The "Where is everything?" thread -- guns, ammo, primers, powder, etc.

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Ritz said:
Too long indeed. I'm scratching my head trying to figure out what fundamental change occurred to create scarcity of .22LR ammo. Supply of rifles couldn't have changed significantly in the past couple of years. Did production suddenly get cut? Seems like current shortage would encourage more production...supply/demand and all that. Darned peculiar. Glad I had some stashed away.



And to get back on topic. Walmart in Sterling, VA had boxes of .22LR when I stopped by there last night for some motor oil.



Best,
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It's not peculiar at all. Panic begets panic. The "fundamental change" that occurred is lines of people waiting for stores to open and buying every box of ammo that hits the shelves. We've discussed it many times but suffice it to say that "more production" isn't like flipping a switch. It costs 10s of millions, takes many months or more and has to be seen as worth it LONG TERM, as in 5 years, 10 years, not this current panic that will be over before this new production begins.

I can't tell you how many people I've talked to who shoot 22 like I do, as in 200-300 rounds a YEAR, who have now stockpiled 10, 15, 20 THOUSAND rounds. Yeah, 20-100 *YEARS* of supply. THAT is the "peculiar, fundamental change".
 
Stopped by the local Sportsman's Warehouse on Monday. Lucky me---they were putting out the new shipment of powder and there was some Varget! They let me buy 2 pounds. They also had some 50 gr. V-max's.

Primers are darned near nonexistent. Haven't seen brass in any of the calibers I shoot for maybe a year.

I agree with some of the others--I used to operate from pound to pound of powder and buy bullets in boxes of 250. Same with primers---buy 1000 at a time and it was good. Now, if I stumble across anything I use it is likely I will take some home. I don't have great stores of anything, but try to stay 6 months ahead on most of the loading supplies. Doing without something a person uses a lot of is a pain in the fanny. Hard not to get surly over guys buying huge quantities. For every shooter that has a bunch of stuff just sitting on the shelf, there are others that are looking for that same stuff and might not be able to shoot because they can't find it.:rolleyes:
 
At the MC Sports in Rockford, IL I was able to buy 2 boxes of 100 Winchester 40S&W at $40 each box. I could have bought all four boxes on the shelf but decided to get only two. They were out, however, of any 9mm, 38 Special and of course, 22LR (which they said they have not had any in over a year).
 
Availability is better and pricing somewhat better at the recent Ontario and Ventura gun shows. LAX ammo had name brand 9mm FMJ like Winchester at $18 per box of 50 at the Ontario show and Federal white box ammo at $17 per 50 at the Ventura show. I guess overall it was acceptable to many because I saw hand trucks like the collapsible/foldable Magna Carts actually being used for ammo rather than hand carried.

My local Big5 is still priced beyond any norm I know of at $35 per box of 50 FMJ 9mm.

22LR is still difficult to find and the price is not favorable. The only 22LR that was of remote interest to me was, I think, Federal Ultra match from an independent/individual priced at $85 per 500 round brick. The bricks appeared to be vacuum-sealed in clear plastic. I have no idea whether this form of sealing is the norm. Probably not a bad price yet I’m not costumed to paying much more than that of CCI.
 
I don't have great stores of anything, but try to stay 6 months ahead on most of the loading supplies.
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I have what is, for today, a lifetime supply of everything - because I don't dare use any of it so the consumption rate has plummeted. I was really hoping to start into Cowboy Action Shooting this year, though. If I were able to start that, and if I thought I could replace ammunition each week, what I have would be about a two week supply.
 
I posted the following in a thread where the OP was inquiring about 22lr availability. The thread was closed, but I figure this info is still pretty good for those that may be wondering about this.

It is estimated that there are over 300 million firearms in the US, and about 80 million firearms owners. This, of course, is likely a very inaccurate number, but it's the only "official" one there really is to work off of.

If every shooter in the US has 1 gun chambered in 22lr, there are 80 million guns chambered for the cartridge in the US. That is completely a guess though, and more to demonstrate a point than anything else.

