The ammo shortage?

[DeadMoneyDrew]

Dick's in Wilmington, Delaware today had the best-stocked ammo shelf I have seen there in a long time. The counter manager told me that they have gone to a 1-box-per-customer rule, and that has thinned out the herds of ammo flippers a bit. I don't know if this is a policy in place at other stores or not. About 2 months ago a manager at the same Dick's told me that they would have a full stock of ammo were it not for the same 15-25 people showing up every morning to clean them out.

 

[vito]

The Dick's here in Rockford does not even carry handgun ammo, period. I thought it was a company policy but maybe it just applies here in Illinois. Other than occasionally seeing some Eastern Bloc manufactured ammo I still am not seeing any consistent availability of any of the calibers I am interested in: 45acp, 38 special, 380 auto, 40S&W, and especially 22LR. Even at G.A.T. Guns nearer to Chicago, where I thought things were getting back to normal, you are limited to 2 boxes of 50 of 22LR at $5 a box.

 

[Davek1977]

As far as 5.45 those prices (.18) have risen some 64% since my last purchase. I don't call an increase of that magnitude cheap.

When compareed to ANY other centerfire round, .18 for a loaded cartridge is STILL a considerable bargin compared to basically ANYTHING else that comes close to matching its performance

 

[Queen_of_Thunder]

When compareed to ANY other centerfire round, .18 for a loaded cartridge is STILL a considerable bargin compared to basically ANYTHING else that comes close to matching its performance

Of course its cheaper than $5 a round for 338 lapua or 50 bmg but that is like comparing apples to figs. A bad comparison.

 

[wgaynor]

It's pathetic how people result to insulting each other and blaming each other when there is a shortage of goods. Makes you realize how a societal breakdown can happen in the U.S. when the shortage of goods becomes that of gasoline, water, fuel, or electricity.

Way to be ethical people.

 

[Tommy Van Alen]

It's pathetic how people result to insulting each other and blaming each other when there is a shortage of goods. Makes you realize how a societal breakdown can happen in the U.S. when the shortage of goods becomes that of gasoline, water, fuel, or electricity.

Way to be ethical people.

I worked this really big construction job a couple of years back. Two incidents stuck out in my mind.

1. one scaffold builder (and supposed union brother) put Kroil (it's like WD-40) into another scaffold builder's (union "brother") coffee. Or at least a union laborer said that this union carpenter said he did. the "perp" was escorted off the job basically.

2. this job was so huge we had different tradespeople from all over. one dude was up from Mississippi or Alabama. his name was on the sexual predator list in that state. somebody at work must have googled his name and it showed up on that state's sexual predator website. so the poop disturbing employee prints out a whole bunch of that website's pages, and then posts them up in all the port-a-johns.

So make no mistake about it, even though these guys were making the best money in their entire lives (about $10,000 a month) it was real clear to me just how thin that veneer of civilization was/is. I am really surprised nobody got shot on that job.

 

[Tommy Van Alen]

back on topic...I always make it point to swing by and take a look at the ammo case while I am inside WalMart. If you have a .270 or a .30-06, you'd be set. Otherwise everything else has been completely bare.

When this panic first started, WalMart did put up signs saying it was like a 2 box or 3 box limit. From other gun forums I visit, I think the assistant store managers have figured out how much more money they could make if they get to the ammo first, and sell it at gunshows or on armslist.

Back in 2007 or 2008 there was this woman who used to shoot IDPA matches with us. She thought she was hot _ _ _ _ because she was a woman who shot. So she had a youtube channel and a blog site. She bragged on her blog site how she and her husband had an "in" with the local walmart ammo counter guy. He would call them whenever ammo arrived at that store. I was ticked and so were a lot of other local competitors, so I sent an email to walmart corporate HQ with the link to the blog site. In less than a week, the 2 box per customer limit signs got put up.

 

[hammerklavier]

Two weeks ago, at my walmart, I picked up the last 100 count box of CCI stingers in the afternoon. At that time they had 5.56 and 7.62x39 and two 20 count boxes of .22 WMR, the 5.56 lasted half the week.

This week, no .22LR, but a steady supply of 5.56, .223 and 7.62x39 as well as .40 S&W (there was still one box of that on Friday).

 

[Queen_of_Thunder]

My local Academy is getting all kinds of 223/5.56.

 

[200Apples]

.
.35/rd for 22LR?

If I pay that, I can get it online right now.

Yeesh.

 

[OilyPablo]

Natchez, limit two. I'm not completely out of .22LR, but it's been awhile since I bought any:

FAAM22 FA 22 LONG RIFLE LR AUTO BK 325R $18.99 2 $37.98

OUT OF STOCK NOW: http://www.natchezss.com/product.cfm?contentID=productDetail&prodID=FAAM22

I bought some other stuff as well. Shipping was a robust $25.38. I'm not shopping at Natchez any more. Their shipping crazy high.

 

[Ignition Override]

Large rifle primers (1,000) today cost me $37 in Sportsman's Warehouse, Southaven MS. There might still be a limit per person. They also had boxes of magnum primers, and maybe handgun.

They had many types of rifle ammo, even 7.62x39, but sold in small boxes, the price per round was naturally far above bulk online.
About to place an order in a couple of weeks for a large case of WPA with Ammoman ($280), only because prices are back in the normal range, approx. what they were a year ago.

With heaps of centerfire from normal times, you Never need to hang around Chinamart, trying to outmaneuver the families of flippers.
From my perspective, losing sleep a few times at 0600 due to a personal failure to plan ahead, is like practice bleeding....and for a few boxes of .22?

 

[Agsalaska]

It's pathetic how people result to insulting each other and blaming each other when there is a shortage of goods. Makes you realize how a societal breakdown can happen in the U.S. when the shortage of goods becomes that of gasoline, water, fuel, or electricity.

