Posted on 01/23/2021 3:47:32 AM PST by Mr. Mojo
Are ammunition companies hoarding their supplies? Have they stopped making ammo altogether? In short, no. Here’s what’s really going on
Last week I was riding around South Texas with Jason Vanderbrink, the president of ammunition for Vista Outdoor. In other words, he’s the big boss for Federal Premium Ammunition, CCI, Speer, and now Remington ammunition. This is a pretty wild time to be running an ammo company: There are an estimated 7 million new gun owners in the U.S. this year, consumers have been panic-buying rounds in everything from .22LR to .300 Win. Mag., and retailers are backordered for months; plus, there’s the global pandemic complicating supply chains and workers’ safety.
So, we know the question that’s on the minds of every hunter and shooter: Where’s the ammo?
Frustration over the ammo shortage has created some pretty fun conspiracy theories. These are probably the top three: 1) Companies are stockpiling their product to drive up demand; 2) Ammo plants have shutdown completely; 3) Ammo companies are in cahoots to stop selling to civilians and are now selling only to the military. It’s worth noting that similar conspiracy theories cropped up during the panic buying and ammo shortages of 2014. It’s also worth noting that none of these conspiracies are true.
There’s No Crystal Ball for Ammo Sales
The reality behind the ammo shortage is a lot less provocative. After a few years of tough sledding, ammo companies now simply can’t keep up with the unprecedented demand.
“It’s easy to be a Monday morning quarterback,” says Vanderbrink. “During the Trump Administration, for all ammunition companies, it was a tough business. The industry was over capacity and that leads companies to not invest in expansion or refrain from capital expenditures that may be needed.”
During the Obama Administration, some consumers feared stricter firearm regulations and bought as many guns and as much ammunition as they could. That tailed off significantly when Trump was elected. (Folks in the firearm industry call this the “Trump Slump.”) The FBI tracks background checks before firearms purchases through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which is the closest measure we have for tracking firearm purchases. Firearm background checks have increased almost every single year since 2002, except for Trump’s first year in office, when they decreased from 27.5 million in 2016 to 25.2 million in 2017. Federal had to lay off 200 employees in 2017. In 2020, there were 39.7 million firearm background checks.
“So when the market turned in March, we were coming off of a tough three-year business cycle.” Vanderbrink says. “[At the time,] the furthest thing from our mind was expanding capacity. So when the market tuned so fast you had two problems: There was certainly not the labor available and, two, it takes time to train people...You just can’t turn on a dime. You can’t go hire hundreds of people overnight, train them and boom, on Friday you have more ammo. It just doesn’t work that way, it’s impossible. The key takeaway is that the business had been tough for three years and we had to right the ship, if you will. And then when demand exploded, it’s impossible to react that fast.”
Raw Material Shortage
Accessing materials has been another challenge for all ammo companies and for individual reloaders. Primers are hard to come by since there’s been such a surge in factory ammo. And brass is another challenge, Vanderbrink says.
“The brass market for the most part is seeing unprecedented demand not only in the ammo market but the national coin shortage and that is certainly driving brass prices up and availability down,” he says. “Brass is a hard commodity to acquire right now and every round that any ammo company makes, for the most part, has brass in it.”
But manufacturers are making ammo, and lots of it. Vanderbrink has taken to YouTube to put some of the conspiracy theories to rest. His first video, shot inside the Federal factory in Anoka, Minnesota, has more than 1.7 million views.
“I’m tired of all the hate mail, I’m tired of people showing up at our factories, I’m tired of reading the misinformation out on the internet right now about us not trying to service the demand that we’re experiencing,” Vanderbrink says in the beginning of the video.
In a follow-up video, he answers the common complaint: Where is all the hunting ammo? “Federal has been around for 99 years and we’ve made more hunting ammo this year than we have in [any of] the 99 years of our company. Certainly that wasn’t enough, we understand that.”
Vista Adds Remington Ammo to the Fold
Besides turning out rounds at the Federal plant, Vista is focused on getting the Remington ammunition plant running at full capacity in Lonoke, Arkansas. Vista purchased Remington ammunition and its assets and the Remington trademark in October after the Remington Outdoor Company filed for bankruptcy. Currently, Vista is bringing back furloughed employees and hiring hundreds of new ones to get Remington Ammunition back on its feet.
