This is 101 course material.
Posted on 03/24/2009 6:22:39 AM PDT by 2harddrive
Aww, you are just showing off!
I heard Pete Brownell (of Brownels) clearly state on the local radio show “Gun Talk” that the ammo manufacturers are running a full capacity. I really do not think it is a “fed” issue but rather one of American Citizens really are sucking up every last round put on the shelves.
Which absolutely has me grinning from ear to ear.
Gun and ammo shortgages are the one area showing the market works.
This is 101 course material.
Specifically, no, not intentionally.
Zero is the #1 reason
Commodity inflation in 08 created other market forces that led to low stocks.
Lets hope this ultimately rights itself before Holder gets to enact any anti-gun/anti-ammo regulation.
No. We’re behind the ammo shortage.
True, though it's *possible* that an importer could exceed its usual storage space as the ammo moves to into the pipeline, hence the need for warehousing a portion of the supply. Or at least, it *used* to be possible, back when military armories were selling the older stuff off to generate funds for new hardware and ammo orders.
I'm not sure what's left out there - even the 8mm Mauser is drying up. I take solace in knowing that most of that ammo is now piled in American garages. This nation is now literally a powder keg.
I’ve purchased more ammo in the past 6 months than I had in the past 57 years. And I doubt I’m alone. Hussein is certainly responsible for the shortage, but only as the Marxist dictator-wanna-be, driving actual Americans to stock up.
Agreed - but the severe shortage just now is especially handgun ammo. It is beneficial for ammo manufacturers to maintain low stocks because -
1. they anticipate a lead ban, or
2. they anticipate a State(s) which successfully initiates a lazer ID bullet marking system with its attendant “disposal” of old ammo provisions.
The rifle ammo shortage is due to demand, particularly the popular military calibers. Also, an anticipated lead ban is clear, since most component manufacturers are now offering their versions of “lead-free” bullets.
Is the Government directly responsible? No. Not any more than they were responsible for gasoline exceeding $5/gl during the campaign and the the magical fall to $1.60/gl after the current Prez was securely ensconced in office.
There has been a concentration of ownership of ammo and firearms corporations of late and they can do as they please in terms of supplying or not supplying stocks to civilians. For instance, Cerberus is now ubiquitous in the firearms industry.
Demand is obviously a central factor. Also, I don’t think any ammo manufacturer (US) intends to be caught with huge inventories if lead is to be banned and/or bullet ID systems are made lawful.
Sort of, I think.
This is from my memory hole so bear with me and correct me if I am wrong.
1. The feds banned the import of class II or class III ammo.
Not sure what that is, but some were complaining about it at the time.
2. We have bought huge amounts of ammo for Iraq. Supposedly we really used up world capacity for ammo manufacture. I think this has ended as last year ammo manufacturers began talking about what they were going to do when the contracts ended. These were huge contracts, by the way. Billions and billions of rounds.
3. The increase in components cost has been due to China’s infrastructure explosion.
4. There has been an increase in ammo buying in the US.
If anyone has more to add, please do so.
No problem.
There was a DOD decision two weeks ago to destory used brass, rather than turn it over to DRMO (Defense Reutilization Marketing Organization) for lot sales to civilian suppliers.
When word got out, they caught hell and reversed their decision.
Perhaps you were thinking of this?
When I look on CheaperThanDirt.com, in military calibers I mainly see stuff from the 80’s. I’m guessing that current high prices caused people worldwide to scour warehouses and ammo dumps to see what was tucked into obscure back corners.
Deliberately? Not at all. Nothing has been done to deliberately cut supplies (save for the rapidly-recinded shells issue). Any import restrictions have been in place for quite some time, so that’s not a new effect.
Indirectly? Yeah, but only as a matter of reality. There’s a war on, remember? And any hints at cutting legal supplies tends to boost pre-emptive purchases.
Fact is, the supply isn’t much different than it was before anything that could be construed as “the fed.gov being behind the shortage”. The problem is US, the consumers: thanks to a confluence of real and perceived supply reduction, we’ve entered a self-reinforcing hysteria causing a run on what supplies are available. Demand, mostly out of fear, outstrips supply. Manufacturers are not going to ramp up production because (A) they are already running at maximum output, and (B) the cost to increase production is not matched by long-term demand once the hysteria dies down. At some point, even the most motivated buyer will decide he’s got enough.
Upshot: no conspiracy. Unless Big O is actually, secretly, being paid off by manufacturers to literally scare up demand.
I think much has to do with the thoughts from some people of eventual gun control by control of ammunition. Millions of guns will soon enough go silent if that control takes place.
It feeds on itself as shooters see supplies dry up and buy an extra few boxes while they can, even if they don't need it. If everyone wanted to have pizza for dinner tomorrow and nothing else would satisfy them, I doubt you would be able to have pizza for dinner yourself that night.
Eventually the dust will settle and ammo will come back into balance with lower demand. I could make a lot of money right now just selling reloaded .44 mag alone when it cost me $10 a box after casting and reloading, what guns stores sell for $50 a box.
I hope so ,I cant find any 45acp anywhere
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