Shortage of 7.62x39 big time!

[Lonestar.45]

Yes, I've heard of the shortage of 7.62x39 lately, but it didn't seem to be too bad locally. Today opened my eyes. Went to the Austin Tx gunshow. I got there around 11:00. One ammo man had 2 cases of Wolf left for $150 a case. I cruised around for 10 minutes to see if I could find somewhere cheaper, and there wasn't any by the case anywhere else at the show. Went back to the table, and both cases were gone. Apparently he had 10 cases at 9:00 am and all were gone before 11:30.

So I drove over to the local Academy (where I saw probably 50-60 boxes two days before on the shelves for $2.99 a box) and it was cleaned out. Academy always used to have it, but lately it seems they only get it in about once every two weeks or so and it is gone in a couple of days.

I think folks are stocking up for SHTF/looter season or something. Thankfully I still have a case tucked away from back when it was $80! I think those days are LONG gone.

 

[trickyasafox]

totally dry by me. wolff has long been gone, and umc at 9 bucks a box is scarce

 

[Preacherman]

Quite frankly, I'm beginning to wonder whether the shortage isn't deliberately engineered by the importers. I don't accept that for over a year, the shortage has continued due to demand elsewhere - the factories in Russia and elsewhere would be more than capable of tooling up to meet demand. I suspect that having seen how people are willing to pay almost twice as much per case as they used to, the importers will deliberately hold back supply. If they import half as much, but make the same amount of money, what incentive have they got to increase importation? That would drive the price down, which would mean that they'd have to work harder and sell more to achieve the same return.

Fortunately, I still have somewhere between 3,000 and 4,000 rounds in my ammo locker . . . and they'll stay there, on "slow use", while I shoot up other, cheaper stuff!

 

[MechAg94]

The problem the importers run into is if they restrict supply to the point that it is difficult to obtain, people will stop buying rifles in those calibers. I think it would hurt their long term business to monkey with their supply too much. I bought a WASR2 a couple months ago. I still don't have ammo. Never shot it. I won't make that mistake again. Also, it gives domestic ammo producers a chance to sell their product.

 

[TexAg]

My 154gr. Wolf order from Sportsmans Guide was initially supposed to be here at the end of April, its now been pushed back to the end of June. Monarch at the local Academy is still available though.

 

[english kanigit]

This burns my but. I just picked up a newly rearsenaled Russian SKS from a pawn shop. That was two months ago and I still haven't shot it. I have almost 140 rounds of wolf/silver bear so I can't really go plinking with it.

I'm saving it for an emergency....


Mods, perhaps we can get something useful out of this subject. Could we get a sticky thread for favorite 7.62 short handloads? I recall some forumite bragging in his hardcast 7.62x39 loads. Perhaps we could share the knowledge? Perhaps as time goes on we can have a post in the thread for each scarce caliber or something similar.

Just my 2 cents...
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edited to add: I forgot to mention the robbers and rapists running our local range. Right now they're charging $240/ 1000. In four months I've seen 1 case leave the shelf.

 

[PvtPyle]

Quite frankly, I'm beginning to wonder whether the shortage isn't deliberately engineered by the importers.

It is. And I called James Ha from Wolf on it at the SHOT Show. He gave me the "war sucking it all up" story, but I told him that I knew the Armorers and Ammo NCO's that were currently working with several Iraqi units, and I know the same group of guys working Afghanistan and that they said it was all Czech and other eastern European ammo, not Russian. He hemmed and hawed around a bit and then said to me "Well you dont like sitting on inventory do you?"

That sealed the deal for me.

 

[#shooter]

Ugghhh! I went to a GS and they were charging $5+ a box of Wolf. At a show I paid $75 for an ammo can (440) and that was the last one. I don't know if they are holding back. I was at Gander Mtn and they had made 2 endcaps top to bottom 7x3 ft full of the stuff for 1.99. Within 3 days it was gone. Demand might just be high. Lots of SKSs and AKs at the range. There is always 1 or 2 plinking away using MY AMMO.

 

[craig]

those robbers and rapists have a relative in my town.

the local guy has a case of wolf for sale.

$300.00

 

[P95Carry]

Wolf left for $150 a case

Holy Moly - and I think back to last year and $80 per case, sheesh!!

I have 2,000 still wrapped and they will stay that way - with occasional use of the few hundred in open case - sure ain't gonna let that lot run too low!

 

[Dionysusigma]

$150 a case still isn't too bad for rifle ammo. .223 is still more than that, isn't it?

 

[Limeyfellow]

You have to hit the gunshows really early to get the ammo right now. Otherwise some arse goes along and drops $500-1000 and pretty much buys it all out that they can find where they are stockpiling. Theres a fair amount of it still at the NC shows. The net suppliers are slowing getting caught up with the backlog, though I would think in a few months everything be up to par. After all there are various wars going on. Have to keep an eye on 5.56mm too. Supplies are running low in the military from a number of stocks.

 

[Manedwolf]

It would be very interesting if someone could pinpoint EXACTLY where in the supply chain the bottleneck is... and then more could be surmised about why and how it's happening.

I think it'd be rather interesting, to say the least.

