Is it worse this time?

[oldred]

I was already stocked up up before the current crunch began, not hording I just have about a two year's supply of everything except 22 lr of which I probably have enough to last me as long as I will be shooting. I have gotten a few phone calls from people inquiring about buying some ammo (especially 22 lr) or supplies but I have nothing to sell even at what I considered a couple of ridiculously high offers for the 22 lr and both pistol and rifle primers, one guy offered me $50 for a 325 box of Winchester 22lr!:shock: Has it really gotten that bad this soon? Are the shortages as bad this time as they were the last? About the only thing I got caught short on the last time was the rimfire stuff and even that was just starting to show up again about the time I started to run dry but good grief it's only been a couple of months and to hear some of the local guys crying about ammo would make it seem like there's not been any for a year or more. I fear it may be a long dry spell this time before reloading supplies become reasonably available again and if the last time was any indication of price increases I seriously doubt pricing will ever be anywhere near what it was just a couple of months ago. Looks like there could be some lean times ahead.

[williamwaco]

Seems much worse to me.


Last time, ammo was hard but not impossible to find.
If I went to Walmart every day, I could get about one box of .22lr per week.

Primers were harder to find but not impossible.

[km101]

Yes, it's that bad and gonna' get worse. Reloading supplies will be scarse until the mfgrs. get ammo supplies back up to norm, and that will take time. Some "gurus" estimate it will take 9 months, and some say about a year for things to return to normal. And these are the best estimates. Be glad that you are stocked!

[plmitch]

It seems the same to me overall. I’ve still been able to find the things I’m looking for .22 ammo, powder and primer. Sure I have to spend a few dollars more but to me it’s still worth it to have those items.

[HighHook]

I have my friends and Aquatints asking me for 22lr knowing i have some. I dont know what to say... I went with-out money last year stocking up my little ammo can. now everybody wants it knowing its there. Geeesh...

[tomme boy]

It seems to me that in the last 5 years, there has been a 300% increase in the # of people that are shooting now. Part of that has to do with all of the states that are now letting people carry a gun. Now those people realize that shooting is fun. Now add all of those extra people and you have a shortage if just a third of those people go out and buy just one box of ammo. WE CREATED THIS MONSTER OURSELVES. Now, don't bash yourself for having extra anything. Do you have more than one day of food in the house? Do you have a fire extinguisher in the house? That is just being prepared.

[bob208]

just tell them you don't have any. you got cought with your paints down like everyone else. use it as a shtf drill.

[TXGunNut]

I think, from my limited sampling in this area, that it could very well be worse this time. I spent a bit of time at a public range today and they could have sold 40 boxes to shooters if they'd had it this weekend. They had .40, 45, 38 and even 380 but they were limiting sales to keep CHL students in ammo. Their suppliers feel it may be 2 years before things are back to normal. Bought some gun maint stuff at Cabelas a little while ago and had to ask about primers, sign said "NO POWDER". I wasn't going to buy any @ $42/K but I had to ask about large rifle match primers. No dice, and poor guy was tired of answering that question.

[x101airborne]

My neighbor and I are good friends and he is straight from Cuba (naturalized and pays taxes) and I appreciate him a lot. He is a good person and we have our codes for someone in trouble and we both know to come a runnin and gunnin if we hear it. I GAVE him a marlin 22 rifle and a brick of remington 22 hp's just to keep him stocked. It (for me) is like having a backup vehicle, or a hideaway gun, or a bugout location. He doesn't shoot a whole lot, but he hunts, and fishes, and gardens, and helps me around my house with projects and I help him process his meats and make sausage, and give him garden tips, share some of my wild hogs with him, and he is a master electrician and AC tech and house painter. All in all just a gerally handy guy to have on hand. So I dont mind giving him some of my "extras". Now for someone just to go out and blast away, oh hell no. It really depends on who it is and what they are like for me to decide wether I want to share my stash with them or not. That is how I base it. Would it be beneficial for you to sell something to someone?

[oldred]

Well I won't be selling any of my stuff but like you I probably would share with a friend in need if he/she truly is in need. Not likely to be nearly as much plinking going on around here for a while however, I have a pretty good stock of most items but at this point the scarcity just kind of takes some of the fun out of it.

[SciFiJim]

HighHook and oldred, If people already know you have it, then they know and will bug you about it. You should sell off a small quantity to a couple of different people and then start saying that you sold too much and shot off the rest and are out like everyone else. If you keep telling everyone you are out, they will eventually stop bugging you. To make it convincing, you will have to put away the rimfires for a while though.

