Just a Idea, "Ammo Price Gouging"

[Nwatson99]

Some will say I am crazy and laugh, but we have to do something to stop this insane price gouging.

Folks this is really under my skin and I have noticed the 5.56 has went up another $100 per 1000 rounds since Jan 01 2009, the only way I can see to stop this **** "Price Gouging and Demand" is if we suck it up and stop buying for a while. If the gun owners would band together and not order or purchase any ammo the manufacturers would have no further choice but to reset the prices where they need to be.
Steel prices are down big time so why is ammo manufacturers still gouging us? Let's look at the gas gouging last year most folks stopped traveling "record Lower for July 4th, Memorial and Veterans Day so the Oil companies had no other choice so they lowered gas, so why not do this on Ammo?
If you are a member on other forums we need to pass this around and let our fellow Second Amendment Brothers and Sisters know of this and hopefully they will get their head's out of the sand and join in.
I am asking no one buys any ammo in the month of March and maybe April if it takes it to prove out point and remember "this means no stocking up in Feb either". The spike in sales in Feb would make it even worse on us, yes this means no range trips for some that do not have a large stock pile, but to get the ammo down from almost $.50 per round to $.25 where it belongs we must do something and that means sticking together.

 

[IUGradStudent]

Problem: what if Obama/Democrats get some nasty anti-ammo legislation rolling such as micro-stamping or import bans, etc. You sit out now and it just gets worse. If you feel comfortable with how much you have, then you should sit it out. But, for some of us who haven't stocked up yet, I think I'm gonna buy a least a bit so I'll have it later if I need it. If it comes back down, I'll buy more Scale my way into the investment

 

[slow1911s]

I talked to one of the nations largest wholesale reloading suppliers on Friday. They are out of small pistol primers until maybe June. I think there is a component shortage (and this is just one example.)

 

[trophy hunter]

i know i`m stocking what i can afford to right now, even some of the calibers i really don`t need, just to be safe.

 

[6birds]

I also enjoy shooting. Not every month, every week! So what if the price is going up! Do you really expect me to take a few safes full of guns and shut them off to please.... Obama? If I quit, they win.
I am taking one new person shooting every single month this year, and may set a new record in what I spend in ammo. I really think it is the right thing to do.

I don't believe gas fell because of reduced travel, and will leave it at that.

 

[indykid]

I agree with you totally Nwatson99, but unfortunately firearm owners are their own worst enemies. Too many "what if"s and not enough to stand against it.

 

[Bigum1969]

Gander Mountain used to have white box Winchester .223 for $8.99 per box last year. It's now selling for $12.99. More than a 40% increase.

 

[CarmelHP]

I saw the same thing in the early '90's under Clinton. The prices will go down when the fear goes down.

 

[dross]

There's no such thing as price gouging. We operate in a free market. Prices go up and down based on supply and demand. When resources are limited, there must be a way to distribute them. Wal Mart, who sells cheap ammo but is running out, has chosen to distribute ammo by rewarding those who get there first, who then buy all the available boxes in a particular caliber. I'd rather they raised their prices and discouraged all that bulk buying, and then I could at least purchase some ammo. I'd be willing to pay more and have some, than have an artificially cheap price and not be able to buy any in the real world. The oil analogy doesn't work, because OPEC fixes prices. Ammo is in short supply simply because of demand. If the gun shops have raised their prices, good for them - at least I can buy from them.

 

[coltaceguy]

You are nuts if you think ammo prices are going down anytime soon.

First off, yes people are selling ammo for more then its 'worth' because it is selling at that level.

Second, just wait till those dealers with "high" prices now see their 1st quarter increase on ammo in 09.

You think its high now, just wait.


Hell I can hardly find primers or powder, everyone is buying it at "high prices". Higher prices coming..

