This is more than people anticipating some sort of ban. Whatever it is, it is one hell of a barometer.
I've never seen anything like it, either.
I have been checking around for .308 brass on a daily basis, Cabelas had at the shortest a 6 week backorder on it, well last week in the wee early morning I checked them again and it was in stock, so I hurriedly placed an order for 200, that was all I could afford on my bank account, I have been waiting to finish some reloads using Barnes 150grBT Triple Shocks that I bought and the reason I bought those bullets was that they were the uber high priced ones everybody steered clear from while buying everything else up. BTW if a person has the money they are worth it, and I am still buying them but directly from Barnes themselves, free shipping over $75.
I agree. I have seen more people who obviously don't know anything about firearms purchasing handguns at gun stores I drop by. I know people who I thought would never own a handgun who have purchased them or talked about purchasing a handgun and getting a concealed carry license. Something is motivating people.
The only thing I have seen similar to the current price availability of handgun ammo was when Clinton banned the import of Chinese 7.62x39 ammo. I remember ammo going from $2.49 per box of 20 to close to $10/box of 20 rounds and even then being next to impossible to get.
At that time a lot of SKS rifles and MAK's have been imported and people were use to going out on a weekend and firing off one hundred or so rounds of ammo, so the import ban caused a shortage and panic buying. Within 6 months imports from Russia and former Warsaw pact countries of new production and mil-surplus 7.62x39 ammo soon caught up with demand.
I hope that the shortages disappear within six months.