Posted on 08/29/2014 2:46:29 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
It happens daily. Still. I get calls and e-mails asking where all the ammo is. Except it is not “all” ammo anymore. For the record, there is no conspiracy. There is no secret government contract. It’s not Bloomberg or Soros (even though their actions and pronouncements often increase demand. Ironic, huh?).
The major domestic ammunition makers have been producing more ammunition than ever. They are all up in terms of total production—double, and in some areas, triple-digit increases. They are all running three shifts. And when it comes to center-fire cartridges, at least of three of the big makers are caught up and beginning to load either new products, line extensions or specialty loads. Previously, lower-demand chambering or atypical bullet weights or styles were shelved due the time it took to change over the tooling. Now, on the center-fire side, anyway, the manufacturers can start to really catch up to demand and get to cartridge producing they have not loaded in two years.
But not on rimfire. Affordable .22 Long Rifle in particular remains like a Bigfoot sighting. Despite running three shifts—I recently talked with Federal Premium’s Tim Brandt specifically about this—rimfire capacity is at its maximum at the Federal Premium Anoka, Minn., and CCI, Lewiston, Idaho, plants. The other rimfire makers in the United States (and some overseas) tell me the same thing. Maximum production is coming out of all them. And it is not enough. Demand for .22 Long Rifle still exceeds production capacity.
The problem with rimfire production is that adding capacity is incredibly expensive and not easy. The machines are very spendy and cannot just be ordered out of catalog. And then you have to train the workforce, too, after the tooling is in and the plant built....
(Excerpt) Read more at dailycaller.com ...
Hey that is a great price.
There is plenty 22lr out there, just not at pre Obama prices.
The big box stores are selling below market price, so they stay cleaned out much the same way a gas station would always be sold out of gas if their price was $1.99 a gal these days.
Every small gunstore and pawn shop I go into these days has shelves overflowing with 22lr ammo. A quick online check also found plenty available.
Folks unwilling to pay the going price for high demand goods will always be unable to find what they want.
Cabela’s here in CO limits you to ONE box of 50...
I don’t think it is all hoarding. when I go to the range, I take my 9 mm carry gun and practice with about 3 mags. Then I turn to the 22 pistol(s) for fun plinking and then to one or more of my 22 rifles for plinking. It’s too expensive to plink all day with the 9 mm. Even tho the 22 ammo is more expensive than it was, it is the most economical when just plinking and having fun at the range. So if you look at my ratio and multiply it by the many like me, you understand the shortage, the manufacturers don’t want to spend the money for machining for hoarders, but I don’t think it is hoarding. In my case, and most of my friends, it is USAGE not hoarding. The manufacturers haven’t figured this out yet.
“Cabela’s here in CO limits you to ONE box of 50...
“
They have 300 round boxes today, just checked. Gogetsome
No govt conspiracy needed - I’ve been to several gun shows over the last year, from Georgia to Arizona. Folks are snapping up (for just one example) federal bulk boxes (333 rounds?) for $45 - $75.
Hell, there’s even jackasses on here who will call you a liberal when you point out their jackass-ness of hogging all they can grab when there are folks behind them in line who just want one box.
No sir - no govt conspiracy needed. But don’t take my word for it. Pick most any gun show, or browse gunbroker and see for yourself. We are our own worst enemy. All we need do is stop buying at 2x - 4x normal price and be patient. Let the shelves sit fully stocked for a month and watch what happens.
Saw 550 rnd. bricks at last weekends gun show for $55.00 and said, “no way I’m paying that price. I’ll just keep checking Walmart.....”
Guess I shoulda grabed a couple boxes......
Mike - many thanks......
“Walmart I can understand.”
One of the clerks at my local Walmart said that soon as they get some .22 in it happens: First guy spots it; out comes the cell phone; in a short while the shelf is cleared.
Some of it is the “buyers” for the gun shop in the next town over.
It’s not just hoarding. Consumption is up, too. And by consumption, I mean actual rounds fired. There are Millions of new shooters, the last few years, and a lot of them are shooting 500 rounds of 22LR a week.
Everybody wants to gain proficiency, and the best way to do that is with a rimfire pistol and rifle. Even at twelve cents a round, it is a lot cheaper than training with centerfire ammo.
And if you’re firing 500 rounds a week, 5,000 rounds at home is not hoarding. It is not half enough.
I know... Federal. First time I have even SEEN any let alone bought some.... They had some Bricks but Like I said the guys that come in every morning buy that up first.
Ah, I knew it was coming, didn’t realize it had opened. Thanks for the unintended notification, I’ll have to make a pilgrimage. It’s about 30 miles from here.
Would you like me to add you to the GA ping list?
yeah its about 30 miles for me... but closer than BP is... its on the other side of town...
there is an academy in town though...
Here’s another link to try if you like to get up early and wait in line at Walmart—just click on Walmart and then enter your zip code:
findmeammo.com
Eventually the hoarders would run out of space. Not even black market sales will withstand high prices when supply is plentiful. If it was just hoarding in private sector it would have stopped by now. Opportunist undercutting competition at gun shows etc would drive the prices down if rounds were easy to obtain through their channels such as being store clerks etc.
The fact also many persons stopped buying due to price or just gave up looking should eventually correct the supply. For over five years this has been going on in many places. Not just .22 LR but other ammo especially for pistols. But hey I can go to Wally World right now and buy all the shotgun bird shot I want cheap. Why? Lower range good for self defense only close up.
The manufactures when they ship out an order write up paper work stating buyer and hand it to the truck driver. The truck driver calls his dispatcher and says I'm loaded. The dispatcher says OK now write a ticket to XXXX company in Backwoods, Wherever and deliver it to the following location instead. It's legal, it's done many times daily in many non firearm related sales. A Broker buys from a company to resell to his customer whom he doesn't want anyone to know due to price competition including the maker or initial seller. It keeps chis customer base a secret is the purpose.
The delivery destination change occurs in truck routing after the load has left the company. I once picked up barrels of scrap metal in Philly from a recycling company. My paperwork from that company stated Missouri. As soon as I pulled off and stopped at a place to & called my dispatcher he said it goes to a smelter in Tennessee and gave me the address. Now if a legitimate broker can accomplish this how much more so can Fed have ammo delivered to a bogus company warehouse?
Persons Hording AMMO is like hoarding food after a while you run out of space & money unless you have lots of storage capacity and money. I'd say gun show sales are a small percentage of ammo sales. Don't worry about me buying it at ridiculous prices. I can't afford it nor can many others.
One final note. Does a ammo company really care who is buying? Will they not protect their largest client especially one holding much larger contracts? A year of shortage? Yea sure I could see fear hoarding making ammo scarce. Five years? No something else is happening.
Classic case of supply and demand. Have you noticed how many new .22 weapons are offered for sale on the various gun sites? All those new weapons have to be fed something.
BP is about 15 miles for me, but they do a lousy job on bulk ammo.
I stopped at a Gander Mountain on a road trip a few months ago, they do great on bulk ammo. There’s one open on the south side, and another opening soon, both further than Cabela’s for me. I guess they’re trying to not go head-head with BP and Cabela’s, location-wise.
My Wal-Mart is staffed with complete idiots. I have to really want ammo to put up with them trying to find someone with a key to the ammo case, then failing to do so about 20% of the time.
Where is GM? I may have to look there...I live west of Atl
Shows how utterly ignorant these bozos in Washington are about guns if they fear the government being taken down with .22 rimfires.
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