[dangus]

Naturally, you don’t want to spend tons of money building new equipment for a short-term shortage that may be over by the time the new equipment comes on line... but is there any move to increase capacity?

[OneWingedShark]

but is there any move to increase capacity?

That is a good question.
I'm surprised there aren't entrepreneurs & manufacturers jumping in to make ammunition — perhaps even looking at the whole process itself to find a better/cheaper way to produce it (ground-up analysis/design).

[exPBRrat]

“... but is there any move to increase capacity?”

Good question. Historically the US has been a SUPPLY AND DEMAND type of economy. But with this Government, whose voter base has viewed the Constitution as hostile to their advancement...who knows?

The point is with this Christian hating government that only answers to itself, behind closed doors, and is willing to use all govt. agencies, and regulators as it’s secret Army of gatekeepers to enforce it’s ultimate hidden agenda.

They have a record of strong arming independent business and citizens who happen to have different points of view on government...all bets are off as to whether or not some investor has inquired about opening an ammo factory.

[Atlas Sneezed]

...is there any move to increase capacity?

---

I’m in the industry, and can advise from a very inside source that this article is correct about the limited capacity. Ammo making machines are like “money faucets” in this market. The make money based on how many machines they have. One well-known ammo maker told me that he felt very fortunately through either advance planning or good luck to have a good number of new machines arriving just as this demand wave has hit.

The “can’t risk investing in overcapacity” concern really isn’t there. Any maker would buy any machine they could get their hands on. (And these are monstrous, specialized, expensive machines).

They can only make so much, and when everyone is buying more than they’re shooting, the shelves will be bare. Normally, the makers were making enough to equal about what people were shooting. Those days are gone until things calm down.

[Sooth2222]

Naturally, you don’t want to spend tons of money building new equipment for a short-term shortage that may be over by the time the new equipment comes on line... but is there any move to increase capacity?

Sure! Easy!

Economics 101. (Let the price float, which is essentially what the online auctions are doing. You can buy all the ammo you want of any caliber right now -- it just won't be cheap.)

Large retailers are mindful of being accused of price gouging, so they are holding the line on price increases -- and so we have a "shortage". But at some price level for 22LR between $0.05/round and $5.00/round the marketplace will be in equilibrium and there will be no shortage. (It should be closer to $0.05 than to $5.00. I just got an e-mail that one of the online retailers is shipping me a brick -- at less than $0.05/round -- only 6 weeks after I ordered it.)