Is it "panic buying" or lots of people with spare time right now?

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Bat Rastard

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I know most of our suppliers are swamped right now. I have made several orders that I likely wouldn't have made under normal circumstances. So I am part of the problem.

I am not "panic buying". I have been loading everything I can, just for something to do. I've been off work for 3 weeks, and have at least 3 more weeks off ahead of me.

Thoughts?
 
Probably some of both. I'm still working full time but we are slow. It's given me a little more time to work in the shop than I would ordinarily have.

I'm working through projects that were on the "books" before all this started. I've ordered some components that I needed but no extra just in case buys. The only thing I've had problems with slow processing / shipping has been with a hazmat order. Other than that it's been business as usual.

.40
 
I do a lot of woodworking for hobby and side money. I bought a ton of materials when I saw there was going to be free time in my future. At that time, I did not know if my suppliers would be doing business or not so I stocked up and hoarded and said sorry suckers to the late comers.

I would say it’s the same thing for the firearms hobbies.
 
I'm not hoarding/panic buying at all but I've been buying a lot; boredom, more time to look for minor improvements, more time to browse and impulse buy, etc.
 
I agree with the others who have said a bit of both. I was kicking around an order since the beginning of the year, and when RMR announced future price increases, that was my trigger. But only ordered ~3K of bullets - in 4 different calibers.
So panic? Or prudence? Hard to call it panic when it was planned and there's cash sitting on the table that's about to disappear.

I'm guessing most people around these parts stepped up their normal buys a little early when the warning signs were showing. They were prepared, but didn't want to be caught short on something if it takes a few months for things to sort themselves out. I think of panic buying as being like when people see the flood waters at their doorstep, and suddenly decide they better go buy sandbags, shovels, and a truck to haul sand with, so they can start building a dike. At that point, it's probably took late to start looking for a boat as a backup plan.
 
I would also have to say both. I did get in some bullet orders, but nothing crazy. Now I'm looking at power valley (for powder) and all the populars are out of stock. Do I wait until in stock or order something else just in case? Its a gamble of which way I want to go. In the end it depends on what your stock is.
 
I was talking to the owner of a local gun store a couple of weeks ago. He said business started to pick up as people got tax refunds. Then a surge as "panic" buying started. It wasn't huge as many people around here already have guns. Then, as work slowed down and kids didn't have to go to school a real run on ammunition as folks had more spare time.

I'm buying components to "replace" the ones I use.
 
I have not bought bullets, powder, or primers in months, and if you don't count what I bought for my new rifles in 6 Dasher & 6 Creed, longer than that. I have bought a couple of shooting related tools from Short Action Customs. One is on the way now.
 
I normally try to keep a year's worth of rimfire and components on hand. Just before all of this started, I noticed that I was lower than that, and started looking. Got some of it, literally the day before everything blew up. Still needed a few things, but it was my fault for thinking that I would have plenty of time. I have since gotten most of what I needed, the last piece I have time and options, so I am not concerned, but this did re-open my eyes to stay a little ahead of the curve.
 
Since the last panic, I have slowly "hoarded" components and ammunition. I haven't bought much of anything except a couple of 100 packs of .22 shorts. I only bought them as they looked lonely on the shelf. Now they have friends. Plenty of friends.
 
I think that the uptick in firearms-related items is mostly of a "panic" nature. Somewhat like the whole Toilet Paper Insanity Thing.

Most folks maintained reasonable stocks of items needed in their lives ... according to the current levels of need & restock availability. That last shifted dramatically in the past month and many folks rue the fact that they were not better prepared for such a change. <shrug> Time to do a little scrambling for some items. Life.

Many of us (more than since the Panic a few years ago, I hope) maintain "somewhat larger" stocks of firearms-related consumables than most would consider as necessary.

My last orders occurred in February. Cases & bullets for the .330BO AR pistol that I assembled on an impulse (started with a 9.5" barrel that I saw advertised for a LOW price back in, like, November). :)
 
In my area its all panic. In times like these my state of mind moves from reloading to hand crafting cartridges.
 
I think it is mostly the people that go from paycheck to paycheck and have not much left over trying to stock up a small amount coupled with new firearm owners trying to find a couple or three boxes of ammo to "put away just in case". It just happened all in the space of a week when .gov started to change normal.

I would hope after the "O" years all of us have been slowly ramping up our spare stuff as a buffer for lack of ammo/components events.
 
I’ve only bought two more guns and both were because they were good deals. I buy ammo about every other month, but haven’t bought any ammo since all this panic buying started. I’ll just wait for things to calm down.
I really haven’t been buying things because I’m board, manly because my bank card got hacked and I had it canceled. New card should be here next week. Who knows, I may buy a S&W M&P M2.0 in FDE when my new bank card arrives.
 
I thought I needed 9mm after the panic. I keep it all over the place but as I counted it al up I have over 1000 rounds of Remington White box 115 gr hollow point. (Paul Harrell special I call them)
 
I would have to say both.

In my case in the last year and a half (as in before the Corona and before the election started to pick up) I acquired several "new to me" calibers AND started reloading again after a 20+ year hiatus. This has had me in acquisition mode all this time. I'm buying equipment, components, and loaded ammo every month.

Alas that Covid blew up just after I bought my wife one of those surplus model 81 Berettas. Started to gear up for it to discover there was no brass available, and a rapidly diminishing local supply of factory ammo. So, in that regard I suppose one could say I "panic bought" several boxes of brands I would not have ordinarily bought otherwise simply to have something that could be used.
 
Not as obvious as the run on guns and ammo, but I am seeing an uptick in gunboard posts by new reloaders looking for step by step instructions and "recipes."
Agreed, but I'm also seeing an overall uptick in postings on all the forums that I frequent. A sign of the times. The spare times.
 
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