Ammo Shortage

[flb_78]

jeeperbryan wrote:

Too many conspiracy theorists on here. There is no "artificial shortage" of ammo due to manufacturers cutting back on production.

Thanks, that sure takes a load off of my (feeble) mind. I'll really start to feel better when I see ammo back on the shelves at pre-shortage prices. Have a nice day.

Can we get a sticky on this post, I'd like to come back to it in about 6 more months and go "nah nah nah nah nah"!!!

[boomerang]

Can we get a sticky on this post, I'd like to come back to it in about 6 more months and go "nah nah nah nah nah"!!!

You can use the "Bookmark topic" link at the bottom of the page.

[cowboymd]

Suprise! Suprise! I chose not to make the Monday morning pilgrimage to the Sherman Academy to check on feed for the LCP. Sure enough one of my buddies called and said they had some Monarch FMJ's and JHP's and some WWB's FMJ's. I say had, cause they are now in my possession.

[tfrazier]

...they are now in my possession.

Hoarder!

[03Lightningrocks]

I did not realize the conspiracy theorists were serious. I thought you fellers were making a joke. It is obvious this is not some manipulated shortage. It is simple supply/demand at work. Ammo manufacturers ARE NOT charging any more for ammo than they would have charged a year ago. Now the dealers are making some extra money....but manufacturers are simply beyond their capacity and know that this blip will end at some point and they don't want to be caught with ammo they can't unload.

[Oldgringo]

I did not realize the conspiracy theorists were serious. I thought you fellers were making a joke. It is obvious this is not some manipulated shortage. It is simple supply/demand at work. Ammo manufacturers ARE NOT charging any more for ammo than they would have charged a year ago. Now the dealers are making some extra money....but manufacturers are simply beyond their capacity and know that this blip will end at some point and they don't want to be caught with ammo they can't unload.

I certainly hope that you're right, Lightning 'ol buddy; because "at some point", we will definitely see what we will see.

[tfrazier]

I'm just wondering how many folks have gotten their final nudge into reloading as a result of the shortage.

I, for instance, got back into reloading after an eighteen year hiatus because I couldn't find enough ammo to satisfy my range habit. Then, when I couldn't find bullets for my reloader, I got into casting.

That means I'm out of the market from now on for factory ammo, at least for my primary practice and carry weapons.

If a lot of other folks have responded in the same manner, there should be a higher demand for reloading supplies at the close of this shortage, and slightly less demand for factory ammo...right?

I'm thinking it will be a good thing, at least for a while. Stores will respond by stocking my reloading supplies, some stores will probably start carrying reloading supplies that didn't previously, and factory ammo may even have a small price decline as a result.

Yep, I can see Sam Elliot in "We Were Soldiers" passing me in the court yard saying, "What are you now, an economist?"

[03Lightningrocks]

I'm just wondering how many folks have gotten their final nudge into reloading as a result of the shortage.

I, for instance, got back into reloading after an eighteen year hiatus because I couldn't find enough ammo to satisfy my range habit. Then, when I couldn't find bullets for my reloader, I got into casting.

That means I'm out of the market from now on for factory ammo, at least for my primary practice and carry weapons.

If a lot of other folks have responded in the same manner, there should be a higher demand for reloading supplies at the close of this shortage, and slightly less demand for factory ammo...right?

I'm thinking it will be a good thing, at least for a while. Stores will respond by stocking my reloading supplies, some stores will probably start carrying reloading supplies that didn't previously, and factory ammo may even have a small price decline as a result.

Yep, I can see Sam Elliot in "We Were Soldiers" passing me in the court yard saying, "What are you now, an economist?"

Sounds familiar. I have a single stage RCBS rock chucker setup. I haven't reloaded in 20 years or more. I have been considering this option as well. The only thing I would need to start the process is powder, primers and bullets. There seems to be a shortage of these components as well.

[GaryTx]

I did not realize the conspiracy theorists were serious. I thought you fellers were making a joke. It is obvious this is not some manipulated shortage. It is simple supply/demand at work. Ammo manufacturers ARE NOT charging any more for ammo than they would have charged a year ago. Now the dealers are making some extra money....but manufacturers are simply beyond their capacity and know that this blip will end at some point and they don't want to be caught with ammo they can't unload.