[btroj]

I don't know anyone who would come begging for anything.

Our local news is teasing a story on the ammo shortage tonight. Will be interesting to see what they say.

[TXGunNut]

I don't know anyone who would come begging for anything.

Our local news is teasing a story on the ammo shortage tonight. Will be interesting to see what they say.

I remember the "gas shortages" of nearly 40 years ago. Turns out they were caused by media-induced panic and folks riding around with full tanks of gas because they didn't know if they would be able to buy gas when it their tank was empty. Sound familiar?
A buddy of mine needs some LP primers. If I have a few extra they're his if he'll replace them when things settle down. If they don't, it'll be good to have him for a friend. He's a scrappy little Marine who's only a little more sociable than I am.

[HighHook]

Hey scifiJim, These are the guys that are used to blowing off a 2-3000 rounds of 22lr on a day at the desert. I told them i will give you some for emergency but thats not the case here. They need to wait till its plentiful and back down to 3 cents ea. or those days are over.

[P.K.]

Hey scifiJim, These are the guys that are used to blowing off a 2-3000 rounds of 22lr on a day at the desert. I told them i will give you some for emergency but thats not the case here. They need to wait till its plentiful and back down to 3 cents ea. or those days are over.

And long gone, Gander Mountain this weekend had a "sale" going. 1600 rounds in a plastic ammo can CCI I think. 99.99 after a 20.00 mail in rebate. The last box of 555 win I bought was 17.99.

[Boerrancher]

Guys it is tight out there. I can still buy a few things but much of it is gone. The only thing I am a bit short on is Small rifle. I say short, but not really, I am just not where I would feel comfortable should this dry spell last a couple of years. I do most of my hunting and shooting with muzzleloaders, and only shoot my cat'ridge guns a few times a year just to make sure I can still shoot, and the scopes are still zeroed. I can hunt and shoot so much more inexpensively with my 20ga/62cal trade gun, and it is big enough to hunt anything on the North American Continent with, and at the same time It works good for turkey, quail, and small game by shooting a shot load out of it.

I think I know where I can buy another couple thousand Small Rifle Primers, which I will most likely do this week and then I will feel a bit more comfortable. I caught the local Walmart having a clearance Sale on Winchester No 11 caps, which I use on my 32 cal squirrel rifle, and I bought all they had. I think I am sitting on several thousand No 11 caps, which is a lot of shooting in a ML that is only used for one thing and one thing only and that is shooting squirrels. I don't target practice with it much any more as the fixed iron sights are zeroed and it will take a squirrels head off at 40 yards, so I could quite possibly have a life time supply of No 11 caps for it, unless my middle boy decides he likes mine too well and has to have one of his own. Kids you love them to no end, but keeping them in guns and ammo is a chore.

Best wishes,

Joe

[Larry Gibson]

Seems much worse in my travels up and down the westen side (Washington, Oregon, Nevada and Arizona); 7.62x39 and 5.56 milsurp berdan primed is going for .80 cents to $1.00 a round. 7.62 NATO almost never seen. Black rifles are in the $1700 - $2900 range. M1As in the $2000 - $3500 range. Even Norinco SKS's are going for $400 - $600. Shelves are bare of most powders, primers and bullets. Shops have only about 1/3 the handguns they normally carry and what's left are longer barreled revolvers.........

Larry Gibson

[oldred]

Well here I was telling everyone I was stocked up on everything and now I find that is not quite true! On the other thread on "22 LR ammo woes" the discussion got around to 22 short and suddenly it hit me that I have only three 50 round boxes of Remington 22 short for my little Beretta Minx which only takes the shorts. I don't shoot it much but it's my pocket gun here on the farm and I have used it to dispatch the occasional snake (only the Copperheads and Rattlers) and I would hate to run out of ammo for it. I called around to see if anyone had any 22 short but just as I expected I think some of them almost laughed at me for even asking, I did find one 50 round box at the local farmers CO-OP and I am about to hop into my truck and drive up there to snatch it up right now!

