# Out of Stock---getting to hate that phrase



## Farmer Willy (Aug 7, 2005)

I had hoped to take up reloading after the holidays. Then I started looking for powder. Well happy-crappy! It's as hard to find as ready made cartridges as well as the overhead of buying press, scales and die sets. I didn't look, but I guess primers and brass is in about the same spot.

I should declare my place the Independent Grand Duchy of Willy and I'd have plane loads of supplies and aid shipped to me.


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## JawjaBoy (Jan 21, 2013)

Things are much the same here. Surprisingly, I have been able to pick up primers without much difficulty at all. Powder, bullets and cases....not so much. Really glad I picked up a few boxes of .22 cartridges whenever I could find them after the big crunch back in '08/'09. Hopefully I have enough to get me through til this mess is over.


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## Jim Bunton (Mar 16, 2004)

The NRA magazine had a good article on the ammunition shortages just recently. They say the over whelming cause is increases in consumer demand. Several manufacturers are in the process of building production facilities, but there is a lag between demand a supply. I found it intersting, and some what reassuring.

http://www.americanrifleman.org/article.php?id=26757&cat=27&sub=31

Jim


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## JawjaBoy (Jan 21, 2013)

I read that article. Pretty much explained that the root cause of the shortage was the general population buying everything up and not the government stockpiling. Folks are just buying ammo faster than the factories can produce it. 

Personally, I hope all these folks who have bought tons of ammo with the express intention of reselling it at a huge profit get caught with a pile once things settle down again and lose their britches. Capitalism is one thing, but greed is something else entirely.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I use 3 powders (IMR 3031,Imr4350 & IMR4064) and haven't had a problem buy them by the pound. Primers are easy to find also but I bought 3000 when they got easy to get after the primer shortage a few years back. Cases I can by at the Sportsman club quite cheap, December is the best month here after all the deer season sighting ins.
I do have to special order the cases for the 220 swift but have enough I figure it will last my life time.

 Al


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## GunMonkeyIntl (May 13, 2013)

Jim Bunton said:


> The NRA magazine had a good article on the ammunition shortages just recently. They say the over whelming cause is increases in consumer demand. Several manufacturers are in the process of building production facilities, but there is a lag between demand a supply. I found it intersting, and some what reassuring.
> 
> http://www.americanrifleman.org/article.php?id=26757&cat=27&sub=31
> 
> Jim


I wish we could have your post as a Sticky at the top of this section. If it could save us from just one more "The gubment is taking all our boolets" thread, it would be worth it. 

I can tell you, for a fact, it is consumer demand driving the retail shortages, not government buying. One of the first things most agencies (fed, local, and state) cut with the sequester was their training budgets - which is also where most of their ammo gets burned. 

The fact that most folks can buy 9mm, .40 S&W, and 5.56/.223 at stores, but still can't find a box of .22 LR to steal is proof. The government uses very little .22 LR, but it is the one caliber that almost every civilian owns. It is also the one caliber that most people can afford to stockpile. When the yum-yums on the prepper reality shows tells folks that they need to have 15,000,000 rounds of ammo on hand, they go out and buy the one caliber they can afford to purchase in big numbers. 

It is already getting better, but gun and ammo shortages are like a self-licking ice cream cone. Once news gets out that they are difficult to get, the next one that gets put up on a shelf gets snapped up. It's not until the entire market gets saturated, and people get used to seeing them on the shelves in quantity that they get comfortable again with their ability to get them and stop the panic buying. How many people shed a tear now every time they walk by a rack of $800 ARs and think about the one they bought last year for $2000?


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

as hard is it is , your actually almost 10 months past the worst of the reloading supplies shortage 

Primers can be had again , powder can be found , even brass is back in stock for most cartridges.

we have definitly turned the corner on powder , primers , brass , projectiles , and center fire loaded ammo , but 22lr is still unobtainuim 


reloading presses are even getting back in stock 

It was really dark when I would go to the store and they would sell primers by the 100 if they even had any , and the powder shelf was bare , the center fire rifle ammo shelf was down to match ammo only , and pistol ammo was down to bare shelves.

last week they even had 22lr cci mini mags 100 rounds for 10 dollars , but if you needed them they had a few boxes 


I think maybe a sticky about ammo might happen , I also had read that article when the American Rifleman magazine showed up in my mail box , I think they could have written it differently but they did get to the cause , and while I do think they big orders of 40 s&w they were filling last fall played into the small pistol primer availability last year it definitely had nothing to do with 22lr


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## Chuck R. (Apr 24, 2008)

It might be local. I hit the gunshow (KC) 2 weeks ago and picked up 10K in small pistol primers, and an 8lb keg of powder. There were several vendors there with components for sale. About the only ridiculous prices I saw were for .22LR (still). Our skeet club on post has primers in stock, and a local gunshop has powder and primers, but his prices are a little on the high side. 

