[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.

[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”.

[SpinnerWebb]

ping!

[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)

[HammerT]

'Name their gun "Vera", are a small minority of gun owners'.

There's a real practical reason to 'name your gun' – then you don't have to divulge as much information when referring to it.

As in “let's take Sparky to the range”, instead of “Let's take the 22 to the range” - or something like that

[Atlas Sneezed]

The article ins interesting speculation, but its wrong.

It’s ALL about demand. The 380 theory is entirely wrong, because that is a high-production caliber that does not swap out with 9mm. This writer evidently didn’t talk to anyone in the industry.

The makers are running round the clock, and eventually will catch up. That includes bullets, cartridges, powder, and primers.

No government conspiracy. Just a healthy market fear of a future government conspiracy.

Consider the reality of the entire market trying to buy a potential lifetime supply. The only real questions that industry insiders debate are how long until the demand is satisfied, how long it will take to get there, and how hard or soft will the end of the bubble be for the makers?

[Quiller]

It might be a touch stale, but to toss out another cynical (sinister?) explanation for the ammo shortage:

1. Among the gun control proposals floating around, there are two that could play into this situation. One bans all hand-loaded ammo. That would make factory loads the only (legally) available ammunition, dramatically increasing its demand. A guarded belief that would happen would be reason enough for many manufacturers to divert a good part of their production to inventory, so they would be positioned to meet the sudden surge.

2. Another proposal effectively controls ammuntion access by taxing it beyond reason. If such a tax happened, especially if the ban on hand loads happens also, the tax would likely be worded so the tax would be levied on ammunition MANUFACTURED AFTER A SPECIFIC DATE. Leaving all existing stockpiles clear of the tax until they were exhausted.

The problem is, the customer would have no idea which lot he was buying. So the same high price tag would be on pre-tax ammo, just as on post-tax ammo.

Where would the extra money go? To the manufacturers, initially, who would pass a portion of it on through lobbyists to the campaign funds of cooperative politicians.

Just speculation, but the same thing happened when cigarette taxes increased. Even though the tax wasn’t yet in effect, the prices were bumped to allow for the increase BEFORE the tax took effect, creating a nice little windfall for the manufacturers and distributors.