Let's say all of those shooters buy 1000 rounds of 22lr a year. 1000 times 80,000,000 equals 80,000,000,000 or 80 billion rounds. For some people, 1000 rounds is quite conservative for a year's worth of ammo.

According to Ammoland.com, all current manufactures combined can produce about 4.2 billion rounds of ammo in a year. That is enough ammo to provide for 4.2 million guns in a single year. So, even if only a very small portion of the firearm owning community owned a single gun chambered in 22lr, these numbers are quite dismal.
 
I had built up a good stock of centerfire ammo before the latest panic. But only had about 2k of 22lr; just dropped the ball on that one. At my rate of use, that was only about 6-8 months worth. Didn't feel like standing in line to get more, so :( .

Happened to see that a dry box with 2,100 rds of Federal 22lr was back orderable on Cabelas, so ordered one. Figured I'd get it in 2-3 months and I'd be ok till it all blew over. Wrong! Just got it, a little over a year later. At the time, total of $106 wasn't such a good deal, right now...

And I almost lost it. My CC I had used was compromised during the intervening months, so CC company issued a new number. Couple weeks ago I get an email from Cabelas saying my order couldn't go through because my CC was kaput. I immediately called and Cabelas CS rep put it on new CC. But I had no assurance they hadn't already blown through what they had available and I'd get put on back order again. Couple of days later I got ship notification. :D

Isn't it purty!



I didn't go to the range as much as I would have liked last year, and didn't shoot as much 22lr as I usually do per trip, so still had a brick left. Hopefully by the time I get short again, 22lr availability will be much better.
 
Just got an email from AMMO TO GO.

They have Remington Golden Bullet 40gr .22 LR priced at $18.95 per 100. Shipping is $11.22.

100 rounds for $30.17 - $0.30. a round.:eek:

I PASS.
 
Still pretty high even without the shipping. I have done partial boxes of ammo I found from when I was a kid. Amazing the price difference.
 
This has been brought up before but I will mention it again. It's too bad we couldn't take a deep breath, get organized and boycott all 22lr for 1 month. If we did that the shelves would fill up and when they start bulging the price will drop and everyone that wants reasonably priced 22lr ammo can get some.
As an added bonus the clowns that buy everything up and resell it for $75/brick on Gunbroker, etc. would really freak out when their credit card bill comes due and they've sold none in 30 days!
 
I believe the worst thing about the past year of shortages is the attitude that developed among us that "I have mine, tough luck if you don't have any." That is the sort of thing that helps gougers to sell a brick of .22LR for $80.

They may say all the new gun owners are the reason behind the shortages, but who among us has not picked up 2 boxes of ammo lately, when one would do?

I know a fellow who brags that he has hoarded up more .22LR than he will ever shoot. That sort of thing helps nobody and hurts those looking to start out kids with a .22.

This crisis or shortage, whatever we call it, has made one thing apparent to the liberals who want our guns. When things got tight we all pretty much turned against each other.
 
'This crisis or shortage, whatever we call it, has made one thing apparent to the liberals who want our guns. When things got tight we all pretty much turned against each other.'

You have a point. But the one fantastic part of gun and ammo crazes is that they backfire on the anti-gunners in a most humorous way. Their antics have armed our citizens more than ever before! I love it. Thank your local liberal for filling our safes with probably more weapons than we would have without their crying.

BTW: I ordered 420 rounds of new factory Federal 5.56 Nato in an ammo can for my Colt LE6920 for $169.00 (+ $15 S&H) on 1/13/14 from PSA. Still has not arrived. Anyone know when I should expect it? This was my first time using PSA:D
 
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HMC8404 said:
. . .BTW: I ordered 420 rounds of new factory Federal 5.56 Nato in an ammo can for my Colt LE6920 for $169.00 (+ $15 S&H) on 1/13/14 from PSA. Still has not arrived. Anyone know when I should expect it? This was my first time using PSA:D
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PSA takes a while to ship. But don't worry, it will show up.
 
