With No Ammo and No Reloading Supplies Available, Just How Smug Are You?

[kevin c]

It doesn't matter how well stocked I might be; any gun owner living in California can't afford to be smug.

[charlie b]

....I guess I'm saying by one year after the pandemic gets resolved barring some incidents we should be in ok shape as far as supply goes....

.....Don't forget both the house and senate are very close. Seats held by Democrats in more conservative areas really can't win reelection with any gun regulations that are too extreme. The margin of majority is very small meaning stuff won't get passed if it looks like it will cost the Democrats the majority. Unfortunately I fear there are restrictions that have enough popular support that some regulations will get passed......

This is a very good and logical assessment of the situation. My crystal ball says we will see legislation against bump stocks and maybe pistol braces as well as the mfg loophole that allows no serial number 80% receivers. Keep in mind that quite a few democrats were part of the 7million new gun owners.

FWIW, our Sportsman's is getting ammo in weekly. Usually get a bunch of 9mm and .223 in the mix. The 9mm was $12 a box if I remember right. Didn't look at the other stuff. They are also getting in their 'normal' quantities of primers, also at normal prices. The difference is now they sell out in a couple of hours instead of sitting on the shelf for a while. They have powder in stock. Maybe not the one you want but there is a 8lb jug of 700x in there that no one has bought (I already have two).

[OS OK]

They looked at my garage and asked, "Why all the powder, bullets, primers and brass? Why not just buy the ammo you want to shoot?"

Then literally millions of people bought their first gun. And a couple boxes of ammo. 7,000,000 guns means 14,000,000 boxes of ammo. Hello ammo shortage. No ammo? "Perhaps I'll get into reloading." And there goes all the reloading supplies.

Being a reloader, I've got 10,000+ primers, bullets in all needed calibers, brass collected over the years when it carpeted the ranges and was just left there as scrap, powders by the pound, lead ingots, alloys, lead furnaces and bullet molds I've been collecting since 1979.

So now, with every supplier in America telling us, "OUT OF STOCK" just how smug are you that you are able to load and shoot at will?

I used to worry that 9mm cost me 12 cents to reload. Now it's a dollar per round to buy. Primers should be 3 cents each. If you can find them, they are 8 cents each.

You can't even find case gauges or resizing dies for sale. Even Lee shotgun slug molds are unavailable.

Seems everyone instinctively knows that when the government comes for your guns, you better be able to load your own.

How's your ability to reload going?

That answer, I think depends entirely on each individual handloader/caster.
Did they 'take heed & prepare for the future' after seeing the last shortage we had?
Them that did can do as they see fit now . . . them that didn't are out there with the 'Searchers'.

[mvintx]

By sometime in 2022 I think things will settle down but... that somewhat depends on either some crazy butt munch going on a shooting spree triggering a catalyst for passing more regulations.

Roger that, RogerDat. More restrictive legislation is only one mass-shooting away. It's already on someone's desk, just waiting for the next tragedy.

[Soundguy]

Last time I went to the range, the gate was closed, no explanation on the website. My unloading has been severely hampered this last year. Finished ammo sits on the reloading room floor, waiting.

With the help of members here I picked out a RSW48 22 Air Rifle. I had been hearing good things about air rifles but had no idea how good they can be. Got my own range right here. LOL

our outdoor ranges here are a joke. one lane open.. two closed. makes our handgun / rifle range only accomodate about 4 people... and those 4 get there and stay for hours...sucks..

[sharps4590]

I don't know if smug is the correct word. I'm certainly not smug about it but, I am comfortable. In fairness, my shooting hasn't been the kind to consume hundreds of rounds an outing in a few decades. A long session for me MIGHT be 50 rounds and even that is rare and hardly ever from one firearm. Most of my shooting is development and experimenting so 20 rounds can tell me a lot of what I want to know, and take a couple hours to shoot. Bullets are no concern, cast or jacketed. I got the swaging equipment last fall and it came with thousands of jackets for 44, 357, 30, 7mm and.....aww...another caliber I have forgotten.

I don't go to ranges or the club I belong to but maybe once every 4-6 years. I honestly don't remember when the last time I was there. My range is about 30 yards out my back door. Should I feel the need shoot a lot there's always my flintlocks. I have an abundance of flints and BP is not an issue for me.

[Soundguy]

This is a very good and logical assessment of the situation. My crystal ball says we will see legislation against bump stocks and maybe pistol braces as well as the mfg loophole that allows no serial number 80% receivers. Keep in mind that quite a few democrats were part of the 7million new gun owners.

FWIW, our Sportsman's is getting ammo in weekly. Usually get a bunch of 9mm and .223 in the mix. The 9mm was $12 a box if I remember right. Didn't look at the other stuff. They are also getting in their 'normal' quantities of primers, also at normal prices. The difference is now they sell out in a couple of hours instead of sitting on the shelf for a while. They have powder in stock. Maybe not the one you want but there is a 8lb jug of 700x in there that no one has bought (I already have two).

Bump stock legislation train already left the station..

[USSR]

By sometime in 2022 I think things will settle down but... that somewhat depends on either some crazy butt munch going on a shooting spree triggering a catalyst for passing more regulations. That could easily push demand up again.

It also depends on which way the mid-term elections go.

Don

[jim147]

Just under 4 million background checks in February.

[MUSTANG]

Bump stock legislation train already left the station..

There was NO LEGISLATION on the Bump Stock Issue. Our Spineless Supreme Court refused to hear the case. And President Trump at the time refused to direct the BATFE to cease and desist for political reasons. Instead the US Constitution was violated by our Federal Government in that:

(1) They violated the 2nd Amendment by "Infringing" on the Right to Keep and Bear Arms".
(2) They violated the 5th Amendment by "Taking Without Compensation" private property.
(3) They violated the ExPost Facto provision of the US Constitution in that they passed a "RULE" that affected legal owners of their property - and applied the "Rule" against those who had previously legally held the property (Bump Stocks).

WARNING: The Supreme Court refused to hear challenges against this blatantly Unconstitutional "Rule"; meaning that this, the challenges concerning States refusing to follow their own laws in the Last Election, and many other areas indicates that we are probably going to see Massive Problems under Bidens attempts to attack the 2nd Amendment - with history telling us the US Supreme Court will refuse to do their Job; simply saying it's a "Political" issue.

For sake of clarity - I do not, have never, and have no desire to own a Bump Stock. I DO care that our Federal Government treads on the Rights of others and our Supreme Court refuses to hear the case/s.

[robg]

not smug ,all right very.could see it coming even over here.

[gwpercle]

I'm Prepared ... at least a lifetime supply and a little Lagniappe for good measure .
After 2008 and 2012 I saw the handwriting on the wall .. I'm not going to get caught with my pants down ever again .
Ever 4 years ... Whoomp , there it goes ... Shortage
Gary

[metricmonkeywrench]

I'm in the camp of not using the word smug. With my shooting style (basic recreational paper killer) i have at least maintained 1 years worth of components on hand. Though i should have known better and stocked up on basic materials i instead focused on buying casting and casting accessories to advance my hobbies capabilities.

I assume materials (particularly primers) will return and in the mean time i have curtailed my use of my .38s and 9mm and spent more quality time with my long rifles and muzzleloaders where i have more available materials available.

[dtknowles]

When I was twenty five years old I could not afford even a years worth of ammo and components, I had two bullet molds and cast from a tiny pot on the stove with a ladle. Everything was cheaper then too. I pretty much shot up my supplies as soon as I got them. The idea that everyone should have a life time supply is an old man's idea.

At thirty years old I could have afforded a lifetime supply but I would have had to rent a storage unit to store it. I did have a stockpile, a reasonable one. Since then I have never decide to not go shooting because I did not have or did not want to use up ammo. I did buy too much .22 LR during the last shortage because people here made me worry I would run out. It is almost all still sitting on the shelf.

I have more lead than I would want to move.

Tim

[onelight]

I am not smug at all . I think this whole mess is sad and a bad thing for America .

[Edward]

I feel pretty good but I am worried.
I have a decent stockpile and could shoot for the next ten years or more at my current rate of fire.
The problem I have is that nagging feeling that I didn't have before.
The feeling that each shot isn't just 7 cents a trigger pull (9mm and 38sp)
That each trigger pull potentially means that's one shot closer to being out of ammo.
A feeling that I never had before.
Yes, I could load a bunch of ammo before I run out of supplies, but in the past I knew that I could just order replacements from Powder Valley and life would be good again.
I haven't purchased primers or powder in over a decade.
Last time I bought primers it was $23 per thousand for Remington Primers.
Those days are long gone.

I feel for those just now getting into shooting and reloading in general. Its the time to stock up on guns for sure, but the timing is wrong on everything else.

Those guns are no more than fence posts without ammo you know that , but perhaps we should take up (x bows) as bolts are still
available ! Me I still cast and shoot but yup this ain"t like any shortage we have seen in our life time ,and I suspect by design it is all planned out to make more fence posts

[lawdog941]

I'm not of the smug culture, just prepared after the last event. Fortunately, I had leftover powders from my old 45-70 and experiments that didn't work. I have a friend who just started reloading (he won an Emmy for Bad Timing), so I donated about 12 pounds and a small supply of LP primers to help him along. I enjoy making a difference in those that I come into contact with.

[Edward]

Don’t be caught without water and food preps. Guns and ammo only go so far.

If you got the ammo ,you have every thing you need !

[whisler]

Saw 30-06 and 308 at Dunham's sporting good today. Price were somewhat high but not what I would call crazy

[Soundguy]

There was NO LEGISLATION on the Bump Stock Issue. Our Spineless Supreme Court refused to hear the case. And President Trump at the time refused to direct the BATFE to cease and desist for political reasons. Instead the US Constitution was violated by our Federal Government in that:

(1) They violated the 2nd Amendment by "Infringing" on the Right to Keep and Bear Arms".
(2) They violated the 5th Amendment by "Taking Without Compensation" private property.
(3) They violated the ExPost Facto provision of the US Constitution in that they passed a "RULE" that affected legal owners of their property - and applied the "Rule" against those who had previously legally held the property (Bump Stocks).

WARNING: The Supreme Court refused to hear challenges against this blatantly Unconstitutional "Rule"; meaning that this, the challenges concerning States refusing to follow their own laws in the Last Election, and many other areas indicates that we are probably going to see Massive Problems under Bidens attempts to attack the 2nd Amendment - with history telling us the US Supreme Court will refuse to do their Job; simply saying it's a "Political" issue.

For sake of clarity - I do not, have never, and have no desire to own a Bump Stock. I DO care that our Federal Government treads on the Rights of others and our Supreme Court refuses to hear the case/s.

Legislation vs are opinion is like arguing between something soft and brown you step in that came out the back side of a dog and certified dog poop.

End result is the same.