Effects of ammo shortages

[Zen]

With the shortages, I'm curious what all is effected and any experiences out there.

I know individually we feel the bite - unable to obtain it and higher prices when we do find it.

I have heard that police departments are having difficulties and even bartering with each other. I expect this mostly hurts training and range time right now.

I would assume that matches for IDPA and the like are seeing less people.

It does not seem to be stopping people from buying guns. I have seen a lot of traffic that CTD and Cabellas.

Has ammo become the same type of commodity as concert tickets where scalpers are buying in bulk and selling for profit?

Thoughts?

[Carry-a-Kimber]

No effect on me. Since we had our child last fall, at the rate I go to the range, it looks like I have enough ammo for 176 years.

[Chris]

There are people who make a living moving from one fad to another doing just that. They have the time to devote to buying up retail inventory and flipping it on auction sites for profit. Just so happens out hobby is the latest fad.

[CC Italian]

Has ammo become the same type of commodity as concert tickets where scalpers are buying in bulk and selling for profit?

What we have going on is a lot of re-selling. Local small business gun and ammo dealers are buying ammo still like crazy and reselling to us at high mark ups. Not necessarily your LGS but go to a gun show now and if you went to one 4-5 years ago you would know what I mean. So many more FFLs and vendors at these places and some of these shows have gotten huge! I can't count on my two hands how many people I know who have started a firearms related business in the last 3 years trying to make it rich. There are so many new FFL's, gun stores, gun ranges, gunsmiths, "tactical trainers" that are a start up business in my area. An old friend of my brothers got his FFL and started a business and one of the main things he does is buy ammo at Academy and Wal-Mart every morning and resell it online and locally at highly inflated prices. People are buying the ammo! This guy has his wife and pays friends and family to wait in line to buy ammo because of the box limits. Then he goes and resells it for a 100%+ mark up.

This is high time for them right now and as long as people are panic buying and willing to pay the high mark ups this will continue.

[Zen]

I am used to seeing this behavior with items that are hard to get. One example is the 7rd extended mag for the P938. These retail for about $47, but you cannot find them anyway. Those that do have them are selling them for $60-120 each. Worst part is that people are buying them.

[TexasCajun]

I'm sure that there were some who spec-bought right as the ammo shortage started. If they've been able to capitalize on the opportunity, good for them. If they came late to the game & get stuck with having to unload ammo at a loss, good for them. Free enterprise is the American way.

Unfortunately, this is my first rodeo with regard to ammo shortages. I've got a little bit of a stockpile - enough to take a couple of skills classes & several range trips. But I try to replace +1 on whatever I shoot at the range. But it's cost me time & money trying to hit Academy & other spots at just the right time. I've also turned to shopping online for ammo, which I'm not exactly a fan of. Once all of this sorts itself out, I'll start planning for the next shortage.

[CC Italian]

Supply and demand my friend. People are spending thousands and thousands of dollars on guns and ammo. I know a guy who has spent over $15,000 just since the election. It is not just collecting and hoarding for some but O.C.D. They just can't stop! Before the election I knew several people who owned 0-2 firearms and these people would call me crazy for owning so many and I don't even own that many. Now many of them own just as many or more then me in just a few months and many of them are now getting CHLS and just a few months ago they would say things like " I don't know why people need a CHL they are just paranoid". I just sick back and laugh! They are just late to the game and many of them are just now coming to reality!

[Zen]

Any reloaders out there? Are there impacts there as well?

[canvasbck]

Any reloaders out there? Are there impacts there as well?

Yes, and much much worse than in 2008. Bullets and primers have been pretty hard to come by. The IDPA club I shoot with had to buy a bulk shipment of bullets from Canada to get us by for a while.

[gthaustex]

Any reloaders out there? Are there impacts there as well?

Most definitely. Primers are pretty tough to find as most are being used up by commercial manufacturers. Powder and bullets are pretty hard to find as well. I was lucky and loaded up on a bunch of components right before the crazy started. I shoot with a group every week and several have had to stop weekly practice so they have enough ammo to shoot IDPA or USPSA and they only have enough ammo to do that a couple more times.

[tbrown]

I'm sure that there were some who spec-bought right as the ammo shortage started. If they've been able to capitalize on the opportunity, good for them. If they came late to the game & get stuck with having to unload ammo at a loss, good for them. Free enterprise is the American way.

[talltex]

Any reloaders out there? Are there impacts there as well?

Most definitely. Primers are pretty tough to find as most are being used up by commercial manufacturers. Powder and bullets are pretty hard to find as well. I was lucky and loaded up on a bunch of components right before the crazy started. I shoot with a group every week and several have had to stop weekly practice so they have enough ammo to shoot IDPA or USPSA and they only have enough ammo to do that a couple more times.

I've still been able to get bullets...had to order and wait a few weeks one time...but at least they would still take your order and get it to you ASAP. Not so with primers...the online sellers won't even accept an order for any primers that are in "backorder" status. The story is that Winchester, Remington and CCI (the three largest suppliers of primers) are keeping all their primer production to use in their own ammo orders...which I can understand, given that they are all sitting on a stockpile of unfilled orders. Sure makes it frustrating though to be sitting here with several thousand bullets, plenty of powder, and no primers to make'em go bang.

[stevie_d_64]

Doesn't effect me, I adjust my range habits and practices are once every 45-60 days now...I don't go blow a lot of ammo (50 rounds max) and only practice a "first shot" drill...

If the ammo availability and prices do not start improving by the middle/late May...I will drop the practicing to once every 90 days...

I will not be purchasing new stocks of ammo of any type until the frenzy, prices and availability, come down and stabilize...

[Zen]

Doesn't effect me, I adjust my range habits and practices are once every 45-60 days now...I don't go blow a lot of ammo (50 rounds max) and only practice a "first shot" drill...

If the ammo availability and prices do not start improving by the middle/late May...I will drop the practicing to once every 90 days...

I will not be purchasing new stocks of ammo of any type until the frenzy, prices and availability, come down and stabilize...

That sounds like an effect to me. You are changing your habits/routines to accommodate for it, like the rest of us.

[Acer]

I've had to cut back quite a bit-- I do about 25% as much shooting as I was doing last fall.

I had a couple thousand rounds on hand last October, and thought that would last me through any craziness.

That's now all gone, and what i've gotten to replenish it is a fraction of what I was using. The last estimate I got from my preferred supplier put my 1.5 case order @ 12-16 weeks ARO.