 

[U.S. Patriot]

Ok ammo will always continue to go up, just like other products. It's called inflation. Yes do to the high demand, manufactures are increasing prices. It's called supply, and demand. It does hurt the ones with more of a limited income. Yet people with money will always buy, regardless of price. That is what they rely on. You can not compare gas to ammo. If you could compare the money spent on gas, compared to ammo. Well I think gas would win. It's a scare, just like when Clinton was elected. Now if every gun owner stoped buying ammo for a period of time. Then yes there would be a price reduction. Because companies would be loosing profit. On the other hand if everyone stoped buying, then our lovely Government would see it as a victory. It's a double sided sword. As the old saying goes " damned if you do, damned if you dont ". Also you can thank all the little panic buyers.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

Problem: what if Obama/Democrats get some nasty anti-ammo legislation rolling such as micro-stamping or import bans, etc. You sit out now and it just gets worse. If you feel comfortable with how much you have, then you should sit it out. But, for some of us who haven't stocked up yet, I think I'm gonna buy a least a bit so I'll have it later if I need it. If it comes back down, I'll buy more Scale my way into the investment

If they pass the stamping bill, which is likely to get turned down again. Guess what all the ammo you have now, will be considerd illegal. Which means all will have to be disposed of. That's why I make sure I have enough incase of emergeny, but not so much that I would need a damn box truck to move it.

 

[SWAMPMASTER]

I have heard that ATK (Federal) is laying off people at Ammo Plants

 

[Smitty506th]

Would I be out of place if I suggested we form regional reloading clubs. No sense in throwing away brass and buying more whole ammo when we can "recycle" what's on the ground.

 

[wetidlerjr]

...We operate in a free market...

Where would that be ?

 

[Joe Williams]

Nope. Sorry. Not gonna not shoot in the vain hopes that my refusal to buy a brick of .22s is going to drive the ammo companies to decide to operate without a profit.

I'll just keep reloading to keep prices down, get my molds and learn how to cast my own bullets to drive 'em down even further.

 

[dross]

Where would that be ?

Generally free. More free than many places. Not nearly as free as I would like. Likely to get less free in the future. Free enough that prices still shift up and down based on supply and demand.

 

[wetidlerjr]

... Free enough that prices still shift up and down based on supply and demand.

If and when they overcome all the forces that affect sales. Things are not as simple as you portray them. Free enterprise is never free, unfortunately.

 

[dross]

If and when they overcome all the forces that affect sales. Things are not as simple as you portray them. Free enterprise is never free, unfortunately.

Volumes have been written about this subject, so yes, it's more complicated than I wrote in that post. Frankly, I'm not qualified to explain it. My point is that there is no price gouging going on.

Prices are information. They tell you what something is worth. I can print any price on a thing I want, but that's not the price of it. If I have a store, and I charge $100.00 a box for WWB 9mm ammo, no one will buy it, because it's actual worth is much less. If I have ten boxes of that ammo and I price it at $50.00 for all ten boxes, it's actual worth is much more and the first person to see that price will likely buy all of it.

If I price something at a price you don't want to pay, don't buy it. How can that be called "gouging." It's mine, it's not yours. If you want it, you must offer me something that is worth it to me. If you're willing to pay the amount, but somehow think that I should have given it to you for less, you're being ridiculous.

Wal Mart, for instance, sells some items at a loss. These are called "loss leaders", and they take this loss to get you in the store. Shouldn't the people who complain about "gouging" pay Wal Mart more money, say what Target is charging? Are the customers gouging Wal Mart?

What about the guy who buys a house, then two years later gets transferred. When he goes to sell the house, he finds out that housing prices have gone up 20% in those two years. Should he only sell the house for what he paid for it?

If you don't want to be "gouged," don't pay the asked price and go without. If the item is worth more to you than the money, pay it and shut up.

 

[Fletch]

I came here because "price gouging" is one of my hot-button phrases, but I see Dross is already carrying the ball on this one, so I'll just add my "hell yeah" to his post.