The Great Ammunition Squeeze

https://thecorygoat.substack.com/p/the-great-ammunition-squeeze ^ | 15 March 2026 | CORY GAUTEREAUX, HELS GOETHE, AND PATRICK QUIRK

[Lurker]

As we navigate the opening quarter of 2026, the United States ammunition market has transitioned from a period of volatile demand to a state of forced prioritization. We are no longer witnessing a temporary market fluctuation driven by domestic panic; rather, we are navigating a structural realignment of the entire industrial base. This 2026 crisis is fundamentally a supply-side phenomenon where the civilian market is being “crowded out” by a monopolistic procurement force: the global defense apparatus. Unlike previous demand-driven shocks, this scarcity is rooted in the physical redirection of raw materials and manufacturing lines to sustain high-intensity kinetic conflicts abroad.”,

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TOPICS: Military/Veterans; Outdoors; Sports
KEYWORDS: ammo; ammunition; banglist; civilian; corygautereaux; helsgoethe; market; patrickquirk; substack

[Lurker]

A well written article on the state of the civilian ammunition market.

Click the link for the entire thing.

L

[rktman]

Lucky I have some on hand.

[Varsity Flight]

📌

[Gnome1949]

This article flies in the face of the reality of the GLUT of civilian small arms ammunition for sale in America to the public at much lower prices than in recent years.

Are we not supposed to believe OUR OWN LYING EYES ?

There is PLENTY of pistol and rifle ammunition for sale across America.

[Antihero101607]

Bear Independent over on YouTube has been talking about disruptions in the ammunition supply chain for a couple of months now, and that we’d likely see a run on ammo in mid March. The next couple of weeks or months may be interesting, hopefully not. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best, I have some, not as much as I’d like, but I have my own supply.

I trust JT/Bear a little more than the average YouTuber prepper prepper channel who has probably never been in anything close to the situations they’re preparing their subscribers for. YouTube is kind of wild now with the AI slop, and the glut of channels pushing the “Trump betrayed us” narrative.

[Deaf Smith]

Last summer I scored 240 rounds of Greek 174 grain British 303.

Sealed pull top can of bandoliers of stripper clips.

[suthener]

In the last ammo shortage (which, if anyone remembers, was quite severe) I walked in to Academy Sports and they surprisingly had their shelves filled with ammo. I got excited and started looking. They had the most off the wall caliber ammo you could imagine. I saw they had boxes and boxes of 10mm. I thought, what the heck, I’ll get a 10mm pistol and a few boxes of ammo. Walked up to the counter, asked what 10mm pistols they had, and the guy said, oh, we don’t have any 10mm pistols.

[kawhill]

“The Great Ammunition Squeeze”. I’m OK.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

I remember the Obama years when our local gun store had empty shelves of ammo except Credmoore 6.5 which no one had a rifle for.
Obama had bought up everything to starve gun owners of ammo.

[LouAvul]

Cool story, bro!

[Georgia Girl 2]

Plenty of ammo at Bass Pro.

[Deaf Smith]

FYI

Velocityammosales.com

Sgammo.com

[Lurker]

I make almost all my own except for shotgun shells

L

[Deaf Smith]

Reloading powder off the market might not come back per industry news releases.

Needed: IMR 4064

[Organic Panic]

Obama also used “under the radar” methods of gun control by ending domestic lead production. I had a machine shop at the time. And that purple lipped Kenyan sent ATF goons to every machine shop in the region when making ar15 lowers was popular. First they sent undercover goons, then they sent agents trying to entrap machine shops.

[kawhill]

‘Reloading powder off the market might not come back per industry news releases.
Needed: IMR 4064’

You and me both, versatile stuff.

IMR 4064 is a highly versatile, medium-burn speed smokeless powder ideal for rifle cartridges, most notably .308 Winchester, .223 Remington, and .22-250 Remington. It is popular for its accuracy in many medium-sized cartridges, including .243 Winchester, .30-06, and .45-70, particularly with heavier bullet weights.

[Lurker]

I’m using a lot of CFE 223 these days. It’s available and fairly cheap. Meters well, too.

Mrs L just got me an RCBS Chargemaster Link and I’m loving it.

L

[Lurker]

Thanks!

L

[Deaf Smith]

Is there any loading data on CFE223 for 7.62 service rifle?

Is it a ball or stick powder?

[Lurker]

It’s a ball powder. I’m not sure about service rifle data. My .308 is a bolt gun.

L