Some thoughts on the panic buying epidemic

[gbrown]

What's funny to me (I guess in a perverted way) is the look on everyone's face as they confront empty shelves at Academy and Gander Mountain. Nothing there in the common calibers. Like, "Oh Sh#$". I got enough to last for a while. 5 years? Anyway, I have people wanting to buy what I got. Not happening. Ain't straying off on that path. Maybe this will cause a resurgence in reloading. I would love to see that happen. More people focused on this would be a resurgence of who we are.

[Blacksmith]

I try to always have a supply on hand and typically try to buy in bulk when there are sales. If I had more money I would have a bigger supply. I need some sizes of brass, more lead, some additional powder and primers but I can wait until things settle down. I have bought nothing that's being discussed since the panic started and haven't been to a gun store. If I see something I want and the price is reasonable I will buy as much as I need, can afford or am allowed whichever comes first.

I am always looking for good prices and have added to my food supply, long way to go, and got a good deal on some things I don't need (outdoor related) but figure will make good trading stock. None of which I consider hoarding just trying to "Be Prepared".

[Down South]

Jim, from your first post in this thread. I was out of LR primers because all of my big rifles take LR mag primers. I purchased a lever gun and needed plain LR primers. This was about the time all of this began. I ordered several K of LR primers and decided to purchase some powder to help out on Hazmat fees and shipping so I don't believe that I fit into the panic buying. I was disgusted that I had a problem finding what I needed at one online place but I did find what I needed at PV at the time. I doubt that could happen right now.
I haven't bought anything else other than a Ruger 10/22 Takedown that I had been wanting. I had a problem finding one of those at a non inflated price too. Now if I could just find some ammo for it.
I stopped at a local Bass Pro today to see if I could luck out on 22 rim fire ammo but no luck. Most of the ammo shelves were pretty much empty as were the pistol cases.
I've tried to keep my stock level up to the point that I just don't need anything and I've done a good job of it by building my stock up over a period of years.
The reason I am low on 22 ammo is I didn't have a decent 22 until all of this began.
I may have one of my gun shop owner buddies try to save me a brick or two of 22 ammo. One of them sent out a message on his storefront Facebook page that he had some in stock.

[JIMinPHX]

I think that a brick of .22s & a few pounds of powder is a moderate purchase. I can't imagine that being called panic buying.

As for me, I haven't had the time to go shooting is quite a while. I don't think that I've fired more than 25 rounds in the last year. I didn't buy anything this time around because I didn't need anything. The last time around, I ran out of large pistol primers because that was what I had been shooting a lot of back then.

This time around, I was happy to see my fellow Americans stocking up & putting supplies away in case they are needed in the future. The best possible outcome of this lousy situation is for a good supply of guns & ammo to be spread around in the hands of as many law abiding American citizens as possible. I think you for being one of the many that stepped up to do his civic duty of being properly supplied for the future & I am glad that there are many more like you.

[NZSarge]

Well, In NZ there are a few shortages of basic items but nothing like there YET.

But considering we are at the mercy of imports it must flow down hill.
Stuff is a lot dearer down under because of our low population and demand base.
Hence I bought 2 bricks ( 1000 rds) of .22, 1000SRP and 1000LRP and three pounds of powder, just in case.

We pay $NZ45 per 500 .22. primers about $NZ60-75 per 1000 primers and powder/LB between $NZ50-69.
They'll get used anyway.

Be safe folks... Sarge

[shdwlkr]

Jim
I am looking at buying 10 bricks of a new 22 lr round that cci brought out because who knows when they will be in stock again. Don't even know if they are going to be in stock when I go back to buy.
They are the new cci quiet rounds and they are fun to shoot and yes they are quiet out of a rifle and if you have ear protection they are quiet out of a long barreled pistol.
Why buy so many because here if you go to the big name stores there is none on the shelves in almost all calibers and the ones that do have them have limits, and prices that are too high for this old boy to pay.
So color me a hoarder if you want but I am buying what I need and can afford as in a few weeks or months who knows if we will see anything to buy.

