Update on 380 shortage

[sheepdog]

Just FYI, I just spoke with a Walmart here in Mesquite, TX. They sent them a press release that they have changed out their tooling for 380 to 9mm to meet the demand for 9mm right now. As such what little 380 was coming to Walmart and other places that buy Winchester is stopping.

[jdgabbard]

For some reason I doubt that is the total story. I think it has a lot more to do with the plethora of new .380 pistols that have come out recently, and the surge in concealed carry licenses.

[sheepdog]

Yeah i can see that and some sources have told me the same. But again I think that is the cause and this is the effect. Fact is there's still more people with 9mm handguns in the US then 380 and the market those people represent is more sales and product visibility then with the 380.

[dakotashooter2]

Thing is, I don't recall ever seeing a gunshop that had more than a 1/2 dozen boxes of 380 to start with. So the lack of availability doesn't suprise me. By all accounts it almost seems as if the demand for 380 has excceded the norm by 50 times. Out of 50 guys I know with guns I only know of 2 that have 380.s and one is me.

[snaggdit]

+1 on Jdgabbard. Sales of .380s for CC has really spiked since the new regime took office. The same folks are now grabbing ammo every chance they get to build up a stockpile for a new caliber. I bet if you looked at the states that have CC there would be less supply than states like mine that do not allow it. That said, we don't have any .380 ammo here either...

[Sky King]

Snaggdit I think you hit it right. I was at 2 Gander Mountains and 1 Bass Pro Shops here in IL and no 380's. I haven't gone to the Bass Pro Shop across the boarder in IN yet. Wis and IL are the only 2 states in the US that don't allow CC. So where are the 380's? I'm lucky that I have a good stock pile of components for making my own, so far.

[mtgrs737]

I read that Ruger had orders totaling 86,000+ for their new LCP 380 Pocket Pistol two weeks after introduction. I also read that 380 auto ammo is run in annual batches and then not run again until the next year. Both of those things make sense to me. Oh yea, the new resident at the white house may have something to do with it too.

[Heavy lead]

I read that Ruger had orders totaling 86,000+ for their new LCP 380 Pocket Pistol two weeks after introduction. I also read that 380 auto ammo is run in annual batches and then not run again until the next year. Both of those things make sense to me. Oh yea, the new resident at the white house may have something to do with it too.

Do you think he ordered one too?:kidding:

[bisleyfan41]

Man, I checked 4 different WMs today and all they had was 380. WWB 100 ct. boxes. One store had 3 boxes and another had one box. Actually one of them did have a box of 357 Sig. No 9, 40, 45, 38, 357, 44, 223, or bulk 22 LR at all around here.

[Freightman]

That is what I have a loading press for!and I can load a years supply in a few min as 100 rounds do me for a year. Get no kick out ofa B.U.G.

[JW6108]

Our local Wally has put up a sign on the ammo cabinet that says they are limiting sales of rifle and handgun ammunition to 6 items/customer/day.

Even at that, the selection was poor.

:groner:

[SciFiJim]

I think the 6 boxes per day at Wallyworld is nation wide. They are the class of the world when it comes to inventory control. When THEY start rationing, you KNOW there is a problem getting inventory.

[mtgrs737]

Do you think he ordered one too?:kidding:

LMAO! My guess is that he ordered thousands for his staff as they are sneaky little pistols, just like him! :roll:

[Lloyd Smale]

there was over 500 round in the barn. I dont think i will be able to use them though ;)

[geargnasher]

Lloyd, too bad some rounds from your terrible misfortune didn't cook off in the direction of Washington, DC and bonk some of those mentally disconnected bureacrats on the head! Might wake them up to how some of us feel. Hope you are getting along ok.

Gear

[Lloyd Smale]

you sure are right there!!
Lloyd, too bad some rounds from your terrible misfortune didn't cook off in the direction of Washington, DC and bonk some of those mentally disconnected bureacrats on the head! Might wake them up to how some of us feel. Hope you are getting along ok.