I don't normally post on these type of threads... I bought several boxes of 22 LR, 6 months ago, when I was hitting "the stores" at opening looking for primers... the stores have been getting shipments all along... but now 6 months later, I'm still amazed that there is no LR ammo on the shelves... it's definitely caused me not to shoot my 22's... I still have a couple 1000 rounds, but I refuse to shoot them, with the prices any ammo I could get would cost ( I can actually shoot hand load center fire cheaper )

I did not shoot CASS last year, as I wasn't sure I could replace the primers & powder, as I used them... things are starting to loosen up around here enough, that I may shoot this next summer...

... but yet, the 22 shelf remains empty :confused:
 
Ditch the liberals blah, blah - this isn't a politics thread. It is about where to get ammo.

San Antonio has tons of 223 and if you ride up to Cabela's - there's tons of it there.

The 22LR is rare as the stalkers are still using their free market abilities to create hordes in their dungeons.
 
I was at Cabela's in PA last Saturday. They had PILES of every conceivable version of center fire ammo including more .223/5.56 than I've ever seen in one place besides a gun show but *NO* .22LR unless it was all hidden behind shelves. I saw no one carrying any all day.
 
I miss the days when I could go to the store on a saturday and spend 25.00 for 1,000 rnds of .22 lr, and shoot it all off in one day without a worry. :(
 
I still don't get the 22 LR gig. What's the attraction? At one time maybe the price...but not anymore. Seems it's become fashionable to hoard 22 LR? lol :o
 
rlc323 said:
I believe the worst thing about the past year of shortages is the attitude that developed among us that "I have mine, tough luck if you don't have any." That is the sort of thing that helps gougers to sell a brick of .22LR for $80.

They may say all the new gun owners are the reason behind the shortages, but who among us has not picked up 2 boxes of ammo lately, when one would do?

I know a fellow who brags that he has hoarded up more .22LR than he will ever shoot. That sort of thing helps nobody and hurts those looking to start out kids with a .22.

This crisis or shortage, whatever we call it, has made one thing apparent to the liberals who want our guns. When things got tight we all pretty much turned against each other.
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Well, I've sold some of my .22LR to friends who couldn't find any.

They kept a box or two, like their Dad did (like my Dad did), "knowing" they could pick up more to go shooting anytime, anywhere.

When the panic hit, they got worried when they not only couldn't believe the prices, but the shelves were bare.

I started buying .22 bulk back in the early '80's, 5000 rds CCI MiniMags for $105 was the norm and I shot a bunch of it!
I still have 4-5,000 Winchester Wildcat & Super-X from the early '90's that Roses would put on sale, 0.99/box Wildcat & 1.09/box Super-X.

Point here is, I got in the habit of having plenty of .22LR on hand, if I wanted to go shoot, I grabbed 500rds and went.

So I've always picked up bulk on sale, even if it wasn't a preferred brand.

I sold the Remington Golden Bullets etc to my friends that had little or none AT WHAT I PAID, better that they have some, a rifle sucks as a club.

I ain't gouging nobody!

Heck, I still call my mechanic when I find any kind of ammo deal.

Yesterday, I found Remington 9mm 115gr FMJ @ $128/500 OTD.
Called him up, 6 boxes to him, 4 into my safe, for barter, swapping, etc.

He can't get out to get it when it's available and ALWAYS treats me right if I need quick service / better price.

Barter.
Kharma.

It's all good.

PS read Alas Babylon, One Second After, type books. Common idea in all is the .22LR as a replacement for currency when the gov currency is worthless.
"Three .22LR for a squirrel, 5 for a rabbit..."

For a hunting round, .22LR is gonna keep you fed when times are tough and food is scarce.

.22LR vs. Gold.
What's in your safe?
 
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Yesterday, MidwayUSA's page on the 1400-round bucket of Golden Bullets listed 6/24/2014 as the predicted backorder date. Today, it says "unknown." :(
 
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