Shortages and Long Gun Ammo?

[wcd]

Current conditions versus the Obama years. Seems like back then all ammo was in short supply especially Rifle ammo. Around here 223, 556, 7.62x39 etc are all available if you go to Academy. So is there less profit potential in rifle rounds versus handgun ammo? Or all all the new owners mostly Handgun?

Just wondering

 

[2A-Hoosier23]

Well I'm having trouble finding 5.56, .223, x39, and .308 these days, whether it's local gun shops or big box stores doesn't make much difference. The only centerfire rifle caliber I own that I've been able to find somewhat consistently and affordably is 7.62x39.

I do think handguns are where most of the new purchasers are spending their $ but plenty are buying up AR's and ammo for around $0.80 cpr. To me, the mainstream rifle ammo has been almost as scarce as mainstream handgun ammo.

Are the prices at your local Academy for those rifle calibers somewhat reasonable? I've never been to an Academy store, I think the one closest to me is in Terre Haute

 

[1nderbeard]

I can usually find 7.62 ammo in my local haunts around Hendricks County. 5.56/223 not so much.

I'd venture a guess all the new owners have 9mm and 223.

 

[LarryC]

Don't know how to verify, but I would certainly believe the bulk of the new firearm owners purchased handguns for defense. I have read how many new owners are Women that purchased for either home defense and or carry. Many of these new owners purchased ammo for training etc.

Another issue is the amount of rounds most (if not all) shoot when going to the range. Years ago son and I would carry a few hundred rounds of 30-06, 308, 7.62 X 54R etc. to the range, but after maybe 20 - 30 rounds each would change and go to handguns due to sore shoulders! Shooting a hundred rounds of large caliber soon quits being "fun" to me. That means many more rounds of common 9mm, 45 etc. is burned at the ranges.

Another issue is that I am certain "scalpers" began buying ammo as soon as the shortages started to happen - as soon as they saw handgun ammo in short supply they started buying to rip people off (I'm always well stocked so they won't ever get a cent from me and I hope they lose their asx!).

 

[wcd]

Well I'm having trouble finding 5.56, .223, x39, and .308 these days, whether it's local gun shops or big box stores doesn't make much difference. The only centerfire rifle caliber I own that I've been able to find somewhat consistently and affordably is 7.62x39.

I do think handguns are where most of the new purchasers are spending their $ but plenty are buying up AR's and ammo for around $0.80 cpr. To me, the mainstream rifle ammo has been almost as scarce as mainstream handgun ammo.

Are the prices at your local Academy for those rifle calibers somewhat reasonable? I've never been to an Academy store, I think the one closest to me is in Terre Haute

The one around here has not increased their prices much maybe a $2.00 more a box then pre plandemic. While not ideal but far from gouging.

 

[BugI02]

Over in Ohio I'm seeing 5.56 readily available but almost always at $1/rd or even a bit higher. Both 62 and 55 well represented. Everything pistol was in short supply but 9mm is becoming available again (at ridiculous pricing). It seems like manufacturers are concentrating on 9mm to the detriment of other calibers or those doing the ordering are. 40 and 45 are scarce and and 38 spl and 357 are non-existent on shelves. I reload so haven't really been affected by pricing. It seems like anything not 9mm will be at least $50/ 50 and up when I see it. 357 sig should probably be gold plated at the prices it is going for

Other rifle ammo very hit and miss, going into a big box store is 'like a box of chocolates'

 

[mikesouth12]

These prices and shortages aren't going away anytime soon.

 

[jspy5]

Over in Ohio I'm seeing 5.56 readily available but almost always at $1/rd or even a bit higher. Both 62 and 55 well represented. Everything pistol was in short supply but 9mm is becoming available again (at ridiculous pricing). It seems like manufacturers are concentrating on 9mm to the detriment of other calibers or those doing the ordering are. 40 and 45 are scarce and and 38 spl and 357 are non-existent on shelves. I reload so haven't really been affected by pricing. It seems like anything not 9mm will be at least $50/ 50 and up when I see it. 357 sig should probably be gold plated at the prices it is going for

Other rifle ammo very hit and miss, going into a big box store is 'like a box of chocolates'

I ventured out of my local zone into another area gun shop and found this to be true as well. I was quite shocked to see a very good supply of ammo of several calibers BUT you're gonna pay for it. What I have to wonder about is how come so many places have zilch and yet others are seem to have plenty. Is it that the ones without are just refusing to pay the higher prices ? That's what one of the owners I talked to yesterday was saying. Seems to me if you can get it and then still sale for a small profit that's better than being left out of the market altogether.

 

[Magyars]

I'm finding very little long gun or shotgun ammo with the exception of 300 Win Mag......and 28 ga

 

[BugI02]

I ventured out of my local zone into another area gun shop and found this to be true as well. I was quite shocked to see a very good supply of ammo of several calibers BUT you're gonna pay for it. What I have to wonder about is how come so many places have zilch and yet others are seem to have plenty. Is it that the ones without are just refusing to pay the higher prices ? That's what one of the owners I talked to yesterday was saying. Seems to me if you can get it and then still sale for a small profit that's better than being left out of the market altogether.

I'm thinking part of it could be that the profit will be small and part that resistance to paying panic pricing might mean it could sit on the shelf and tie up capital, and charging what you have to to make any money might **** off more people than having ammo would please. It does seem that they might want to have some ammo just to generate some floor traffic, but in their particular location they may have found the people that buy ammo predominately do not seek to purchase anything else

Even some places I go to way outside the city to buy powder don't have much in the way of ammo so it just might not be worth the hassle necessary to keep any kind of stock. What I find hard to understand is the price of functional 270 winchester ammo. It shakes out to near $3 per round on WalletBreaker and is $4.50 - 5.00 per round on Ammoseek. Not sure why the frenzy in that particular caliber rather than 6.5 Creedmore Clearwater Revival or some more trendy caliber

 

[Brian's Surplus]

I ventured out of my local zone into another area gun shop and found this to be true as well. I was quite shocked to see a very good supply of ammo of several calibers BUT you're gonna pay for it. What I have to wonder about is how come so many places have zilch and yet others are seem to have plenty. Is it that the ones without are just refusing to pay the higher prices ? That's what one of the owners I talked to yesterday was saying. Seems to me if you can get it and then still sale for a small profit that's better than being left out of the market altogether.

The ONLY way to be able to have a good selection of ammunition in this market is to pay dearly for it. You either pony up, or the shelves are practically empty. People don't understand why I sometime have 2 boxes of the same kind of ammo at 2 drastically different prices. It's based on what I pay for it. I occasionally get a few items at decent prices, and they typically sell out within hours, even with quantity limits.
Paying these prices and having products on the shelf is what's keeping me in business right now. People complain and accuse me of gouging when they see popular calibers at $1 per round or more, but they are more than willing to buy things like the primers I recently had for $33.65 per 1,000 and don't question it. When I'm selling popular powders for less than 1/4 of what they are selling for on Gunbroker, they buy it up.