[sojurn87]

At the end of 2020???? Really?

I don't really shoot much 7.62X39, but I would have bought a few cases at that price had I seen it.

I also happen to live in NH, we were about 7 or 8 months behind the rest of the country when it came to the ammo shortage.

when other places across the country were out of whatever, we still had it locally. I also believe we benefited from a very savvy LGS owner, although I buy my x39 elsewhere. He owns a larger store that is not a big box. He likes to buy in larger quantities (million dollar orders, one order was 2.3 million from one distributor).....According to him the store burned through his entire 2021 supply before the end of 2020. He also resisted the quick price increases.

X39 didn’t really spike till after the new year, even so it’s still holding at .50 per round.

 

[NHCraigT]

At the end of 2020???? Really?

I don't really shoot much 7.62X39, but I would have bought a few cases at that price had I seen it.

Yes. I was surprised to see it at that price. The store owner has a massive store about 40 minutes North of me, and then that particular store about 20 minutes East of me. Ive known him for the last 16 years and he has always had fair prices.

(He's part of a group of gun store and gun range buyers, and they use their very large combined buying power to be able to make big, discounted, manufacturer-direct purchases).

When I saw that deal, I did think about it for a minute, but I've got over 6K rounds of 7.62 x 39 (none of it bought recently, its all from past buys) and even with 4 AK's and 1 sks, the wife and I don't shoot a lot of it.
We shoot more .223, 22LR, 9mm, and other calibers. So I passed on it. At the time, I was focusing on topping off our 12 gauge and 20g ammo (those were the only ammo calibers that I was feeling a little lighter than I wanted us to be at). We are good now and I also bought 12g & 20g presses and stocked up on shotshell reloading components.

 

[NHCraigT]

I also happen to live in NH, we were about 7 or 8 months behind the rest of the country when it came to the ammo shortage.

when other places across the country were out of whatever, we still had it locally. I also believe we benefited from a very savvy LGS owner, although I buy my x39 elsewhere. He owns a larger store that is not a big box. He likes to buy in larger quantities (million dollar orders, one order was 2.3 million from one distributor).....According to him the store burned through his entire 2021 supply before the end of 2020. He also resisted the quick price increases.

X39 didn’t really spike till after the new year, even so it’s still holding at .50 per round.

We are probably , I am sure we are ..... talking about the same NH gunstore owner (J.M.)

 

[TriggerHappy]

You do know that in high demand times factories ramp up production as much as possible, which means more of the products get disseminated, right? And that gun and ammo sales set sales records during these times....... right? Why Obama was often referred to as "gun and ammo salesman of the year"?

Oh wait....... I didn't see your hat..... the sun was gleaming off of it...

Carry on......
.

OMG!!! YOU ARE SO RIGHT!

I forgot that everyone can afford ammo that is quadruple the normal price and guns that cost hundreds more.

The point is that people who are probably more likely to commit a crime with a gun are less likely to be able to afford the gun or ammo.

 

[HappyinID]

OMG!!! YOU ARE SO RIGHT!

I forgot that everyone can afford ammo that is quadruple the normal price and guns that cost hundreds more.

The point is that people who are probably more likely to commit a crime with a gun are less likely to be able to afford the gun or ammo.

Yes, because the guy thinkin' about robbin' that liquor store, or doing a drive by.... is going to be thwarted by the sticker on that box of ammo.....

No matter how you want to regroup and spin your tin hat theories, that's all they are....

There lots more ammo being sold now than last year, and lots at far less than "quadruple" prices.

Because of the current political climate, more people want to buy more ammunition, and they are. Vastly increased sales cause shortages. Shortages often cause higher prices, which in turn can create secondary markets. That's it. There's no evil cabal manipulating the current ammo market for their own gain. Just as with the Obama administration, the rhetoric is having the opposite effect of what they'd like to see. Now the if the legislation they'd like gets passed, the market will indeed be manipulated, but not by increasing sales.

 

[Peter]

The entire system in under strain. Not to mention this Covid thing has thrown an additional kink into the supply side of things. Everyone from the miners mining the ore to the retailers selling ammo at the end of a lengthy process are not operating at 100% because of it. Then add an uptick in demand and it starts to become apparent what is happening.

We live in a JIT world and when everything is running smoothly it works quite well, and supply arrives just in time to meets demand. The time to panic has came and gone...The only thing left to do now is decide whether you'll pay the higher prices or be patient and wait for the ammo makers to catch up to demand...

 

[sojurn87]

We are probably , I am sure we are ..... talking about the same NH gunstore owner (J.M.)

I love the way he does business and I’m glad he’s in NH. I frequented his range a lot before the big expansion, I was happy when he opened the large retail space and now has a second store.

 

[sarge912]

Walmart is still keeping prices lower than anywhere else that I have seen.
They got a pretty decent shipment of 12 gauge this week.
I picked up some 00 Buck, 15 rounds of Federal Power Shok 00 Buck for $12.16 a box.
They had 100 round boxes of Federal target/bird shot for just under $23.
They had Winchester Universal for the same price but I'm not a fan and one of my shotguns will not run it very well.
It is few and far between but I still check every time I go there. (once or twice a week.)

 

[sarge912]

Update: I went back today and my friend their told me that after I left some guy came in and bought all of remaining boxes of 12 gauge.
I'm guessing that he is at the Berea Gun show killing it.