I'm now sitting on 3K in 9mm I just loaded, and with the addition of what I bought I should be set for 2014. Now I'm on the lookout for more LP primers. I try to buy in bulk, then get most of my loading done during the winter.

The only thing I'm really still seeing in shortage is .22LR. Midway finally had CCI Mini-Mags HPs that were "Back-orderable", so I ordered 500 of those. My biggest "problem" with the .22LR is my 10 year old that's starting to get into shooting. 100 rds in a session is nothing when he's shooting his pistol. 

Chuck


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## oneokie (Aug 14, 2009)

Take into consideration that there are many new gun owners. They want/need ammo for their new guns. Just puts more demand on the already limited supply.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

I believe they said 5 million women have joined shooting sports in the past few years 

add in our growing youth programs 

the AR style 22s with 25 round magazines becoming very popular , a semi auto 22 in a hour range session is only slowed down by the time to reload magazines and change targets , 500 rounds an hour wouldn't be hard to accomplish with speed loaders and a pile of spare magazines 

we have been seeing sold out shelves or nearly sold out shelves at stores like farm and fleet and wal-mart for 6 years now around here any place selling a 19.99 brick , any time people could get their brand of 22lr the would buy a brick , but a lot of them would shoot a brick or 2 in an afternoon of shooting with the family or friends

It goes faster than people think , in our youth program they get issued ammo 5 rounds at a time in wooden blocks I can have one parent just loading blocks from a brick of ammo , even with single shot and only 5 rounds at a time 2500 rounds a day is normal 12 shooting lanes with 20 some kids it just doesn't take long that's 70 rounds scored the rest practice and sight in.


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## Farmer Willy (Aug 7, 2005)

I'll just bide my time I reckon. My powder searches were online searches and I did get tired of the out of stock tag.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

I think online is worse than local stores , local stores get powder in and only the people who walk in the door can see it and buy it , online it is a nation wide market , also online orders will be larger if you have to pay hazmat so they run out faster than a place that seels a pound here and pound there.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

My local gun shop has more stuff than box stores has for loaded ammo. for some reason people got the idea they could buy a box od say 30-06 shells from wally world cheaper than Williams gun sight and it isn't so.

As for 22lr shells I can buy some from Williams and never see any at Wally world. At Williams they limit how much you can buy so every one cane have a few. At wally world they will let a whole shipment go top one buyer.

 Al


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## littlejoe (Jan 17, 2007)

Made a trip to wallyworld today to get some Winchester 100 round boxes of 9mm that I had seen last week for $26. Limit of three boxes of anything. Had already purchased them when I saw they had Federal 22 LR bricks of 550. Luckily for me, sis and BIL were in the store, so they were able to get me six bricks of 22LR. I'll share them with the boys. They also had CCI stingers in the 100 round boxes. I havn't seen 22LR bricks for over a year under $60 a brick, and that was at gunshows or online.

While most primers are available locally, Large Pistol are extremely scarce! Powder is semi-scarce


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## JawjaBoy (Jan 21, 2013)

While we have been seeing more of some things here, .22LR is not one of them! I have not personally seen a box on the local Wallyworld's shelves in over a year. I have seen some of the higher end stuff at local stores, but I just can't see forking over $7-10+ for a 50 round box of ammo for everyday shooting. I only use the good stuff when I'm wringing out a gun to see just how good I can get it to shoot.


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## tab (Aug 20, 2002)

Maybe things wil get better online that NYers can no longer purchase ammo online. Can still order reloading supplies but no ammo. I am guessing that will get hit next, maybe with another late night bill passing.

I am so mad that I am now looking into reloading, like there aren't enough chores to do! Gunbot.com had some ok deals on 22lr this past year, Midway Ammo, too. Local gun shop has reloading supplies.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

I thought NY had till April to buy online 

well that was what I was waiting for to see the turn around in the market , we will see if it is enough of a difference


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

If you look at reloading as a chore just don't bother. I don't know one reloader that doesn't find it a good past time. I like to do mine on blustery winter days and find it a enjoyable relaxing time. Of course I have let every one in the house don't be messing with me while I am reloading.

