Posted on 04/05/2021 9:49:30 AM PDT by rktman
All across the country, millions of Americans are on the hunt for ammunition, either for self-defense, target practice, shooting sports or hunting. Sporting goods stores and small mom and pop businesses have had to severely limit how many rounds of ammo a person can buy at one time. Some have even gone so far as to limit ammo solely to those who are purchasing a new firearm because of the shortage.
Rumors have swirled about various companies and their ammo production. Some believed Vista Outdoors, the parent company of Federal, Remington, CCI, and Speer Ammunition, ceased manufacturing all together while others have insisted the company is picking and choosing who to sell ammo true. It was an issue Vista Outdoors' President of Ammunition, Jason Vanderbrink, addressed back in December.
Steve and Jason Hornady, owners of Hornady Ammunition released an update on ammo production. The pair used April Fool's Day to troll gun owners and squash the notion that the government is paying them to seize the production of ammo.
"So, the government might be sending you a stimulus check but they are not paying us to not ship ammo," they said with a laugh. "It just doesn't work that way."
(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...
That’s the way to do it!
The shooting enthusiasts community is its own worst enemy most times.
There’s plenty of less popular calibers. 40 S&W, 5.7 Czech, 32ACP, etc.
I assume they are not running the odd cartridges in favor of running as much of the in demand cartridges as they can.
Yeah, I can’t find .38mm ammo anywhere.
I stocked up years ago. Haven't bought a single round in over 10 years.
This whole "shortage" thing has been rather amusing to observe.
Seems to me with demand so high that capitalism 101 would kick in. Make you wonder if there are restrictions on getting into the manufacturing business?
Why isn’t Hornaday, for example, opening up new manufacturing plants? The demand certainly is there.
I would not think that making bullets would require that much start up capital?
If they’re coming from any distance, they need check every store en route.
The manufacturers are not price gouging. Most of their ammo is sold to wholesalers or large retail outlets and the prices are set by contract 12 months or more in advance.
Walmart for example deserves the thanks of all of us because they are the largest and they buy on long-term contracts with higher priority so they have great influence over the market price as their costs are locked in.
The ammo business is set up for steady supply/demand. The fluctuations in the market are not usually enough to warrant them building additional plant space and/or assembly lines. They will often run a third shift in times of high demand, but they have a long-term model that is set up for the average of the market not the peaks.
Ammo has become the new silver for many people and if you stockpile it when its cheap you can make decent money when it is scarce. It is a long-term easily stored commodity that makes us all feel better when we have it.
As far as “gouging” goes, it is mostly the speculators taking advantage of those who panic buy. It sucks for the new gun owners who don’t already have ammo and for those panic buying, but most of us make do.
Why isn’t Hornaday, for example, opening up new manufacturing plants? The demand certainly is there.
Because the demand will subside. Why do a capital outlay for a short-term boom when the margins are so narrow you will likely bankrupt yourself when it settles down?
We have been on this roller coaster for a long time and the manufacturers understand the market and long-term outlook far better than the rest of us. New employees, plants, and machines are very expensive. See my post above - most of them are NOT making more on their product now because they are in a contract business.
Vista Outdoors did just reopen the Remington plant in Alabama so that might help a bit (it’s a big one).
I think the lines and labor needed to produce the exotics go to meeting the high demand for the common stuff. There may be people buying to trade, as well.
I’ve got some cases stashed away. Loathe to break into them but may have to. I also have a couple of bags of 9mm reloads I bought years ago at a range. Maybe use those.
I do have an H&K .45 Cal which I hardly ever fire. Since they do have those in stock I may just bring that, and the 9mm reloads.
Another problem is that I am in California, and if I understand the laws correctly I can’t even legally lend my friends a pistol at the range. So I’ll have to check on the latest edition of “California Firearm Restrictions Weekly” to be sure.
When the Federal Government truly limits ammo (starving the sources, bank and online credit card refusals, cancel culture tactics, long order delays) they will allow us to have a little flag unfurl that says “Bang!” in place of a round being fired.
Carjacker with the .45 will have to say “Ow, ya got me” and fall over or it won’t be effective.
Franklin Delanor Roosevelt?!?
I find it cheaper to aim my shots carefully.
Unfortunately, GunBot is notorious for listing companies that do NOT have the ammo in stock. You have a better chance using AmmoSeek.
This is where that retired Marine brother in law who reloads becomes an important source of joy.
CodeJockey wrote: “I would not think that making bullets would require that much start up capital?”
I spent the last ten years of employment purchasing ammunition for the federal government. Making bullets is very capital intensive and very difficult to make a profit when you’re trying to make millions of rounds. For one thing, the quantity distancing requirements require large amounts of real estate for safety purposes.
The ammo shortage is making people start looking at personal Gauss pistols (again). Here’s a sample of prior work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJVHFRfGxmA
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