about 30.00) even though I didn't need them - just wanted them. Last, I bought a radio that would get AM stations.

I shoot .223 a LOT and I can reload about 500 rounds for about 20c each. So far I've reloaded about 1000 rounds. When the .223 stuff was almost a dollar a round, I was saving .80c per round - which almost paid ofr the entire setup. The powder and primers are not that bad if you shop around and get creative. I added a couple of dies, and now reload 380 auto, 9mm, and 7mm (which can be as much as 1.20 a round here right now)

Now, I thought it would be a chore to reload. But I turned the radio on to Hannity, got comfortable, and realized that it really is enjoyable and relaxing to reload.

But I do things in stages. I have about 1000 rounds of .223 that I run through the tumbler, and then depriming, then tumbling, and they stay in a container ready to reload when I feel like it. I also collect as much brass as possible at the ranges. THAT saved a lot of money right there, and most people don't recover their brass.

 

[spentbrass]

Well, I'm not a reloader, so my remarks are not made with reloading in mind.

Simply put, I shoot when I can. I have other hobbies that take up my time in certain seasons, (hiking) so shooting fits in with my other hobbies.

Hiking season is moving into fall color/larch season, so I will focus my time on that. Afterwards, I can be free for my shooting hobby. I do tend to shoot more in the late fall/early winter, late winter means snowshoeing.

I short, I don't HAVE to shoot all the time to be proficient/happy. I just shoot when the time/seasons allows.
YMMV

 

[Mini30]

I was in a country hardware store the other day and noticed they had a case of Remington 44 mag ammo on the shelf priced at $24 or $25/box. Good price, but I don't own a 44 mag now. I suggested they check to see what 44 mag is selling for and adjust their prices to allow for resupply.

Not as much as it was. Just looked in the stash; my pre-11/08 Magtech 240gr JSP 44Mag was $24/box. In June, I paid $48 for a box of American Eagle .44Mag when I inadvertantly left some of my ammo behind on a trip to the range. This weekend at the Monroe Gunshow, I paid $29/bx for the same Magtech mentioned above. Only $5/bx higher than this time last year.

 

[D!rty H@rry]

5 buck a box more seems about the going rate for the most common handgun calibers @ this time. availability seems a problem around here for the cheaper/better deals and 9mm is in short. .380 is very, very limited and can be wildley expensive, actually preventing me from buying a gun in that caliber.

 

[Mini30]

.380 is very, very limited and can be wildley expensive, actually preventing me from buying a gun in that caliber.

One thing I'm glad for is the cute Vz82 I bought a while back in 9x18; russian steel-cased ammo hasn't dried up at all

 

[chibiker]

I find the timing on this um, wierd?

Saw this article published just today... http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-national/20090923/US.Ammo.Shortage/

I like most of you have been rather frustrated in the lack of availability on ammo.... cut back on going to the range, refusing to pay the ridiculous prices on what I could find, etc, etc.
Finally within the last month or so it all seemed to be leveling out. Was able to find all the .22 ammo I wanted, even found 9mm at several of the Wally Worlds. Went to the range this past weekend, bringing a friend for her first time ever shooting.

Anyway, I see this article... had to check the time stamp on it to make sure I was reading something from this past fall/winter. We all saw the news reports months ago but I at least have seen nothing for ages. What, is there another round of hoarding going on? It has tapered off so time to start it up again? What's the point in the article in the first place? I dunno, I have gotten screwed over recently on several business dealings and maybe I am in the mode that everything right now smells funny... know what I mean?

 

[jakemccoy]

The leveling off that you noticed is probably because many people, like you, have cut back recently within the last year or so. As soon as everybody starts breathing again, the shortage will be more evident. The article seems timely to me.

 

[kda]

Maybe Comcast was just looking for some "filler" material for their web page. That said, ammo is still pretty hard to find in my part of the country although it is easing slightly for a few calibers.

 

[longbeard48]

I suppose the media is either clueless or just slow to catch up with trends in the firearms world. It appears that Comcast thinks that this is up-to-the-minute news.

 

[jakemccoy]

The article said that lead is more expensive than gold.

What kind of weird scale is he using?

Maybe he meant the relative price increase of lead is more than that of gold.

 

[lobo9er]

main stream news bullet shortage

main stream news just caught on. or at least first big story i have seen.

 

[fattboyzz]

gotta link ?

 

[longdayjake]

try yahoo's home page

 

[m_kirk2001]

here are some articles and some "word of mouth"

Here is a major article from the Wall Street Journal that mentions the ammo shortage: http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090921-703882.html

Here is another article concerning ammunition demand trends: http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20090923/NEWS/909239993/1011/NEWS?Title=Ammo-demand-up

Word of mouth in my neck of the woods has it that a military order is the main reason that supply dried up and that it should subside and be more normal towards the end of this near and into the beginning of next year.

 

[Blue .45]

This is from the AP.

By MARY FOSTER, Associated Press Writer Mary Foster, Associated Press Writer – Wed Sep 23, 2:51 pm ET

NEW ORLEANS – Bullet-makers are working around the clock, seven days a week, and still can't keep up with the nation's demand for ammunition.

Shooting ranges, gun dealers and bullet manufacturers say they have never seen such shortages. Bullets, especially for handguns, have been scarce for months because gun enthusiasts are stocking up on ammo, in part because they fear President Barack Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress will pass antigun legislation — even though nothing specific has been proposed and the president last month signed a law allowing people to carry loaded guns in national parks.