 

[HappyinID]

The entire system in under strain. Not to mention this Covid thing has thrown an additional kink into the supply side of things. Everyone from the miners mining the ore to the retailers selling ammo at the end of a lengthy process are not operating at 100% because of it. Then add an uptick in demand and it starts to become apparent what is happening.

Exactly right. Another piece of the pie.

The only thing left to do now is decide whether you'll pay the higher prices or be patient and wait for the ammo makers to catch up to demand...

The only wild card is any upcoming legislation.

If restrictive ammunition laws look like they're going to pass, we haven't even begun to see inflationary prices.

.

 

[Peter]

Exactly right. Another piece of the pie.



The only wild card is any upcoming legislation.

If restrictive ammunition laws look like they're going to pass, we haven't even begun to see inflationary prices.

.

A recent 15 minute pod cast from Federal ammo makes more sense than some of the conspiracy theories that are floating around. This pod cast explains the shortage from the supply side of things, which gives those who want to know what is really going on a bit more insight into what is happening now and what to expect going forward.

 

[the-spork]

Posting this from my perspective - I already had a comfortable amount of sd ammo, but I like to keep buying FMJ range ammo so I can continue to train. So what I'm saying is all based on my experience finding and purchasing FMJ.

It's worth it to regularly search for and scan online retailers that aren't aren't regularly indexed on price aggregation sites. I know it's a crapshoot ordering from places you may be unfamiliar with, but I have managed to find a few that have consistently had lower prices per round, and even some that often don't have purchase limits. They just run out of stock quickly. But if you can set aside 30 minutes a day to scan through things and research retailers, it can pay off.

At least here, we had one local shop where their prices remained steady at pre-03/2020 levels until last month. Also my local range lets you buy a couple boxes of range ammo every time you shoot on the range, and at pre-panic prices. So I go, buy two boxes, shoot one, and store the second box.

 

[Camelfilter]

...The only thing left to do now is decide whether you'll pay the higher prices or be patient and wait for the ammo makers to catch up to demand...

If one was unprepared. It happens & for any number of reasons, ignorance included.

Hopefully, folks whom had been caught unprepared will be able to prepare accordingly for the next time. If the market normalizes.

If the market doesn't normalize, or takes an extended period of time to do so. As in decade(s). Unprepared folks will have to continue to adjust how they enjoy the shooting sports vs the costs of doing so. Simply put, shoot less center fire, perhaps shoot more .22lr, as compared to before this blight etc...

Folks whom don't enjoy the shooting sports much? Minimal affect, as ammunition is still available. Just grumbling over prices. Human nature I suppose.

 

[Pinetreescent]

I feel like if you have a surplus of firearms or ammo. Now's the time to sell. Market prices are high. Tempted to do it myself. I know the prices will drop in time. Could be an opportunity to make some cash to save for more guns and ammo when prices drop.

 

[Camelfilter]

I feel like if you have a surplus of firearms or ammo. Now's the time to sell. Market prices are high. Tempted to do it myself. I know the prices will drop in time. Could be an opportunity to make some cash to save for more guns and ammo when prices drop.

Could be. Depends upon stock, and how much one enjoys shooting.

Sold some 7.5 Swiss locally, because I had a surplus of PPU. Didn't sell the quantity the fellow wanted, simply because he didn't have any reloadable brass to give in exchange. He doesn't reload, and had been shooting GP11.

I let him decide on a price he was completely comfortable with, and if I was as well we'd have a deal.

When I met up with him I brought an extra case of Tula 7.62x39, because I know he shoots it. Same deal, let him offer a price he'd be completely comfortable with & I was as well.

 

[bigg777]

I'm seeing ammo prices starting to fall. On a local forum here in PA, some of the most recent ammo classified ads are priced in the .55 to .60 range instead of the .75 to .80 range of a couple of weeks ago.

 

[sarge912]

A recent 15 minute pod cast from Federal ammo makes more sense than some of the conspiracy theories that are floating around. This pod cast explains the shortage from the supply side of things, which gives those who want to know what is really going on a bit more insight into what is happening now and what to expect going forward.

The range that I am a member of has stopped culling brass for reloaders. Everything gets scooped into 55 gallon containers and is sold for the metal content. There is a huge demand for brass for recycling. It makes cleanup much easier for the employees as they don't separate anything now (not even the occasional live .22 round.)

 

[Peter]

October of last year Federal bought the (bankrupt) Remington plant. I think once they get Remington back up and running at capacity we'll start to see more Remington ammo on the market. Now that Remington is under new management, I hope they'll get back to making good ammo, if so I'll gladly revise my less than stellar take on some of their their products.

 

[Stwood]

Why did Rem go bankrupt. Bean counters clean it out or............

 

[Sarkus]

Why did Rem go bankrupt. Bean counters clean it out or............

Pretty much. The same idiots secretly bid and acquired the Remington factory in Ilion NY and are keeping the Remington firearms brand, so look out. Everything else was scattered, so Vista got Remington ammo, Ruger got Marlin, and Palmetto State Armory got Bushmaster, among others.

As for ammo, I went to an LGS and bought a Glock pistol from them today because none of the chain stores within a 100 mile radius had what I wanted. This LGS has ammo, but at high prices. Still wouldn't make a deal on the ammo even with me buying a pistol, so that was annoying. They had just gotten a bunch of ammo, though I don't know where from, including two mini barrels of 9mm. The owner said he just ordered 50k rounds from one of the manufacturers in the area, which I'm pretty sure was HSM.