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The ammo is military surplus.

I saw in another thread that it was military ammunition. Some still in the belt for automatic weapons. I doubt if the military sells this as surplus. My guess is that it is either stolen or bought through some foreign source. All this speculation is made on the condition that the whole thing isn't some scam by law enforcement agencies.

You can buy belted military surplus ammo from just about anywhere. It's surplus. You get it the same way they military does, in cans, or crates. This story smells like a 3 day old beached carp. No one that spent that kind of cash on a weapon will leave it outside. I have an old $60 .22 cal rifle I treat much better than that.

"I doubt is the military sells this as surplus."

They don't as of about 2 years ago. Prior to that, the company that had the contract to demill the .50 surplus was selling the ready to fire rounds and the components. Then, for some reason the components only were available. You could buy all of the armor piercing incendiary, tracer, or ball rounds (bullets) that you could afford or could carry. I know, I bought a bunch.

Just recently, the govt went to the co that was demilling the stuff and offered them the same amount of income that they were getting by both demilling and selling the components if they would destroy the components after demilling the rounds. That is what recently dried up the mil surplus 50BMG. Some of it is still available, but in limited quantities. Try Widener's in Johnson City, TN if you want some.

Another source that is still avail is from Israeli Military Industries (IMI) Widener's, and several other suppliers have that also.

The point I'm making is that this ammo was and IMO still is plentiful enought to not get anywhere near the "rare" category, although articles like this may hasten the day when it will be.

I believe they do, although not in lots small enough that anybody but a dealer or the quartermaster from a really well off militia unit would be able to buy it. They sell it when it gets too old, whatever that might mean, since the stuff actually lasts pretty darn long. WW-II, and earlier, stuff if in sealed containers is still shootable. IMHO they shouldn't be selling any right now, no matter how old it is.