How much gets me on a watch list?

M

mitchntx

New member
At the range today and was chatting with fellow shooters.

The subject of stockpiling ammo came up and he made a comment about being on a "watch list" due to the ammount of ammo and powder he buys at one time.

On the way home I got to thinking about that.

I made a cursory search and saw a lot of commentary about the TSA buying 400 million rounds. I'm that would raise an eyebrow if I ordered that much.

But as a private citizen, whats the line between enthusiast and radical?
 
I doubt the quantities that most shooters would ever stockpile would ever be enough to get much attention. A few thousand rounds in each caliber is really not that much ammo.

I refuse to be worried about it.
 
I know a couple of guys who are class 3 owners. Between the two of them and their automatics they go through at least 4 times more ammo in a month than I can reload and shoot in a year.

They get together and buy ammo in "bulk" once a month. Last time I remember being at one of their places they'd just received a shipment. It was a pallet of 5.56 Lake City - bill of lading stated 40 cases of ammo. In each case was 50 boxes of ammo - 20 rds per box. This was only half what they'd ordered supposedly. They also mentioned they preferred to order ammo that was loose packed in ammo cases but they'd found a great deal on this order and it came boxed and cased.

I'd asked if there were any concerns with law enforcement when ordering such quantities and the reply was that even at the amounts they're ordering per year they've never had any problems or concerns. They've also never heard of any "watch list". They've been buying ammo in these quantities for over a decade like this now and haven't had issues.

So the question really is - is there a "watch list" and if there is one and you somehow got on it how would you know?

My guess is that the guy who told you he was on a watch list was blowing smoke up your rectal orifice.
 
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Reminds me of a friend who told me 20 yrs ago when I first started buying ammo, that if you kept 5000 rounds in your house, you had to register your house as an armory :D .
 
LOL! Its a good thing I can never seem to stock pile more than a few thousand rounds before I get the itch to go turn them all into empty casings again...
 
ive been buying up ammo at a pretty consistent rate for about 5 years now and have never had an issue..i think your buddy was bsing you.


also a relative of mine makes my hoarding look like childsplay and he also has never heard of anything like that...and its been a good 15 years or so of buying lots of ammo for him.
 
Dealers haven't been required to keep records of normal ammo purchases since 1986, and I've never heard of one doing so voluntarily. Nor have I heard of any sort of "watch list."
 
If there's a 'watch list' concerning the amount of ammo one purchases, it has to be a State watch list not a Federal one. Too many states don't require ID for ammo purchases as it should be.

I'm thinking your friends 'tinfoil' hat may be on to tight. ;)
 
The subject of stockpiling ammo came up and he made a comment about being on a "watch list" due to the ammount of ammo and powder he buys at one time.
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That's just a paranoid idiot's way of attempting to brag about what they think are impressive amounts of ammunition and powder. (Even though they're probably quite low, in reality. - Maybe 1,000 round purchases and/or one or two 8 lb powder kegs... if that.)

I used to be on a watch list, too. When I walked into one of the local reloading suppliers, they watched to make sure I wasn't going to clean them out on .32 cal pistol bullets. ;)
 
Maybe 1,000 round purchases and/or one or two 8 lb powder kegs...
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Oh my god... call the authorities! There's a terrorist brewing. :rolleyes:

This morning at the range, some guy at the next bench was telling his friend (with both their gals in earshot, of course!) how much ammo one of his buddies has squirreled away (like 400 rounds of .45, and 1000 rounds of .223, man!)

I rolled my eyes, in my imagination of course.
 
Yall gotta remember though, 1000 rounds to the average gun owner is ALOT of ammo. Those of us on these forums are not your average gun owners. We are the "nutjobs" of the firearms community. :D
 
I suppose... I have to remember that I get shocked looks from people when they learn I put 12k rounds of .223 down range on a yearly basis and I don't think I shoot enough...

Sometimes I forget that the average gun owner might send 12k down range in their entire lifetime if THEY think they shoot TOO much.

EDIT: Btw, does putting that much ammo down range put me on a watch list? ;)
 
We are the "nutjobs" of the firearms community.
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As a member of the staff here, I feel the need to take charge and lead by example. Since I get worried when I have less than 5,000 rounds for each caliber I shoot, you guys should now refer to me as Capitán de Chiflado.

That is all.
 
I've bought dozens of boxes of commercial hunting ammo at yard sales, anywhere from 30-50 years old. Open the box, it has 12 unfired rounds and 8 fired cases in it, something like that, the owner bought it new with his new deer rifle and that's how much he shoots.
 
Let's see - buying .22 by the case of 6250....a few at a time
buying handgun ammo by the multiple 1000
buying shotgun ammo by the pallet

buying reloading components by even bigger quantities

what's the problem?
 
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