[captaint]

I recently had a guy at work say " so, I know you load your own ammo, and it's really cheap. Think you
could", and I stopped him right there. Can't do it. It's even unlawful. No way. That was the end
of that. Hey, he's not even somebody I would call a pal. Stop. Might be different if he was a friend. Mike

[27judge]

Over the years ive had a few people laugh at me for reloading when ammo was so easy to buy. It seems a few of those people have already asked me to reload some ammo for them, things do change . My problem is 22 lr there are just none around here, but with casting all my own bullets for everthing i shoot ,i can reload just about anything for less then a brick of 22 lr at the prices they are asking . tks ken

[GARCIA]

Seen some CCI 400 SRP's go for $100 per 1K on a local board here in Georgia.
Guy pocketed some good cash quick as he had 15K to sell. They went fast.
22lr is going for about $50 per bulk pack of 525 rounds.
People are truly paying some amazing prices for stuff!
Guess I am sitting on a freaking gold mine!! Sell all my stuff and pay the house off!!!!!!!

Tom

[w0fms]

It's pretty bad. I've heard at least 6 months.

But OTOH, I figured it out fast and bought a 38 SPL (Lee 6 cav TL 358-157 and the sizer kit) mold *right* before those dried up and .. well... I can make >$0.10/rd 38 now even with buying the lead. So it brought me into this casting hobby. And since good (like CCI) 22LR is about $0.07/round anyway.. there are ways of "making due". 38 is a nice practice round anyway especially lightly loaded.

Of course, I'm going to have to settle for small rifle primers (likely) and/or small magnum pistol primers at some point since SPP's are harder to get now than 22LR.

Fred

[AggieEE]

At the gun show here this last weekend one guy had the bulk green Rem 22lr at $110/carton and another guy had the Fed 555 ( 525?) bulk pak at $200+!!!!! 1K of 223 was $980. Stupid prices. I didn't ask them if they were selling any as I was afraid that I would start laughing and couldn't stop. But really, .20 cents and up a shot for 22lr? what is this the Warsaw getto?

[oldred]

Rem 22lr at $110/carton and another guy had the Fed 555 ( 525?) bulk pak at $200+!!!!!:holysheep


At those prices I just might be willing to sell some 22 LR!!!!!!

[Giggidy]

Don't know what the last time was like (I just started shooting about a year ago), but aside from some shotgun and hunting rounds, everything is cleared out in my neck of the woods. Thankfully I got just about everything I need to reload shortly after I started shooting. I was lucky enough to grab a pound of powder and a thousand primers in early January to add to my supplies...which was essentially a pound of powder and a thousand primers. I've got about 800 jacketed 9mm bullets and lead to cast additional. I waited to get a lub-sizer so I'm kind of screwed for using cast boolits until I at least get a sizer. Between work and other obligations limiting my fun time I think I'll be set for several months with what I've got...which is good (I can keep shooting) and bad (I don't get to the range as much as I would like).

[TXGunNut]

At the gun show here this last weekend one guy had the bulk green Rem 22lr at $110/carton and another guy had the Fed 555 ( 525?) bulk pak at $200+!!!!! 1K of 223 was $980. Stupid prices. I didn't ask them if they were selling any as I was afraid that I would start laughing and couldn't stop. But really, .20 cents and up a shot for 22lr? what is this the Warsaw getto?


Wow! I need a bigger safe. Can't leave all that stuff just sitting on a shelf, can I?

[uscra112]

It won't be worse until it gets like WW2. No civilian ammo at all. No primers. No powder. No .22s at all. Things got tight on mid-1941, and didn't loosen up until 1946. Guys were advertising in the Rifleman for primers, offering good Lugers for just 100 Large Rifle. Articles on how to revive grand-dad's old flintlock started appearing, (black powder was never short supply). There was a black market in stolen G.I. .30-06 and .45 ACP. You could get 20 .30-30 cartridges if you could show that you were protecting livestock from coyotes and wolves, but you better not use one to take an elk.

[opos]

I think it's much worse. I don't ask and I don' t share in times like this...the folks I know that load have a supply and we are not smug but just fortunate. I'm seeing primers at $60 a thousand and powders (if available) at $30 a pound....glad I'm not buying now. I think this one's going to be a long slow process.

[Garpo]

I hope I’m wrong but I have a bad feeling about this shortage, in that it may go down in the record books as the longest shortage we have experienced in decades.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, we have never faced an opponent as ferocious, cunning and determined to strip us of our rights as we are facing today. Look around you folks, these are not the Clinton years, this is something far worse!

For years, I’ve been telling people to get into reloading and to even consider casting their own bullets. They would listen and agree with me; however, instead of investing in reloading, they would go out and buy another firearm, of which they have little or nothing to feed it. Unfortunately, even this activity may be in jeopardy because reloading components and equipment are also in short supply.