“Ultimately the consumer wins with this acquisition,” Vanderbrink says, who got his start in the ammunition business as a salesman for Remington. “We’re going to invest heavily in the brand, we’re going to invest heavily in the facility, and we’re going to modernize it. At the end of the day, the American worker wins, and the end consumer wins… We will get production up and going and that will help [ammo] availability.”
No one is quite sure when the ammo shortage will end, but it likely won’t be any time soon. In November, Vista reported a year’s worth of backlogged ammunition orders in excess of $1 billion.
“It’s going to be awhile,” Vanderbrink says. “All the shelves are empty, so we’ll have to fill the shelves. Understanding the political climate in our country and the social unrest…all of those factors create demand. So I won’t speculate, but getting the Remington factory up at max production will help the end consumer for sure.”
I call bullshit. I’ve been unable to find 380 for other than ripoff prices for 10 years.
“The article says different.”
No, it doesn’t.
“During the Trump Administration, for all ammunition companies, it was a tough business. The industry was over capacity and that leads companies to not invest in expansion or refrain from capital expenditures that may be needed.”
“Until the pandemic hit AND a low-life drug addict scumbag was killed by the police in Minneapolis. The marxists saw an opening, took it, and launched their communist revolution country-wide. Then the Big Steal happened.”
__________________________________________________________
George Floyd was not killed by the police in Minneapolis. He died of a massive overdose of more than one drug WHILE IN THE CUSTODY OF THE MINNEAPOLIS POLICE. There is an enormous difference in the truth and what continues to get reported.
Words have meanings. The media continue to report that 5 people were KILLED in the capitol “riots”. Five people DIED during the capitol protest, but only one was KILLED. Her name was Ashli Babbit, and she was an unarmed white woman killed by a black man. The Capitol Police nor the DOJ, nor the FBI has yet to reveal his name or his job position. This event happened on Jan. 6 and it is now Jan 21.
Will this event be smothered just like Hunter Biden’s laptop being in the possession of the FBI for a year without being revealed until the computer repair shop owner spoke up? Will the FBI lie to us like they did about not having any information on the murder of Seth Rich for 5 years? Then they were forced to admit that they had a massive file on the hit job. Will the FBI continue to lie to us like they did to the FISA court on multiple occasions?
Is this the way a GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE AND FOR THE PEOPLE OPERATES?
Thanks for clarifying. I was struggling to find the right words and really blew it on that.
But my bigger point stands that the marxists were looking for a trigger and latched into the Floyd lie. IMO, that, together with the Democrats dropping their masks and going full commie, is what is driving ammo demand. Not the pandemic.
“Is this the way a GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE AND FOR THE PEOPLE OPERATES?”
Yep.... a need to know basis only and we peons don’t need to know.
Yes, it does. The downturn was for ONE EFFING YEAR in a fifteen year uptrend. Anyone who can do simple statistical calculations can calculate the probability of the uptrend continuing.
IIRC, the real problem with the gun industry at that time was their attempts to appease the gun-grabbers by saying "well, we will only sell to the military". Civilians boycotted their products en mass and their sales cratered.
Peter,
Like you, I just purchased an M1 Springfield. I went to gunbroker.com and purchased there. You are correct... I paid $2 per round but it was for the M1 ball ammo. Don’t attempt to shoot modern ammo through your gun. Lots of bad things can happen to your gun.
MFO
Absolutely. Unless I get an adjustable gas cylinder screw, I need to keep the ammo very tame (in comparison to some of the stuff I’ve seen).
I’ll just stick to the safe stuff.
If you’re going to shoot regular civilian 30’06 rds in the M1 you need to get an adjustable gas plug. The civilian rds will screw up your op-rod.
If you’re going to shoot regular civilian 30’06 rds in the M1 you need to get an adjustable gas plug. The civilian rds will screw up your op-rod.
I’m still struggling with the correct names for the bits and pieces.
I’ll use only the correct ammo to preserve this weapon no matter how long it take to get or pay for.
The historic value of the M1 Garand is more important than its sporting value.
Thanks!
Have enough for yourself and the guy who picks up your rifle after your martyrdom.
Here’s my list of ammo suppliers, compiled since 2001. You’ll find what you need at one of them; just do some shopping...