Gear

[Boondocker]

LMAO! My guess is that he ordered thousands for his staff as they are sneaky little pistols, just like him! :roll:


Naw he wants them, he and his gang are just working on a way to take ours as sneaky as possible.:twisted:


That said I have enough reloading supplies to keep my PMK going for awhile. I wann find a good cast bullet to use in it tho any suggestions. I have some 95 gr to try as I bought 50 awhile back.

[GabbyM]

Wasn't that long ago when people thought they had plenty of ammo with one or two boxes of fifty. Now for whatever reason. Perhaps action movies and TV. The unwashed masses seam to feel the need for thousands of rounds of ammo just to cover their front door. I tell you it's all a Hollywood Liberal brainwash plot to arm up America.

[mtgrs737]

I have a 380 mould somewhere that I got a while back, it is time to dig it out and heat it up. I think it is in the 88gr. RN style that should work well in a pocket 380 with some Red Dot for fuel.

[Rocky Raab]

Coming in late here, but the 380/9mm factory machine claim is true. My info comes from ATK/Federal but it corroborates what was said about Winchester: they simply cannot afford the time to change from 24/7 production of 9mm to make any 380 ammo. The recent surge in pocket pistol sales completely dried up the existing supply, and there won't be any more made until the huge 9mm backlog (from military and police, mostly) is filled.

No, I have no clue how long that might be.

[snaggdit]

I have a Lee 102gr round nose that works fine over 2.6gr Red Dot. I also got a couple hundred 95gr magtech J bullets from Midway cheap. Had to wait a month for the backorder but got them now. I'm set to supply my MIL for her Sig CC pistol. Planning to head to Arkansas over Memorial Day and I'll bring her a care package of 500 rounds.

[Hang Fire]

+1 on Jdgabbard. Sales of .380s for CC has really spiked since the new regime took office. The same folks are now grabbing ammo every chance they get to build up a stockpile for a new caliber. I bet if you looked at the states that have CC there would be less supply than states like mine that do not allow it. That said, we don't have any .380 ammo here either...

Ditto on that, here in this part of AZ, off the shelf .380 availability is zilch. Glad the wife reloads her own with cast boolits, otherwise she would be SOL.

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Has anyone seen my Country? I seem to have lost it.

[dakotashooter2]

At the risk of being called a hoarder I have about 300 rnds of reloads for a cheap gun I never shoot. Got the bug about 2 years ago to get dies and components for it. I must be a prophet.


Many of the "low volume" cartridges are run only one or two times a year. It doesn't suprise me that they would set aside production in favor of more profitable cartridges.

[zxcvbob]

4.2 grains of Unique with a 95 to 102 grain cast bullet (4.1 for 102 j-bullets) is about as hot as you can load .380 and stay at standard pressure. For some reason, Unique gives higher velocity in this ctg than anything else. (maybe that's why my little Kel-tec bites my hand when I shoot it, and it throws the brass about 35 feet)

[geargnasher]

Less than a year ago I was jabbing a good friend of mine for picking up his 9mm brass after one of our occasional shoots together. He doesn't cast or reload but often supplies me with brass he shoots/finds if I can use it and I load .357 Mag for both of us. I don't shoot 9mm or .380, but I'm certainly not laughing at him now, in fact I offered to load some of each for him if he gets the dies and supplies. I NEVER imagined I would load either of these calibers before.

Gear

[Rocky Raab]

I have that beat. Somewhere around here is a plastic bag with several hundred pieces of 380 brass, and I don't even own one!

If anybody needs it, make me an offer. I'll even count it! I'll ship it Flat Rate USPS Priority for $8.

[snaggdit]

Well, six months ago 200 seemed like enough brass but now my 1000 pcs seem inadequite for the times. I have enough, so hopefully someone in real need will end up with your foresite!

[JIMinPHX]

I have that beat. Somewhere around here is a plastic bag with several hundred pieces of 380 brass, and I don't even own one!

If anybody needs it, make me an offer. I'll even count it! I'll ship it Flat Rate USPS Priority for $8.

My knee jerk reaction is to take all I can get while I can get it, but in actuality, I don't hardly ever shoot that caliber so what little I have will last me a long time. Let somebody that really needs it get it.