[Case Stuffer]

I am in the process of developing 9MM loads using CCI Magnum SR and SP primers which I have had on hand for 40 years as I have 800 of each and my Federal SP primers are down to under 3,000 and who knows when they are any other small pistol primers will be available. Still have a little WW231 on hand and have 8 pounds of Hogdon HS 6 due to ship in a week or so. I was lucky enough to find it in stock but right at a one month back log on shipping. Like many others I am on more Notify when avaiable list than ever.

I had considered getting into a bit of gun games competation this year after being out of such for many years but now I really do not care to burn thru ammo that fast. Sure glad I have a Beeman adult air rifle and pistol both in .177 a a few thousand pellets for them. Both are capable of taking Squirles and Rabits ,perhaps I need to increase my stash of pellets before these dry up also.

[WILCO]

Looks like there could be some lean times ahead.

All signs point that way.

[Ickisrulz]

I would expect that something has to give. People only have so much money. Men's wives (aka the voice of reason) will only allow them to purchase so much stuff. Most people have limited storage. Somewhere along the line I would think this buying would be limited. How many thousands of rounds does a guy need to keep in reserve?

[oldred]

I stopped by a local gun shop today to see if they had any 22 short (I thought maybe they could use a good laugh), which as I expected they didn't have, but they did have several 100 ct boxes of CCI LR, SR and SP primers for $3.99. I picked up 8 boxes (all he had) of the LR but while milling around in there drooling over all the neat toys I decided to put them back since I honestly do not need them, at least for another 2 to 3 years anyway, and he really did not have very many and had already told me he didn't know when he would get anymore. I hope I don't regret it later but I could not help feeling a bit guilty of hoarding after all the discussion here. As for the 22 shorts I found three more 50 round boxes at another Wal-Mart just North of Knoxville Tn so that makes it 7 boxes for a total of 350 rds, not very much but I don't shoot it much either so I consider myself stocked now on those as well.

[Recluse]

I have my friends and Aquatints asking me for 22lr knowing i have some. I dont know what to say... I went with-out money last year stocking up my little ammo can. now everybody wants it knowing its there. Geeesh...

Tell them about the Ant & the Grasshopper. (http://www.dltk-teach.com/fables/grasshopper/mstory.htm)

:coffee:

[nouseforaname1246]

:goodpost:

[uscra112]

Still have a little WW231 on hand and have 8 pounds of Hogdon HS 6 due to ship in a week or so. I was lucky enough to find it in stock but right at a one month back log on shipping.

I've got a small order in with with Powder Valley, and that month backlog is giving me palpitations. I dread the possibility of an email saying they can't ship it. I'm not without alternatives, so I really should not be so antsy, but I am. I'm already thinking about whether I can stretch my existing powder and primers out for several years. Probably too late to order one of those high powered air rifles. . . .

I'm wondering how clubs will fare this year. The club I belong to is heavily invested in running large IDPA type meets, seven of them on the schedule for this year, and if there's no ammo, there will be no entries. No entries means no revenue, and that ain't good.

[oldred]

I went into the local Wally World last night and checked out the ammo situation and the shelves are bare, 3 boxes of 40 S&W, 2 boxes of 300 Win and a few boxes of various gauge shotgun shells and that was it! I realized just how bad it had gotten a couple of days ago when I drove all the way out to that other WalMart just to buy three 50 round boxes of 22 short and was tickled to get them!

[P.K.]

I went into the local Wally World last night and checked out the ammo situation and the shelves are bare, 3 boxes of 40 S&W, 2 boxes of 300 Win and a few boxes of various gauge shotgun shells and that was it! I realized just how bad it had gotten a couple of days ago when I drove all the way out to that other WalMart just to buy three 50 round boxes of 22 short and was tickled to get them!

Went this a.m. in Clarksvegas and picked up a couple of boxes of 333 Winnie 36 gr. HP's for about $18.00 a piece. 6 months ago 555 of the same stuff ran about that.

[dakotashooter2]

One would think this would open the door for more of the foreign supplies.

[runfiverun]

if only they could import stuff.
thaaanks Bill.

[pls1911]

And then there's the chance of an executive order which forbids the home manufacture of ammunition, or the possession of components thereof.

[Recluse]

And then there's the chance of an executive order which forbids the home manufacture of ammunition, or the possession of components thereof.