I have to disagree...PMC 9mm FMJ that I was buying from Natchez a two months ago for $11.88 a box is selling today for $16.99. The .380 Auto FMJ that I buy regularly (untill recently) has gone up over 40% in the last two months. Not all of that increase is due to dealers jacking up the price. The manufacturers are increasing prices just as the dealers are.

[03Lightningrocks]

I did not realize the conspiracy theorists were serious. I thought you fellers were making a joke. It is obvious this is not some manipulated shortage. It is simple supply/demand at work. Ammo manufacturers ARE NOT charging any more for ammo than they would have charged a year ago. Now the dealers are making some extra money....but manufacturers are simply beyond their capacity and know that this blip will end at some point and they don't want to be caught with ammo they can't unload.

I have to disagree...PMC 9mm FMJ that I was buying from Natchez a two months ago for $11.88 a box is selling today for $16.99. The .380 Auto FMJ that I buy regularly (untill recently) has gone up over 40% in the last two months. Not all of that increase is due to dealers jacking up the price. The manufacturers are increasing prices just as the dealers are.

I submit as proof the fact that WWB is selling today at Wally World for the same price it was selling for last year. Natchez is one of the folks gouging people. Not that I would deny them the American dream. If the manufacturers were doing this, the price increases would be the same at Wally World as it is Natchez. But it is not. Wally World isn't taking a hit on every box of ammo they sell. Wally World uses NO emotion when they price merchandise. they use a formula that uses the cost of the item to them. Every bit of that increase at Natchez is dealer profit.

I have to edit my post. Just looking at Natchez and some of their prices are not bad compared to what some of the online ammo sellers are getting. problem is it is all out of stock.

[tfrazier]

...I submit as proof the fact that WWB is selling today at Wally World for the same price it was selling for last year. Natchez is one of the folks gouging people. Not that I would deny them the American dream. If the manufacturers were doing this, the price increases would be the same at Wally World as it is Natchez. But it is not. Wally World isn't taking a hit on every box of ammo they sell. Wally World uses NO emotion when they price merchandise. they use a formula that uses the cost of the item to them. Every bit of that increase at Natchez is dealer profit.

This thread giveth the TFrazier an idea:
If this is an agreeable measure and what 03Lightningrocks says is true, why don't we start a price comparison thread so we can keep track of which shops take advantage of us during these lean times. When happy days are here again we can all give them a little taste of good old fashioned American boycott...

Good idea? Bad idea? Anti-capitalist? Would that be biting one of the hands that feeds us?

[03Lightningrocks]

I would like to nominate Cheaper Than Dirt ammo thieves of the year. Those guys will never see another dime of my money, not that they care. They seem to take price increases to a whole new level.

[boomerang]

I think the shortage may hurt local shops in the long run. If people get in the habit of ordering online (especially companies that allow backorders) because the local shops are almost always out of stock (or price gouging) I think people are likely to keep ordering online when supply normalizes. I know for myself I got tired of driving around and I now have $300-350 in ammo and accessories backorders and I'm willing to be patient for weeks or months if the online companies honor the prices. And if they do I'm likely to order more and more from online comapnies for convenience and stop going to local stores except for rare circumstances.

[Oldgringo]

...I submit as proof the fact that WWB is selling today at Wally World for the same price it was selling for last year. Natchez is one of the folks gouging people. Not that I would deny them the American dream. If the manufacturers were doing this, the price increases would be the same at Wally World as it is Natchez. But it is not. Wally World isn't taking a hit on every box of ammo they sell. Wally World uses NO emotion when they price merchandise. they use a formula that uses the cost of the item to them. Every bit of that increase at Natchez is dealer profit.

This thread giveth the TFrazier an idea:
If this is an agreeable measure and what 03Lightningrocks says is true, why don't we start a price comparison thread so we can keep track of which shops take advantage of us during these lean times. When happy days are here again we can all give them a little taste of good old fashioned American boycott...

Good idea? Bad idea? Anti-capitalist? Would that be biting one of the hands that feeds us?

I like this idea. Like "my friend" John McCain frequently sorta' said, 'let's make the gougers famous'.

[jeeperbryan]

Speak of the devil. Check out CNN.com. The main article is about ammo shortage :)

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/05/04/ammo.s ... index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;