Gun sales spiked when it became clear Obama would be elected a year ago and purchases continued to rise in his first few months of office. The FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System reported that 6.1 million background checks for gun sales were issued from January to May, an increase of 25.6 percent from the same period the year before.

"That is going to cause an upswing in ammunition sales," said Larry Keane, senior vice president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a trade association representing about 5,000 members. "Without bullets a gun is just a paper weight."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090923/ap_on_re_us/us_ammo_shortage

 

[Mt Shooter]

I read about it on MSNBC at work today...

 

[ants]

Someone tell Mary Foster that the term is 'cartridge', not bullet.
The bullet is the projectile. She's writing about an ammunition shortage.

 

[Erik M]

I guess with all the talk of the ammo shortage leveling out and stores beginning to regain most of thier depleted stock Retailers have put in a call to the Media to try and cause another scare among the sheeple. They have to keep this price gouging thing going a few more months, how else would the Wal-Mart Executives, Gun Show Carney's, and Pawn Broker's feed thier children?

 

[hammerklavier]

Right, I was just thinking, it's just like the media to catch on to a story when it's over and then exacerbate the problem.

 

[mustang_steve]

Yeah, this is old news. Ammo is starting to re-emerge in this area. Still grossly overpriced, but it's around for a change. It used to be a bidding war to get any 9mm, paying upwards of $40 for a box of JHPs that would normally be $8-10 at wally world.

The prices will subside once people get used to a minimal stock being around, then subside more as the inventories become more stable.

 

[nwilliams]

Here's the complete article from the AP....

America armed, but guns not necessarily loaded

By MARY FOSTER, Associated Press Writer Mary Foster, Associated Press Writer – Wed Sep 23, 2:51 pm ET

NEW ORLEANS – Bullet-makers are working around the clock, seven days a week, and still can't keep up with the nation's demand for ammunition.

Shooting ranges, gun dealers and bullet manufacturers say they have never seen such shortages. Bullets, especially for handguns, have been scarce for months because gun enthusiasts are stocking up on ammo, in part because they fear President Barack Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress will pass antigun legislation — even though nothing specific has been proposed and the president last month signed a law allowing people to carry loaded guns in national parks.

Gun sales spiked when it became clear Obama would be elected a year ago and purchases continued to rise in his first few months of office. The FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System reported that 6.1 million background checks for gun sales were issued from January to May, an increase of 25.6 percent from the same period the year before.

"That is going to cause an upswing in ammunition sales," said Larry Keane, senior vice president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a trade association representing about 5,000 members. "Without bullets a gun is just a paper weight."

The shortage for sportsmen is different than the scarcity of ammo for some police forces earlier this year, a dearth fueled by an increase in ammo use by the military in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"We are working overtime and still can't keep up with the demand," said Al Russo, spokesman for North Carolina-based Remington Arms Company, which makes bullets for rifles, handguns and shotguns. "We've had to add a fourth shift and go 24-7. It's a phenomenon that I have not seen before in my 30 years in the business."

Americans usually buy about 7 billion rounds of ammunition a year, according to the National Rifle Association. In the past year, that figure has jumped to about 9 billion rounds, said NRA spokeswoman Vickie Cieplak.

Jason Gregory, who manages Gretna Gun Works just outside of New Orleans, has been building his personal supply of ammunition for months. His goal is to have at least 1,000 rounds for each of his 25 weapons.

"I call it the Obama effect," said Gregory, 37, of Terrytown, La. "It always happens when the Democrats get in office. It happened with Clinton and Obama is even stronger for gun control. Ammunition will be the first step, so I'm stocking up while I can."

So far, the new administration nor Congress has not been markedly antigun. Obama has said he respects Second Amendment rights, but favors "common sense" on gun laws. Still, worries about what could happen persist.

Demand has been so heavy at some Walmarts, a limit was imposed on the amount of ammo customers can buy. The cutoff varies according to caliber and store location, but sometimes as little as one box — or 50 bullets — is allowed.

At Barnwood Arms in Ripon, Calif., sales manager Dallas Jett said some of the shortages have leveled off, but 45-caliber rounds are still hard to find.

"We've been in business for 32 years and I've been here for 10 and we've never seen anything like it," Jett said. "Coming out of Christmas everything started to dry up and it was that way all through the spring and summer.

Nationwide, distributors are scrambling to fill orders from retailers.

"We used to be able to order 50 or 60 cases and get them in three or four days easy, it was never an issue," said Vic Grechniw of Florida Ammo Traders, a distributor in Tampa, Fla. "Now you are really lucky if you can get one case a month. It just isn't there because the demand is way up."

A case contains 500 or 1,000 bullets.

At Jefferson Gun Outlet and Range in Metairie just west of New Orleans, owner Mike Mayer is worried individuals are going to start buying by the case.

"If someone wants to shoot on the weekend you have to worry about having the ammunition for them. And I know some people aren't buying to use it at the range, they're taking it home and hoarding it."

With demand, prices have also risen.

"Used to be gold, but now lead is the most expensive metal," said Donald Richards, 37, who was stocking up at the Jefferson store. "And worth every penny."

 

[peyton]

Like everything else the media is only 18 months LATE!!!

 

[Warhawk83]

There is a story on MSNBC's page today too.....