Thread: Ammo "shortage"

.380 is expensive because the mall ninjas are buying bersa thunders and other pot metal pingers like crazy.


There was NEVER an ammo shortage. Warehouses were at capacity and still manufacturing. They were paying so much for raw materials they couldn't get retailers to stock ammo.


Everywhere I've been that normally has ammunition in abundance still does. It's expensive, but it is there. I stocked up before it went up, but I couldn't help buying a couple more boxes And I scored a great deal on 1400 rounds of 12 gauge Federal Classic Magnum steel waterfowl shells!

/me is agoin duck hunting.

I just went to Cabelas yesterday to spend some birthday cash, they wanted 500$ for a case of 900(rather a short case) of .223, thats over 50 cents a round ! Holy crap! I have talked to sales reps at a number of stores as well as some friends who work for Federal and they say you guys are buying the crap out of it, people are coming in and buying ammo by the 10s and 100s of thousands of rounds(they got more money than me!) what really hurts is that although reloading is still cheaper, the costs have gone through the roof as well!

Well it is the cost of the raw materials going up quite a bit but I think what made it scarce for awhile was the presidential election going the way it did. The fear mongers were spreading the rumors that they wouldn't take the guns.... yet .... but they would prohibit the ammo or some such thing like that.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Well it is the cost of the raw materials going up quite a bit but I think what made it scarce for awhile was the presidential election going the way it did. The fear mongers were spreading the rumors that they wouldn't take the guns.... yet .... but they would prohibit the ammo or some such thing like that.

They DID.

Do a little research on the subject and you'll see just how bad Obama hit the ammunition manufactures along with the home reloader. It's not pretty at all, and there is more in store.

People weren't clearing the shelves cause they thought **** hit the fan, they were clearing the shelves because they were rightfully aware of what is happening to the ammunition department. Do you know how hard it is to get .50 BMG primers? or any rifle primers at all? Or the hundreds of thousands military brass they're selling by the pound to China for a 1/15th the cost they were getting by selling it to the public?

Ammo's frickin' expensive, huh! And then BANG! it's gone!

Most of my stuff is wildcat anyway so .... The base components are still ridiculous to find. Now that my hunting area is in the middle of the Lead Free zones I have to buy all copper ammo... Basically I'm shut down as far as hunting is concerned...

Reloaders are still dealing with a primer shortage. My wife and I shoot SASS and will go through 100 rounds each of 38 in a 5 stage match along with a box or so of 12g shotgun.

Ammo has gotten much better in upstate SC. .380 is still hard to come by, but everything else can be found by going to a few stores/ranges.

Now, the poor folks down towards Charleston/Mount Pleasant, at least from my trip last month, still have a hard time finding anything (12 g, 9mm, etc.)

Interesting to hear how other people are fairing.