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!

Boy, would *I* drop everything and sprint at full speed to get at the head of THAT compliance line.

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!!!!

:coffee:

[HighHook]

And then there's the chance of an executive order which forbids the home manufacture of ammunition, or the possession of components thereof.

Ohh Boy, Lets not already add to the STRESS of the problems here,Please...

[oldred]

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!

Boy, would *I* drop everything and sprint at full speed to get at the head of THAT compliance line.

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!!!!

:coffee:


Laugh if you want but that could be taken as a very rude response, he has a darn good point and one that should concern all of us greatly, I assure you it is NOT a laughing matter! All the chest beating and yelling that "I will just ignore new laws and still do as I please" don't do a d@^* thing to help our cause and ignores the real consequences of such legislative action. You guys who yell that you will never give up your guns and ammo need to think about what you are really saying, I have no doubt you mean it and probably will keep your guns (I know I intend to) but what you are ignoring is the question of what will we be able to do with them? If such restrictions come to pass, and it just might happen, guns and ammo will have to be hidden and you will not be able to shoot and enjoy the sport anymore, yes you might have home protection from break-ins but precious little else in the way of use for guns and ammo. My point is to take this kind of legislative threat seriously because our hope lies in STOPPING it not ignoring it after it has happened.

BTW trying to laugh at someone through a keyboard just looks silly and is a very childish thing to do!

[casterofboolits]

I don't compete in IPSC/USPSA anymore, and am unable to get out and shoot much anymore so my stash of primers will last quite awhile, probably the rest of my life. 22 LR is about 6,000 which I will share with my youngest brother if needed. He only shoots a couple hundred rounds a year.

Powder is no problem as I just checked my inventory and have 20 pounds of 231! That's a lot of 45 ACP, but only have 3,000 large pistol primers. But I have friends that will trade primers for powder.

I think it will be at least a year before we start seeing primers at anything close to a reasonable prices and availability. But I think I'm covered for a couple years. Most of my friends are too.

[tiwimon]

I read somewhere, likely right here, that much of the supply is being held up in port - makes sense to me at least because I would expect shipments like the Russian ammo be shipped in mass quantity, like the 20' containers at least and they would not ignore a good run - so where do you think the Russian ammo and primers are? Or all the powder made overseas?


One would think this would open the door for more of the foreign supplies.

[Case Stuffer]

My point is to take this kind of legislative threat seriously because our hope lies in STOPPING it not ignoring it after it has happened.
Which I why I truely hope that many new gun owners / reloaders become active members of the NRA , support the NRA-ILA and get involved not just be a gun owner.

[oldred]

Which I why I truely hope that many new gun owners / reloaders become active members of the NRA , support the NRA-ILA and get involved not just be a gun owner.


Absolutely! Getting involved is the answer and that means a heck of a lot more than just voicing frustration on a gun forum! The key to this is to GET ACTIVE, find out who our representatives are and then get out and vote for them! I honestly believe that the conservative down-to Earth people in this country are still in the majority but too many of them want to just sit around and complain without actually doing something about the problems, the liberal/commie types are working overtime to push their agenda and the only way to stop them is to get active and get out to VOTE!

[P.K.]

Laugh if you want but that could be taken as a very rude response, he has a darn good point and one that should concern all of us greatly, I assure you it is NOT a laughing matter! All the chest beating and yelling that "I will just ignore new laws and still do as I please" don't do a d@^* thing to help our cause and ignores the real consequences of such legislative action. You guys who yell that you will never give up your guns and ammo need to think about what you are really saying, I have no doubt you mean it and probably will keep your guns (I know I intend to) but what you are ignoring is the question of what will we be able to do with them? If such restrictions come to pass, and it just might happen, guns and ammo will have to be hidden and you will not be able to shoot and enjoy the sport anymore, yes you might have home protection from break-ins but precious little else in the way of use for guns and ammo. My point is to take this kind of legislative threat seriously because our hope lies in STOPPING it not ignoring it after it has happened.

BTW trying to laugh at someone through a keyboard just looks silly and is a very childish thing to do!


Awwww.....#^@*.

[TXGunNut]

Was on the official FoMoCo forum earlier, poster asked how to respond to boss's hypothetical question about how to increase parts sales at his dealership by $10K/mo. My answer was to convince the press that congress was considering legislation to prohibit or limit the sale and possession of Ford parts. Seems to be working great for the firearms industry.