Posted on 03/19/2020 6:26:27 AM PDT by COBOL2Java
Widener’s Reloading & Shooting Supply, an online ammunition retailer, experienced a 99.7 percent increase in website traffic from Feb. 23 to 25 (when compared to last year) and roughly double the sales. “It’s clear our customers want to be prepared in a worst-case scenario,” Jacob Long of Widener’s said. “For a lot of our families, a disaster plan includes having ammo on hand.”
Brick-and-mortar stores are experiencing a similar response, according Danny Garcia, manager of Money Quick Pawn and Guns in Fayetteville, NC. “We have seen a distinct increase in both handgun and rifle ammunition in the past few months,” he said. “February was a record sales month…Talking with our customers we are hearing the increase is due to both the prospect of a coronavirus outbreak and the pending elections.”
Ryan Repp, director of content and communications for Brownells said the company is experiencing something slightly different. “Our ammo sales are up a few points, but our emergency food and survival supplies sales are trending up higher even than ammo.”
Don’t expect cartridges to repeat the vanishing act like they did in 2013, though. Undoubtedly, the manufacturers anticipated the political rhetoric and are monitoring the viral demand. In addition, the company’s contacted indicated they have a generous supply on hand.
“We are in great supply for both ammo and emergency supplies,” Repp said. Garcia noted, “Our shelves and stockroom are full, and we have pre-ordered a very large amount of ammunition that should easily provide a steady flow of ammunition to our customers.”
The inventory situation is the same at Widener’s, although the company provided eye-opening figures readers in some regions should note. Orders from Michigan are up by 566 percent. Other states with enthusiasts buying at higher-than-normal rates include Connecticut (up 390 percent), Florida at (+383), Kentucky at (+304), and New Jersey (+241).
“We are seeing an increase in sales across the board. It’s not product-specific, it’s industry-specific,” Long said. He also provided a breakdown of the cartridges most in demand. Sales of .223 Rem. and 5.56 NATO are up 2,036 percent, .45 ACP has risen 195 percent and the 9 mm increase came in at 110 percent.
Took my 14-year old grandson to the range. They were only allowing 10 people in at a time, one line for sales and one line for the range. After we were done firing, we stopped by the shop. The walls and the display cases were seriously depleted. I chatted with one of the salesmen and he said it’s been crazy.
Should be buying tonic water.
It’s been verified in studies in China and in France and in Italy...
You would kill yourself with water poisoning if you tried to drink enough tonic water to get an effective dose of meds.
Best kind of panic purchase, easily converts to simply long term investment asset.
HA! Got there at 9+ when they opened and the lot was already full.
Went inside and it was like a Saturday afternoon - just mobbed!
So I just grabbed a couple of boxes (30-06 and .22) just to top things off and scrammed.
And they thought we were nuts for stockpiling when things were rosy!
That pic is now posted outside my office door. hehe.
Wow, talk about PPE...
I stocked-up bigtime, after 9-11; still have 90% of it all.
Gin and tonic.
Academy Sports sold out of ammo, and the long gun rack was almost empty.
I went ahead and pick up a shotgun since I did not own one. Shotgun will be good for hunting and home defense. Will shoots some targets this weekend.
Also have AR 5.56/223, SK, and 45 in the house. The only thing I could buy now is maybe a 22 rifle and maybe a smaller pistol for the wife.
I went to 3 stores yesterday all out of 9mm.
Strange. I guess the social environment can get a little scary before a disaster for some folks in some of those locations mentioned, though.
Looking forward to some target practice, when the weather gets nicer.
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