Posted on 03/12/2022 1:47:39 PM PST by blam
Ever since Russian forces invaded Ukraine, Americans have panic hoarded all types of ammunition, according to a top US online gun retailer.
“A recent surge in consumer demand for small arms ammunition – the onset of which perfectly coincided with the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022,” AMMO, Inc., a US-based ammunition and components manufacturer, said in a press release Friday.
Los Angeles-based Ammo reports between Feb. 24 and Mar. 10 that revenues surged 166%, and transactions are up 110% over the previous two weeks. Website traffic for the period is up 59%.
Customers in Texas, Florida, and Washington bought the most ammunition by volume. They mainly bought 9mm and 5.56×45. Here’s the complete list of the top ten states for ammunition sales for the period.
“We noted a similar surge in demand for ammunition during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Alex Horsman, marketing manager for Ammo.
“As neoconservatives and the mainstream media both began calling for American intervention in the Russian invasion, wary firearm enthusiasts sensed that the products they need to enjoy their favorite hobby could soon become scarce.
“Many Americans predict that a war effort would significantly limit the amount of ammunition available to consumers. Others fear that the Biden administration, via executive fiat, will somehow limit private sales of ammunition under the pretext that those products must be shipped overseas in support of the Ukrainian resistance.”
Across the Mid-Atlantic area, Maryland-based gun shop The Machine Gun Nest notes that the conflict overseas has sparked buying interest for AR platform weapons and increased ammo sales in-store and on their online e-commerce shop.
“We have definitely seen a major surge in ammo sales here in the mid-Atlantic region. The war in Ukraine certainly sparked interest in the US, particularly among gun owners, who feel that the Ukrainian people are a testament to the absolute necessity of an armed population.
“We have seen sales of 9mm & 5.56mm skyrocket, with some customers purchasing as many as 20,000 rounds at a time. We’ve also seen increased demand for Russian ammo, with 7.62×39 and 5.45×39 seeing increased demand. The Biden Administration blocked the importation of Russian ammunition with sanctions in the fall of 2021, and the war has certainly added to the demand for these imports that are slowly drying up.”
Taking a look at ammo prices via ammo tracking website Ammo Prices Now, they report 9mm prices are steady near 30 cents a round on Saturday. However, 5.56 has jumped 23% since the invasion, from .44 cents to .55 cents.
Also, internet searches for 5.56 ammo jumped to the highest level since January 2021, when people were panic buying guns and ammo due to the summer of social unrest in 2020.
The firearms market has since “cooled significantly from the height of the pandemic surge,” according to Smith & Wesson Brands Inc.
However, with a larger pool of gun owners since the pandemic and corporate media feeding people wartime propaganda, another round of gun buying could be underway. Maybe this time around, people will be panic hoard larger caliber weapons because of war threats.
Until they’re fired. Unless they’ve been stored improperly. More or less.
Heck, I’m even finding Large Pistol primers!
None of those sources will come close to the price of Brown Bear, Golden Tiger,and Tulammo. I expect a doubling in price, at least, similar to 5.45x39 when 7П6 was banned.
Yeah, at $500+ per.
Interesting that the chart distinguished between 5.56 mm and .223. And Georgia’s #3 ammo was .357 Magnum. Makes me think the rise in crime is a bigger factor than the author takes into account.
I saw that too.
I have a .58 Mini-ball bullet from the Civil War that could easily be fired today, bullets last forever, with assembled cartridges, it's another story. Modern smokeless rounds are generally reliable for some 60 to 70 years if stored properly. I have fired rounds from the 1960s with no problem. Black Powder cartridges last much longer. There are some Youtube videos showing black powder cartridges from the 1870s being fired.
Prices I'm seeing locally (Arizona) are closer to $0.48 per round plus tax, in 50 or 100 round boxes. Despite the high prices, a Type 2 FFL I visited today said he expects to be sold out of 9mm some time next week...
Wish that were true of reloading components. Primers in particular are going for 10x what I paid in 2016. Been holding off buying for a couple of years now, but I 'm going to have to pony up mighty soon. My shelves are almost bare.
BTW my LGS, a family operation two towns over, had very little ammo when I was there 2 weeks ago. No .22 at all, and no name-brand .380 or 9mm.
The writer doesn’t know about Ammoseek?
Bullets or cartridges? Either way, they last forever if kept dry.
5.56 on ammoseek.com had gotten down to ~$0.42 for a quality round. Back up another $0.10 or so.
Please tell me where to get 5.56 for $.55 per round. Online it is currently going for $.75-$.90+ per round.
Please tell me where to get 5.56 for $.55 per round. Online it is currently going for $.75-$.90+ per round.
BTW, those things in the picture are also the perfect pills to cure pedophilia.
I take that back. Ammoseek does show some at $.54
Thanks for nothing Mean Daddy. My credit card hates you.....
Oh, that kind of box..... I was thinking you meant 50 rounds or so....sorry
Bought enough in the bammy years to supply a small army.
I have not lost a single one in a boat accident or anything. Come and take them, kiss your babies and pack a lunch. Not budging. I am free. I may die in a pile of brass, but I shall remain a free man. You fnckers can k.m.a.
LOL!! Remember, you’re in charge!!
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