It will help to make up for things like this that sometimes happen - http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=53469

[jdgabbard]

Well, six months ago 200 seemed like enough brass but now my 1000 pcs seem inadequite for the times. I have enough, so hopefully someone in real need will end up with your foresite!

Funny thing is I recently have made good friends with a range master at the local PDs range back home. He hooks me up with about 5gal of brass everytime I come in. About 2000pc of 9mm everytime. I've been giving most of it away to the other guys who load 9mm, 40, and .357sig. I just take me about 500pc 9mm each time.

[kfarm]

Hey Snaggdit, I live just out side of Little Rock and shop in town. There are really not a lot of 380's around here here, most gun shops are limiting you to just one box at a time. Let me know if you are looking for anything special, I'll try to help. Where bout in Arkansas you going to be?

[Captain Midnight]

I sell ammunition.
380 Auto is not possible to keep in stock. The sales of this caliber were always slim, until 6 months ago! I have brass sitting waiting for bullets and primers.
Everything is in short supply.
Buy in the largest lots you can afford.
Thanks
Captain

[snaggdit]

Hey Snaggdit, I live just out side of Little Rock and shop in town. There are really not a lot of 380's around here here, most gun shops are limiting you to just one box at a time. Let me know if you are looking for anything special, I'll try to help. Where bout in Arkansas you going to be?

My MIL's boyfriend has a home in Russellville, but my MIL just bought a chunk of land in the Ozarks 20 minutes SW of Jasper. That's where I'll be, helping them get the place back up to livable. It was empty for 2 years so lots of issues.

[kfarm]

Well thats a nice place in Arkansas, but over the last 2 weeks we have had storms and rain. Been a lot of bad storms go thru that part of the state, here on the farm we have had a little over 18" of rain in the last 2 weeks. The ground is so wet I don't know when it will be dry enough to get in the fields, heck I got ducks nesting in standing water in my hay fields. If I were yo I'd stay away from Litthe Rock but if you do come down give a shout.

[Hang Fire]

LOL. The wife and I scrounge any and all reloadable brass. The other day got a wild hair and tumbled all the 9mm brass, had 872 rounds, and neither of us have a 9mm. Wife jokingly said the way things are going, maybe we better get a 9mm, as the brass might wind up worth more than the gun.

[Jon]

LOL. The wife and I scrounge any and all reloadable brass. The other day got a wild hair and tumbled all the 9mm brass, had 872 rounds, and neither of us have a 9mm. Wife jokingly said the way things are going, maybe we better get a 9mm, as the brass might wind up worth more than the gun.

I keep telling my wife that I need to get a 30-06 since I have a ton of 06 brass but no rifle for it.

You could always trade off the 9mm for some 45 or whatever else you shoot.
I know a guy that has hundreds of pounds of brass that he's just holding onto it to sell it for scrap.

[zxcvbob]

I'm gonna need to buy something in .45ACP and in .40SW pretty soon because their respective 3# coffee cans are nearly full of brass. I may get a large-frame EAA Witness for the .40SW and get an extra 10mm barrel for it because I have 3 pieces of 10mm brass :)

Lately I've even started leaving some brass on the ground for the next guy... (I pick up lead instead) But I grab every piece of .380 I can find. Wonder if I can make .380 brass out of cut-down .223's?

[snaggdit]

I may get a large-frame EAA Witness for the .40SW and get an extra 10mm barrel for it because I have 3 pieces of 10mm brass :)


An extra barrel for 3 pieces of brass? A buddy bought a 10mm a few months ago and his BIL works the gunshow circuit. Took a while for him to find him a few hundred 10mm cases for me to load for him. 10mm brass is harder to come by than 380. Just FYI.

[MilSurpFan]

For a while, I was under-employed and working on my degree. Lots of spare time on weekdays. Over a few years I amassed more than 2 5 gal. buckets of good 223 and a few thousand each of 9mm and 40 cal by going to the public range and cleaning up. There's even about 500 pcs + of .380 in there :mrgreen: