Where is all the 9mm ammo?

[J_McLeod]

It's out there. Last week I was at Field and Stream in Cincinatti and they had pallets of 9mm and 5.56. Midsouth In Clarksville had a pallet of reloads for a decent price not too long ago. I've seen it just about every time I go to the store.

I load my own so I don't really have a problem finding any.

 

[TanklessPro]

Around my parts it can be found with little effort. The price is a little higher than a few years ago, but the price on everything has went up. It is running $16 a box.
But I have only bought ammo when I have seen a good deal, the stash is still in very good shape.

 

[tarosean]

^ same here 9-38sp-40-45-223/556 are easily found at my Wally World.

 

[photoguy190]

I was talking to a guy behind the counter at walmart today as I picked up some 9mm today. Talking to him about being low on ammo and he told me something that made more sense then anything I have heard during the ammo shortage. Basically they get in the same amount of ammo they always have! A case of .22 every week or so a couple of 9mm ect. It just doesn't sit in the store any longer. This used to be enough to keep the store stocked, now that demand has gone up and it can't keep up. If the ammo makers had had a big warehouse of ammo stocked plied they could have kept up, they didn't. They just keep the retailers stocked. Now that the retailers are out there is no stock pile. So the they ammo companies always just kept up with demand, now its impossible to keep up with demand and replenish the stock pile. The biggest problem is that demand has increased, he said they sell more ammo with empty shelves then they did when they were full. So basically he said this will be the new norm until one of two things happen, the demand for ammo returns to prepanic levels or the ammo companies decide that this demand is the new norm and expand. Basically the ammo companies running as fast as they can can't keep up with the new demand, but are unwilling to spend money to expand till they know that these level will maintain.

 

[DeadMoneyDrew]

I was talking to a guy behind the counter at walmart today as I picked up some 9mm today. Talking to him about being low on ammo and he told me something that made more sense then anything I have heard during the ammo shortage. Basically they get in the same amount of ammo they always have! A case of .22 every week or so a couple of 9mm ect. It just doesn't sit in the store any longer.

A few months ago the ammo counter manager at Dicks Sporting Goods told me more or less the same thing. He even went so far to say that the store would be able to build a stock of inventory if it weren't for the same 25 people showing up every morning to buy up everything.

As for the OP, all I can say is "patience grasshopper." As recently as 5 months ago I could only find 9mm at my local range, and even then sometimes it was only available for range use. Nowadays I'm seeing it fairly regularly at Wally World, Dicks and a couple of other places. The prices are usually high, and sometimes all I find is that steel cased garbage, but that's a lot better than seeing bare shelves.

 

[SharpsDressedMan]

The ammo companies could not afford to have large stores of ammo sitting in storage just in case a greater demand materialized. Manufacturing and marketing just don't work that way. What if the opposite happens? What if a depression or serious recession take money off the market, and ammo isn't on everyone's high demand list? Then, if too much capital was sitting on shelves NOT being sold, the companies might quickly go out of business. We don't want that, either. It is a delicate balance.

 

[DeadMoneyDrew]

^^^and it's equally costly to have to lay off workers and to have manufacturing capacity going unused.

 

[skeptical_in_Ohio]

Actually, labor and raw materials are variable costs, and can be reduced in times of lower demand - a firm doesn't spend money on them if they don't use them. In the short run, if things got bad (i.e. lower demand and therefore lower market price) a firm could reasonably produce its product as long as at least the variable costs are covered by the selling price (fixed costs can't be done away with in the short run).

However, if the market price falls below variable costs, then the firm is better off shutting production in the short run, because by producing any output, it won't earn enough revenue to cover its variable costs, let alone any fixed cost (in essence they'd be losing money on every unit made). In this case, the loss incurred would be even greater than the cost of idling machinery. In short, the firm would basically take the least worst option, taking a smaller loss by producing zero output (thus eliminating variable costs) even though paying fixed cost.

 

[cfullgraf]

The ammo companies could not afford to have large stores of ammo sitting in storage just in case a greater demand materialized. .

Don't forget the inventory tax.

 

[SharpsDressedMan]

Not just inventory tax, I believe an ammunition manufacturer has to pay a federal surtax of either 11% or 13% right off the top on all ammunition produced. This has been in effect for many years, and is supposed to go to the national parks funding. To produce ammo that sits on shelves unsold would put that much of a burden on the company that produced it, to the tune of that percentage, until they could collect from sales.

 

[moewadle]

Two Wal-Marts in Iowa City, Iowa area

always seem to have 9mm. It is usually Federal 50 rd boxes and price is like 14.97 plus tax. I wish they had .22 as often.

 

[Queen_of_Thunder]

Not just inventory tax, I believe an ammunition manufacturer has to pay a federal surtax of either 11% or 13% right off the top on all ammunition produced. This has been in effect for many years, and is supposed to go to the national parks funding. To produce ammo that sits on shelves unsold would put that much of a burden on the company that produced it, to the tune of that percentage, until they could collect from sales.

That tax is passed on and we actually pay it.

 

[9mmforMe]

I wanted to go this morning and check out the supply at Wal-Mart, but we are under an emergency travel alert here in Indianapolis due to subzero temps and 10 inches of snow. My car is a lead sled too so will have to wait to get out there.

 

[jrdolall]

I have been able to stay in 9mm through the panic by picking up my limit from WM a couple of times each week. My local Wally World has been fairly consistent with 9mm, meaning they have it occasionally. They have 45, 40, and 44 a-plenty every time I visit. They rarely have 380 FMJ and 22 is out of the question.

With that said you should be able to find plenty of decent priced ammo using one of the ammo search engines. I'm not a big fan of commercial reloads but I see them all the time when buying the rounds I can't get locally.

 

[Potatohead]

Where is all the 9mm ammo?

Well it's in my ammo closet of course!

 

[Potatohead]

I was talking to a guy behind the counter at walmart today as I picked up some 9mm today. Talking to him about being low on ammo and he told me something that made more sense then anything I have heard during the ammo shortage. Basically they get in the same amount of ammo they always have! A case of .22 every week or so a couple of 9mm ect. It just doesn't sit in the store any longer. This used to be enough to keep the store stocked, now that demand has gone up and it can't keep up. If the ammo makers had had a big warehouse of ammo stocked plied they could have kept up, they didn't. They just keep the retailers stocked. Now that the retailers are out there is no stock pile. So the they ammo companies always just kept up with demand, now its impossible to keep up with demand and replenish the stock pile. The biggest problem is that demand has increased, he said they sell more ammo with empty shelves then they did when they were full. So basically he said this will be the new norm until one of two things happen, the demand for ammo returns to prepanic levels or the ammo companies decide that this demand is the new norm and expand. Basically the ammo companies running as fast as they can can't keep up with the new demand, but are unwilling to spend money to expand till they know that these level will maintain.

Makes perfect sense..No conspiracy, just demand..And I dont blame the ammo makers for not going off the deep end to ramp up either. As soon as everyone's stocked up it'll just be sitting there again.

 

[Potatohead]

Actually, labor and raw materials are variable costs, and can be reduced in times of lower demand - a firm doesn't spend money on them if they don't use them. In the short run, if things got bad (i.e. lower demand and therefore lower market price) a firm could reasonably produce its product as long as at least the variable costs are covered by the selling price (fixed costs can't be done away with in the short run).

However, if the market price falls below variable costs, then the firm is better off shutting production in the short run, because by producing any output, it won't earn enough revenue to cover its variable costs, let alone any fixed cost (in essence they'd be losing money on every unit made). In this case, the loss incurred would be even greater than the cost of idling machinery. In short, the firm would basically take the least worst option, taking a smaller loss by producing zero output (thus eliminating variable costs) even though paying fixed cost.

True but I dont think theyre suffering from the market price falling. Not that you were necessarily saying the opposite but you would like to have all of your lines and factories humming to capacity. A lot easier to pay the mortgages that way, obviously.

 

[Potatohead]

Not just inventory tax, I believe an ammunition manufacturer has to pay a federal surtax of either 11% or 13% right off the top on all ammunition produced. This has been in effect for many years, and is supposed to go to the national parks funding. To produce ammo that sits on shelves unsold would put that much of a burden on the company that produced it, to the tune of that percentage, until they could collect from sales.

Im not sure the exact percentage but i think I did read that in my last NRA mag. Good point.

 

[Potatohead]

Im now seeing the bulk fmj 9mm ammo back at my WMs. It was only the SD stuff for the longest.

 

[Dr. Sandman]

You need to hit the 1500, 9mm. It is January 17-19. There will be 9mm, but bring some cash.

 

[Reloadron]

I see Gander Mountain has 9 mm 115 grain FMJ (Winchester) in the 100 packs for $39.99 in stock as of now.

Also wandering the local (Bedford, Ohio) Wal-Mart last week they had the Remington Green Box stuff but I didn't notice the price.

I have been seeing more online sales like Cabela's and Gander having the inexpensive 9mm 115 grain FMJ stuff available. Since I don't shoot 9mm I don't overly pay attention or look for the stuff.

Ron

 

[jrdolall]

Rareammo.com has multiple types of 9mm FMJ available right now from $14.95 and up. With shipping it will come to about $16 per box.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

Plenty at gun shows, but not cheap, averaging $18 for 50-round boxes. Defensive hollowpoints are running over $1 a shot. Wal-Mart only has it sporadically.

 

[Reefinmike]

This. My hand press allows me to crank out a couple hundred rounds in an evening...while watching a good movie. In my recliner.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/624416/lee-hand-press-kit

This... even something as simple as a $30 lee single stage will get you by. Primers should be on shelves most everywhere now for $35/k or less, bullets- you can have a thousand xtreme plated 9mms delivered to your door for under $85 and powder options are still a little tight but there are quite a few things that will work in 9mm.

 

[Zeke/PA]

At the local Uncle Wally's this A.M. they had Winchester 100 packs for $27.50.