Way to be ethical people.

I know it is off topic, but this is a very good post.

 

[Davek1977]

Of course its cheaper than $5 a round for 338 lapua or 50 bmg but that is like comparing apples to figs. A bad comparison.

Compared to those rounds, maybe...compared to COMPARATIVE performance rounds like the .223, 5.45x39 is indeed STILL a major bargin. Comparing the cheapest centerfire rounds to the most expensive is indeed a bad comparison, but you're the one who did that, not I! I said .18 cents/rd was cheap "compared to anything that comes close to matching its performance"....which, few would argue (but apparently SOME would) is fact.

 

[200Apples]

.35/rd for 22LR?

If I pay that, I can get it online right now.

Yeesh.

Correction: that was some Eley-made-for-Remington match-grade stuff. I went ahead and snagged 100 rds just because. I also! picked up two bricks of CCI Mini mag for *ouch!* .10 per round, see.

Originally was trying to buy this stuff online this morning to avoid the rush down at their place, but they couldn't ship in-city (Los Angeles)... so I went on over to that local ammo purveyor's parking lot sale today. (Also picked up a couple hundred rounds of 20 ga buck [#3] in anticipation of jailbreaking another H&R single-shot break-action...)

 

[HEAVY METAL 1]

I took a little ride a couple of months ago to visit several gunshops just to see what was available and at what prices. One gunshop in Eugene, OR that appears to cater mostly to the blackpowder crowd, did have large rifle primers for $60.00 a brick. No matter what the Webster dictionary definition of gouging is, THAT is gouging. I had a real 'low road' comment in mind, but I kept it to myself which was exceedingly difficult when the counter man asked what I was looking for to which I responded 'centerfire reloading components' and he pointed out the primers.

 

[Potatohead]

It's pathetic how people result to insulting each other and blaming each other when there is a shortage of goods. Makes you realize how a societal breakdown can happen in the U.S. when the shortage of goods becomes that of gasoline, water, fuel, or electricity.

Way to be ethical people.

No doubt it would get ugly in a hurry in such a situation.

 

[basicblur]

Here's what I paid PPR for the 22 I've accumulated over the last 3 or 4 weeks (tax not included):
(all the time it took for me to get all I need from Walmart - from a previously locked thread)
Winchester 555 .04319
Winchester 333 .04556
Remington 225 .04560
Winchester M*22 .04937
Federal AutoMatch .06150
CCI AR Tactical .06659

 

[Queen_of_Thunder]

I took a little ride a couple of months ago to visit several gunshops just to see what was available and at what prices. One gunshop in Eugene, OR that appears to cater mostly to the blackpowder crowd, did have large rifle primers for $60.00 a brick. No matter what the Webster dictionary definition of gouging is, THAT is gouging. I had a real 'low road' comment in mind, but I kept it to myself which was exceedingly difficult when the counter man asked what I was looking for to which I responded 'centerfire reloading components' and he pointed out the primers.

Thats not gouging its maket pricing that so many on this board want.

 

[Hacker15E]

I took a little ride a couple of months ago to visit several gunshops just to see what was available and at what prices. One gunshop in Eugene, OR that appears to cater mostly to the blackpowder crowd, did have large rifle primers for $60.00 a brick. No matter what the Webster dictionary definition of gouging is, THAT is gouging. I had a real 'low road' comment in mind, but I kept it to myself which was exceedingly difficult when the counter man asked what I was looking for to which I responded 'centerfire reloading components' and he pointed out the primers.

So, I take it that the follow up conversation covered what he bought it for wholesale and what his overhead costs were, as well as what you thought was a "fair" profit for his business....

...and after all that analysis, you were able to determine that he was "gouging"?

 

[Queen_of_Thunder]

Well will you look at that. A whole lot of 22lr on the shelf. Lots of 9mm in those remington yellow boxes. Lots of ammo to be had.

Location
Academy
El Paso
West Side



Also bulk (600 count) 40 cal and federal 223 1,000 count.

 

[alsaqr]

Today the Lawton Wal-Mart on Quanah Parker had a plentiful supply of Winchester 55 grain .223, Tul Ammo .223 @ $5.99 for 20 rounds and American Eagle .223. They also have .40 S&W, 9mm and .45. There were three AR-15 rifles, including a Colt, on display.

 

[Potatohead]

So, I take it that the follow up conversation covered what he bought it for wholesale and what his overhead costs were, as well as what you thought was a "fair" profit for his business....

...and after all that analysis, you were able to determine that he was "gouging"?

+1 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[krupparms]

The ammunition situation seems to be very different in each area. I agree with H.M.1! The ammunition prices here if you can find any, are way over priced! IE. $27 for 20rd.s of 308fmj.! That's gouging people! There is NO .22LR.around! You can buy it online . If you want to pay the price! I am not the only person that is seeing this. Everyone that I have spoken to agrees. Something is wrong & we are not getting the truth! Everyone cannot be wrong & everyone cannot be right! So the truth must be an inbetween. But no one can say with certainly who is right! And so the ammunition shortage gos on! :banghead:JMO.

 

[myFRAGisFUBAR]

Our local outdoor sports store almost always had ammo up for grabs. Even though the nation was in a shortage it was around in my area only because they are the only place other than walmart and a few gun shops that sell ammo. they jacked prices sky high and it still sold once the before mentioned places ran out. I walked in one day to get .40 ammo and it was 34 dollars a box. I promptly walked out.

Now that supply is coming back to local walmarts(5.56 American Eagle is 9 a box) those are gonna get what they deserve. That and rumors of a Bass pro being built soon give them beyond great competition.