[merlin101]

I respectfully strongly disagree, maybe someday sales of a few things will stop, like NATO spec ammo, but the biggest thing for most of us now is primers, and I don't think reloading, as a hobby, will ever be targeted in any significant way. The powers that be would be insane to suggest that someone that takes the time to scrounge up lead, smelt the lead, cast the lead into ingots, cast the ingots into boolits, size and lube the boolits, work up half a dozen test loads, etc., is a "threat to society."

Have you looked at NY latest gun ban law? They haven't gotten around to reloading ammo yet but they will!

As far as stocking up goes. Go for it before you need a back ground check for ammo like we do here in NY.

[shdwlkr]

Have you looked at NY latest gun ban law? They haven't gotten around to reloading ammo yet but they will!

As far as stocking up goes. Go for it before you need a back ground check for ammo like we do here in NY.

I can only hope a few states will not be so stupid and also that all you that have firearms and want to keep them pack up and leave NY. I did over 10 years ago best decision I made in a long time

[rhadamanthos12]

I have always bought in bulk, I don't have a huge stash but i can enjoy my hobby for quite a while without having to go shopping. The only thing i bought recently was a 300BLK upper, and I paid the normal price because i decided to order it through the manufacturer (who knows how long the waiting list is). Just like most things that happen when I buy something this was unfortunate timing, made the plans to buy it in august when I received my tuition reimbursement from my work place this january. No way that I could have predicted this outcome.

[41 mag fan]

Panic buyers are the ones who would on a normal basis only shoot a couple times a yr, and thump themselves on the chest and call themselves a gunowner/shooter. They're lucky if the put 50-100 rds down range a yr.
But when all the gun control started coming out, they all of a sudden became scared and started buying. Just like the gun shows now...people are coming out of the woodwork looking to buy something they in a normal time wouldn't give a thought to buying.
As long as this gov't mentions gun control, theres going to be widespread shortages, and what does trickle in will be bought up before it hits the shelfs, and this gov't is reaping the benfits of large revenues coming in that they'll blow instead of putting it to good use.

[gbrown]

Panic buyers are the ones who would on a normal basis only shoot a couple times a yr, and thump themselves on the chest and call themselves a gunowner/shooter. They're lucky if the put 50-100 rds down range a yr.
But when all the gun control started coming out, they all of a sudden became scared and started buying. Just like the gun shows now...people are coming out of the woodwork looking to buy something they in a normal time wouldn't give a thought to buying.
As long as this gov't mentions gun control, theres going to be widespread shortages, and what does trickle in will be bought up before it hits the shelfs, and this gov't is reaping the benfits of large revenues coming in that they'll blow instead of putting it to good use.

I'd have to agree with this, as last Friday I was in Academy, had some time to kill before picking up my wife, and overheard a gentleman talking to one of the fellows at the gun counter. He ask him when they might get more of a certain gun in. Clerk said he didn't know. The man said he was interested in that and an AR-15. He said he had never considered getting an AR 15 until it looked like they may ban them. What kind of logic is that?

[richhodg66]

I haven't participated in hoarding, bu have been buying primers and powder and such when decent prices present themselves. Even if it blows over and supplies resume, I figure it's a hedge against inflation. I doubt I'll ever get out of handloading and the stuff lasts forever if stored decently, so if all ges well, I have stuff and won't have to pay higher prices for it later.

[TJF1]

Jim i see nothing in buying the ammo or powder
i went to the gun show in okc sat to buy a can of blue dot
none in the building. Plenty of 22lr if you want to pay
65.00 a box 525 blazer. 30-30 were 45.00 a box.
People were going out the door with sacks full.
Terry

[shdwlkr]

I have a question if all this buying at high prices suddenly falls through then what happens to all those panic buys? Will they just keep what they can not sell at the inflated prices? Did they really intend to buy it anyways?

Right now things are playing into the government plan of confiscation, think about it no firearms at least what many of us would buy if it were priced fairly, few primers, powder, brass, bullets how much better can it be if you are on a socialist progressive agenda to ban firearms then when their availability is at its lowest.

think about this also how come so many outlets are saying they have no idea when they will be able to restock? Did all the firearm companies suddenly get blind sided with sales, are they holding back to see what comes out of the beltway so they are not stuck with unsalable goods? How about the primer and powder and brass companies did they just suddenly slow down production or did they get blind sided also? Remember they are supplying ammo to our troops so there is primers, powder, and brass for some but not the civilian market.

If all the firearm and related companies did get blind sided what should their production be to restock the shelves in our local stores and what price is fair for all or will they just up the price and that is the new normal like last time? See I am old enough I can remember buying a 1000 primers for $5, a can of powder for $10 and brass $7 for a hundred of most anything you wanted. Just recently I looking for primers and one place had them for $7 a hundred limit of 3, powder was $25 average a pound, brass was like $30 average if they had any of these. Do you really think it costs this much to make all these components or are we being taken a little advantage off? I know things go up as the dollar goes down so that is some of it but is it the real reason?

Yes I was able to find what I needed at a price I could accept considering but still some of my brass needs are getting close to a buck for each piece of brass and just makes it expensive to enjoy. But when you look at the progressive agenda 21 movement that is all part of the plan to make it so expensive we can not enjoy our sport so why keep our firearms right?

I hope we are able to stomp down this new AWB that is going to be panic pushed at congress and not have to deal with it again for another 19-20 years and maybe never.

What all this really is an assault on our right to be free and to stand against foreign and domestic terror. They want us to be subjects and victims and defenseless so they can get rid of the 90% of us they see fit to do with no way for us to resist.
time for my milk and cookies

[Gliden07]

I don't think you did anything wrong I bought a couple thousand primers large and small but that's all I have also bought another pound of 231. Really didn't need um but I have them now. And truthfully the prices on this stuff is up. When availability gets better I can't see the prices coming way down to "before" panic modes! The only real prices that are gonna come way back down are the people price gouging. And they'll do alright too if they bought what ever there gouging on right to start with.

[David2011]

Hopefully the price cycle will complete more or less as it has in the past. I know we have not seen pre-2008 prices on primers but allowing for inflation they became reasonably priced again. Before Newtown most of the common brand name primers were in the $28-$31/K range again, down from the post-2008 election prices and supplies were dependable. Some of the panic buying just makes no sense. Buyers are swallowing up some things in quantities that make no sense. I know someone who has bought hundreds of high-cap magazines, at least 7 AR-15s and 15,000 rounds of .22LR ammunition. I can see the panic over AR-15s and other semi-auto rifles and magazines that don't pass the "blued steel and walnut stock" test for pretty. I can't understand that the shelves are empty of shotgun shells, rimfire ammunition, revolver ammunition and other items that don't seem to be under attack. Maybe the LGS owner is right- that Amiercans are arming for the worst case scenario.

David

[Love Life]

If I saw a couple bricks of CCI quiet 22 I would grab a couple. I love that round.

[koehn,jim]

I have no problem with what you did, you were buying for yourself, some vultures are buying to try and re-sell. I hope they get stuck just the way many did back in 09.

[cbrick]

I can't understand that the shelves are empty of shotgun shells, rimfire ammunition, revolver ammunition and other items that don't seem to be under attack. Maybe the LGS owner is right- that Amiercans are arming for the worst case scenario. David

David, you keep telling yourself that, keep saying it over and over.

Don't seem to be under attack only because they are taking it one step at a time, taking right now as much as they think they can get right now. Once they have it your shotgun and revolver will be under the same attack as the black guns are right now.

Don't fall for the media hype that this has anything what-so-ever do with SandyHook, it doesn't. Sandy Hook is nothing more than their current excuse. IF they were trying to prevent another Sandy Hook they would be making proposals on how to stop another from happening, they aren't. They are going after ONLY the law abiding, the Consititution and the guns.

Rick

[chrisw]

To buy only what you need to get you buy during a panic is smart. To buy more than what you need is paranoia. To buy with the intent of profiting off of others is unethical (and often illegal)