Instead of getting a chore just plan a day trip to the nearest state away from NY and buy a truck load of ammo on that day trip. 

 Al


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## littlejoe (Jan 17, 2007)

Went to a local gunshow last weekend. I did see some bricks of 22 ammo priced at $40, so things are loosening up. Take heart, fellow shooters! 

Also found plenty of large pistol primers, but no magnum pistol primers? Powder was there and priced fair enough for me to buy some.

I've been wanting to try some Hodgons 110 for the last year plus, and it seems unavailable? Any thoughts on that shortage?


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## tab (Aug 20, 2002)

As of today, cannot buy ammo online in ny. Midway stopped shipping early just because it's a funky date. 

It probably is illegal to cross state lines, I haven't waded through all 17 pages of that lousey law. Not sure what prices and availabilty are in PA and Ohio. Before this ban, out of stock was real common in local stores, going to be worse, now.

Reloading is something I find interesting but there is a ton to learn. It isn't a chore so much as finding time and the fact that it shouldn't be necessary!!!


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## thequeensblessing (Mar 30, 2003)

We've had some success buying at the gun and knife shows in Sharonville (Cincinnati). Granted, we bought all the 1 lb canisters they had of 3 different powders, but we were able to buy it each time we went.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

littlejoe said:


> I've been wanting to try some Hodgons 110 for the last year plus, and it seems unavailable? Any thoughts on that shortage?


can you get any Alliaint 300-mp it will do just abou the same velocity in magnum pistol as h110

if you don't need to go so fast check out 2400


I like Power pistol , it works form 9mm to 44mag with decent velocity , it reduces well , runs autos well , and is economical


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## MattyD (Nov 22, 2010)

-I was at a local Wally World today in Canton. They actually had about a dozen boxes of American Eagle .22LR on the shelf. Same sign posted as mentioned by LittleJoe. Only three boxes of whatever you wanted to any one customer, per day. And only $2.47/box for the AE .22LRs!! So I bought my three and will stop again tomorrow to see if they have any left on the shelf...

L8R,
Matt


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## tarbe (Apr 7, 2007)

Got an email Sunday night from a co-worker.

He spent the weekend looking for 22 ammo so he could take the Scouts shooting. Epic fail.

He asked if I could supply him...of course, I took ammo to work Monday morning!

I have not fired more than 50 rounds of 22 ammo in the past year, but my stockpile sure has gone down! I am down at least 5,000 rounds...all to folks who were desperate.

It has been great being able to keep some folks shooting. A real blessing to me. 

I sure hope the ammo situation turns around soon...like before I run out!


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## Shrek (May 1, 2002)

I patronize three gun stores and while reading shortage complaints posted on some forums I have yet to not be able to buy my ammo and reload supplies. Sure the prices have gone up over the last two years but the price of everything has increased also.

On my visit to the range this past week I bought three 100 count boxes of .22 lr for plinking for under $40.

In the last couple years the only time I have heard the term "out of stock " at any of the three stores was when I went to buy some nitro solvent and the shop nearest me was out of my preferred brand and rather than drive the 50 miles to the other stores since it wasn't my normal range visit , I decided to wait the 3 days for the local shop to get the shipment in he had on order especially considering he stocks the brand I wanted just for a couple others and myself as most customers are satisfied with the less expensive brand of cleaning and oil supplies he regularly stocks.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

no 22lr but I was at farm and fleet the last 2 days they have slugs on sale as well as most other things till the 26th they had 9mm 40 45 38 357 223 12 20 17 380 357sig 410 and all the 308 30-06 7mm and other hunting rounds you could want 

yesterday I was at a one store and found slugs 3.73 for 5 , 74 cents each

today found the value packs at another store the shelf said 11.99 for 15 slug value pack got to the register and paid 10.18 , 68 cents each

wallys price was 12.89 for 15 , 85 cents each


so if your passing a farm and fleet you might want to get a few


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I was in a wal mart store yesterday, the shelves are no longer empty of every thing except shot gun shells and slugs. they had some rifle and pistol ammo but still no 22LR stuff. Have to go to the gun shop to get any of that. I like those people too.

 Al


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## littlejoe (Jan 17, 2007)

GREENCOUNTYPETE said:


> can you get any Alliaint 300-mp it will do just abou the same velocity in magnum pistol as h110
> 
> if you don't need to go so fast check out 2400
> 
> ...


I did get a couple pounds of Alliant 300 a few months ago to try out. Still havn't though.
Just wondering why H110 is so scarce?


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