As for engineered scarcity and controlled releases of small amounts of a product, that's nothing new to the marketplace. The De Beers cartel, with literally warehouses stuffed with diamonds in undisclosed locales, has been doing it for much of this century.

 

[trickyasafox]

guys, this isn't debeers. they hold the market on a rare earth stone, that can't be readily substituted. if supply runs short much longer, you'll see another company tool up to meet demand with another low cost equivilent. why you ask? because there is a huge market segment. i have 2 sks's. i have bought 1 box of 20 rounds, and until prices soften, i won't buy another. someone will always be willing to undercut another person to steal business.

is it crazy that people think they'll get away with this? absolutely. as for the war line, hell if they were smart they'd say the metals market and price of oil screwed them even though the way they produce wolff ammo they use very little metal that was affected in the market recently. . . .

honestly i think the shortage is guys like me (people who bought a couple yugos cause they are just so darn affordable) and guys who think the only way to get a good night's sleep is by constructing a bed out of cases of wolff horded away for the impending colapse, which on their clock will happen in about 20 minutes.

im hopeful for a mid-summer time frame for supply to catch up. whats that based on? absolutely nothing, but i feel its gotta come sooner than later.

 

[Manedwolf]

Well, the market DOES always correct with competition, yes. Even my example...took a while, but there's now some flawless artificial diamonds coming out that can't be distinguished from those dug up.

The same will happen with ammo FAR quicker if a deliberate shortage continues, I agree. Some other company that could not compete at the old price will find that they can tool up and sell for a profit at something still less than the new prices, and the importers will have broken their own exclusive market.

That's how it goes.

 

[22/22mag]

Its kind of like the oil/gas prices no shortage of $3.00 and up is there?Thank you B+C you guys have made a few very rich...Are you now into ammo?

 

[22/22mag]

Its kind of like the oil/gas prices no shortage of $3.00 and up is there?Thank you B+C you guys have made a few very rich...Are you now into ammo?Just asking.

 

[Cosmoline]

Heck, I just got a sweet Star pistol in trade for just one ammo box of mixed lot x39! It's getting pretty serious. The stuff is turning into gun show currency.

 

[Koobuh]

Seriously, it's getting bad. Around here, the cheapest place had Wolf for $3 a box. Gone as of last week, no more on the horizon.
The only place that has Wolf is Yeagers, for $4 a box of 20.
I'm going back to buy more later, because the only other place that had it, Kesselrings (for ~$200 a case), was just bought out by a friend of mine.

If Yeagers is sold out by tuesday, that's it. No more Wolf 7.62x39 will be available at any price until the end of June.

It's simply unbelievable. Of course, you can get all the Federal (at $10 a box) you want.

 

[Remington788]

My father was at an auction yesterday and they had 2400 rounds of 7.62x39 that went for $5.00 per box of 20. One guy bought them all.

On the plus side, he picked up a nice Smith and Wesson model 29 for $325.

 

[ugaarguy]

With the new Kel-Tec SU-16s and the age of $600 plinker AR-15 the AK market may be hurting now that surplus 223 can edge 7.62x39 in price. This will be interesting to see how it comes out.

 

[mrrick]

Get a progressive press and reload. That will show them.

 

[444]

I was at a gunshow this past weekend and they had plenty. I wasn't able to make it until Sunday afternoon and they still had Wolf 7.62x39. I didn't pay attention to how much it cost: I don't need any.

"$150 a case still isn't too bad for rifle ammo. .223 is still more than that, isn't it?"
I haven't bought a case of Wolf .223 at a Gunshow (where they sell ammo for a reaonsable price) for awhile but the last case I bought was $99. PMC however is more than $150/case and regular American ammo from Winchester/Remington is more than that. Which is obviously the reason I shoot Wolf.

As far as artificially manipulating the market: I shoot Wolf because it does what I need it to do at a price that is far less than the alternative. It provides me with enough accuracy for the things I normally do with these types of rifles. If they start charging $180/case or more, I have no reason to buy Wolf. I can buy nice American, boxer primed, brass cased ammo for those kinds of prices. Surely they don't think that Wolf is some kind of premium ammo, do they ?

On a positive note: Since ammo prices are going up, maybe more people will get the most out of what they have. In other words, instead of doing stuff like bump firing they will try to become good marksman (and markswomen ). Only hits count. You can't miss enough to win a gun fight.
Sight picture/sight alignment/and trigger control: the three secrets.

 

[cracked butt]

Feh, screw Wolf and their substandard ammunition. There are plenty of rifles out there chambered in .308 and .223 both of which are reasonably priced and available most everywhere. For the price of a case of Wolf ammo that some are quoting, you can buy a high point 9mm carbine which is extremely cheap to feed . The AKs and SKS' might have to sit in the back of the safe for a year or two, but surplus 7.62x39 ammo will become available again.

 

[armoredman]

123gr Hornady Soft Point, Winchester brass, CCI primer, 29 gr H-335, OAl of 2.17, works well in the Yugo and the AK. Not nearly as cheap as Wolf, but beats local factory produced ammo pretty quick.

Use of the above information is at your own risk, no warranties implied or stated.