Some More Ruminations on the Ammo Shortage

View From the Porch ^ | April 21, 2009 | Tamara K.

[ChocChipCookie]

This has some really, really good explanations for the current shortage of ammunition.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Ammo doesn’t go bad. I’ve got some “cartuchos” that came with an 1881 Argentine Mauser that work fine...

[b4its2late]

Last years election result is a good explanation too.

[ontap]

At some point all this excess ammunition will come on the market and prices will fall.

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Outstanding and true explanation. Now, all types of lead are hot on the market because folks are melting it down to make bullets to reload. It's incredible. All we need now is a little spark to light the gasoline.

If you're in TX and need .380 JHP, send me a private message.

[Cuttnhorse]

Correct...metal prices are way down right now so the only real reason for the continued high prices is demand. I’ve been to two big gun shows here in Nevada within the past month and both were sold out of popular calibers within the first day...long lines just to get to the booth and lots of people, (including moi) with hand trucks.

I now have many thousands of rounds of all my popular ammo and will not be buying case-loads for at least a few weeks...just kidding!! I’m good for about 6-months.

[bmwcyle]

You mean it is not the evil oil companies holding ammo back on us. /sarcasm

[George Smiley]

I’d say that using .380 in a self-defense situation might very well be “die time”.

[JustSurrounded]

And, as usual, I’ve come too late to the party!

[SIDENET]

It beats poking the bad guy in the eye.

[SpinnerWebb]

ping!

[FateAmenableToChange]

“Ammo doesn’t go bad”

From http://www.thecmp.org/ammosales.htm

WARNING

All ammunition is subject to deterioration over time.
Customers should expect that 5% to 15% of the cartridges in any can may exhibit some stages of discoloration or corrosion or other abnormalities. As with any surplus ammunition, each and every round should be carefully checked before use.
Deformed or otherwise suspect rounds should not be fired.

These cartridges are aged surplus military ammunition.
This ammunition is NOT newly-manufactured, and is sold STRICTLY
IN “AS IS” CONDITION, with no warranty expressed or implied.

[LearnsFromMistakes]

I just bought a little 380, and can’t find anything for it. Well, almost anything. Like the article says, at some point, this will clear itself up...and then I can go shoot my new gun...

[KarlInOhio]

Case Lots: Believe it or not, the kind of people that read gun blogs, post on internet gun forums, go to the range every weekend, and name their gun "Vera", are a small minority of gun owners. For fifteen years I tried to convince Joe and Jane Public to buy ammo by the case. I failed miserably. No matter how much you explain the price savings when buying a thousand rounds at a lick, or the fact that ammo doesn't go bad, most people would look at you and say "I don't know, $100 seems like a lot of money, and what am I going to do with a thousand rounds of 9mm?"

The ammunition manufacturing and supply pipeline is simply not set up for the average consumer to walk into Wal-Mart and buy two cases of ammunition.

That's why there is a supply chain and retailers instead of everyone buying everything in bulk. Sure, I might save money buying a pallet of toilet paper or food or a couple hundred gallons of gasoline, but it's a nuisance to store and I am willing to pay for someone else to stock it... at least until all hell breaks loose and I wish I had some stored.

I call it Vera. (from the way too short-lived Fox series Firefly)

[Red in Blue PA]

“I’d say that using .380 in a self-defense situation might very well be “die time””

What a ridiculous statement. Nothing less than .45 right?

You do know that more people die from a .22 than from all other calibers combined, right?

[rllngrk33]

I just bought a little 380, and can’t find anything for it. ...and then I can go shoot my new gun...

I have the same problem with ammo for my .45.

[usmcobra]

More 22’s....

[ChocChipCookie]

You know, both my kids have learned to shoot their .22 rifles, and I was looking online for pics to show them of injuries caused by .22 bullets. Bad mom, huh? Those rifles just go ‘ping’, and it’s hard to imagine they could kill anything or cause a serious injury, but they could.

[DuncanWaring]

If you can’t/couldn’t find pictures, you could probably rig up a pretty good demonstration with a hollow-point bullet and a cantaloupe.

[George Smiley]

I *knew* somebody wouldn’t get that I was kidding.

Yes, I know about the .22 statistic.

But the numbers come from infections after the fact.