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=liberty+ammo
http://www.armslist.com/
http://www.sgammo.com/
http://www.brownells.com/search/index.htm?k=shurefire+magazines&ksubmit=y
http://www.ammoman.com/
http://www.federalpremium.com/default.aspx
http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/
http://www.corbon.com/
http://www.doubletapammo.com/php/catalog/index.php
http://www.hksspeedloaders.com/Index.html
http://www.luckygunner.com/
http://www.shopalexanderarms.com/.50_Beowulf-Ammunition.html
http://wilsoncombat.com/new/default.asp
http://shop.ammocanmagnets.com/50-cal-size-Black-Font_c11.htm
http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?item=XCanM2A1&name=New+Mil.+Spec.+M2A1+.50cal+Ammo+Cans&groupid=614
http://www.impactguns.com/nemo-omen-300-win-match-rifle-omen-match.aspx
http://www.gunbot.net/
http://www.theboxotruth.com/#13519954922231&ifh=44
http://www.black-hills.com/
http://www.hornady.com/
http://www.nosler.com/
http://ammoseek.com/
http://www.outbackammo.com.au/
http://www.freedommunitions.com/
http://www.bulkammo.com/
http://ammo.net/
http://www.surefire.com/tactical-equipment/high-capacity-magazines.html
http://www.cabelas.com/ghome.jsp?WT.srch=1&WT.tsrc=PPC&WT.mc_id=google%7CHamburg+PA_Brand%7CUSA&rid=20&WT.z_mc_id1=43000000131123705&pcrid=13985066839&gclid=CNHYws7x57gCFUui4AodMlAAKw&gclsrc=aw.ds
http://www.maglula.com/
https://www.buffalobore.com/
http://www.barnesbullets.com/
http://www.doubletapammo.net/
http://www.grafs.com/retail/index/index
http://www.midwayusa.com/
http://www.natchezss.com/
http://gun-deals.com/ammo
http://www.lehighdefense.com/index.php/shop/ammunition/controlled-chaos/102/300-whisper-high-velocity-controlled-chaos-detail
http://www.ammunitiondepot.com/Liberty-Civil-Defense-45-ACP-78-Gr-Lead-Free-Ammo-p/liberty45.htm
http://www.brownells.com/magazines/rifle-magazines/magazines/ar-15-m16-60-100-round-magazines-prod42026.aspx
http://libertyammunition.com/
http://www.vetmadeammo.net/home.html
https://www.sgammo.com/product/federal-ammo-sale/500-round-case-45-acp-auto-federal-american-eagle-230-grain-fmj-ae45a100-l
https://gundigest.com/gear-ammo/ammunition/fading-away-the-45-acp-isnt-going-anywhere
https://bulkmunitions.com/
https://libertyammo.com/
http://ammo.com/
http://www.freedommunitions.com/Pallet-Ammo-s/55280.htm#
https://doubletapammo.com/
Don’t be stupid. An M1 in proper shape will handle any factory ammo up to 220 gr rn.
I personally have M1s that have had thousands of rounds of M72 ball fired through them. M72 consists of 173 gr boattail spirepoint loaded to 2640 fps. That load produces 50k psi. not 48k. One of the rifles is an NRA CMP Springfield Armory NM built at Aberdeen MTU and the other a Winchester that I bought as new. Both rifles have a fair amount of wear in the bore, still shoot exceedingly well, otherwise are in great shape. Had them both about 45 years and will never re-barrel them. I’ve been through two other M1 NMs and one M14 NM and one M1A NM.
The two worst things you can do to a rifle:
1. Overcleaning
2. Underusing
Agreed. He is also combative against his customers.
Did the fool also destroy the manufacturing equipment? They know demand will come back.
Really does not matter. The dims will tax ammunition out of existence or ban it. Keep your guns they will say. Figure out what to load them with they will say. Taxation is how they will control most things and it will not be tax to you. It will be to the manufacturers, make them the enforcers.
Wait for i. This is coming. Just not important enough right now.
Save your ammo. Pick your shots. Make them count. Take the head off the snake. That is the most important thing.
Making ammo in minnesota? That alone is supply chain threatening. How about a free state?
That is what we have, free states and blue states.
Can’t see how war is not coming. Talk about horror.
Wow!
Thanks very much.
I’m going through all of them; found one or two w/ ammo in stock. Prices are... Wow!
Call me stupid.. fine. Shoot whatever $hit you want. I know damn well what I am using and you can gfy.
MFO
You might find this of interest http://www.90thidpg.us/Reference/Manuals/FM%2023-5%201951.pdf
Wasn’t exactly my experience past four years where in Tenneseee ammo was more or less fairly scarce since 2008
One could find large caliber hunting rounds fairly easy
I went to Ass Pro yesterday...nothing
I have that. Thanks!
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