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The Great Ammo Shortage

Adventurous

Starshine Bro
Mar 19, 2014
10,261
8,767
Crawlorado
Went to my local store today, hoping to purchase ammo, but there was almost none to be found. Buncha straggler boxes of .17 HMR, .300 WSM, 7mm, and 16 ga though, if that's your thing.

Peeps need to calm down and quit stockpiling ammo next to your TP hoard. Let the rest of us get some too.

Even the reloading stuff is wiped, so I'm SOL in that realm as well. :banghead:
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,232
20,016
Sleazattle
I have a few chunks of sulphur I can sell you. Charcoal is easy to get. Sodium nitrate from your pickling supply house.
 

Nick

My name is Nick
Sep 21, 2001
23,927
14,445
where the trails are
Ammo shortages have been nuts since covid, and the last year of drumf didn't help. 2x the price when you can find it.

It's really put a damper on launching @kidwoo 's militia.
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,852
9,557
AK
Who could possibly be hoarding ammo in CO?

Anyway, you should be able to make gunpowder relatively easily.
 

Adventurous

Starshine Bro
Mar 19, 2014
10,261
8,767
Crawlorado
Who could possibly be hoarding ammo in CO?

Anyway, you should be able to make gunpowder relatively easily.
I'm in MA now.

Gunpowder, strangely, isn't an issue. There were a few bottles on the shelf. Nothing else you need for popular rounds though, no bullets, casings, primers, or reloading dies.

I suppose if I had a muzzleloader or flintlock, I'd be set.
 

maxyedor

<b>TOOL PRO</b>
Oct 20, 2005
5,496
3,140
In the bathroom, fighting a battle
I'm in MA now.

Gunpowder, strangely, isn't an issue. There were a few bottles on the shelf. Nothing else you need for popular rounds though, no bullets, casings, primers, or reloading dies.

I suppose if I had a muzzleloader or flintlock, I'd be set.

A jug of powder goes a long, long way, primers, not so much. Primers also all pretty much come from the same place, so the big ammo producers are getting priority, powder on the other hand is generally a special batch for the bulk manufacturers, so the stuff us reloaders use is more available.

If you do some hunting bullets and brass are out there, and primers are available if you're willing to pay $0.10 each, which is a lot, but still makes for pretty cheap ammo in anything other than 9mm.


It's interesting, because ammunition does not age gracefully.
I have some 100ish year old 54R, still goes bang every time. Loaded ammo should have a virtually eternal shelf life, assuming that shelf isn't underwater or covered in salt.
 

Adventurous

Starshine Bro
Mar 19, 2014
10,261
8,767
Crawlorado
A jug of powder goes a long, long way, primers, not so much. Primers also all pretty much come from the same place, so the big ammo producers are getting priority, powder on the other hand is generally a special batch for the bulk manufacturers, so the stuff us reloaders use is more available.

If you do some hunting bullets and brass are out there, and primers are available if you're willing to pay $0.10 each, which is a lot, but still makes for pretty cheap ammo in anything other than 9mm.




I have some 100ish year old 54R, still goes bang every time. Loaded ammo should have a virtually eternal shelf life, assuming that shelf isn't underwater or covered in salt.
Hunting rounds are primarily what I'm after. I don't need 1,000 rounds of. 223 or 9mm, I'm just looking for a few boxes of 30-06 so I can start figuring out which rounds my rifle likes best. Didn't get to take advantage of rifle deer season last year due to covid, but hoping this upcoming year will be more fruitful.

Hey @DirtyMike , you still taking custom orders? If so, do you ship?
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,852
9,557
AK
A jug of powder goes a long, long way, primers, not so much. Primers also all pretty much come from the same place, so the big ammo producers are getting priority, powder on the other hand is generally a special batch for the bulk manufacturers, so the stuff us reloaders use is more available.

If you do some hunting bullets and brass are out there, and primers are available if you're willing to pay $0.10 each, which is a lot, but still makes for pretty cheap ammo in anything other than 9mm.




I have some 100ish year old 54R, still goes bang every time. Loaded ammo should have a virtually eternal shelf life, assuming that shelf isn't underwater or covered in salt.
Flint lock
 

DirtyMike

Turbo Fluffer
Aug 8, 2005
14,437
1,017
My own world inside my head
Hunting rounds are primarily what I'm after. I don't need 1,000 rounds of. 223 or 9mm, I'm just looking for a few boxes of 30-06 so I can start figuring out which rounds my rifle likes best. Didn't get to take advantage of rifle deer season last year due to covid, but hoping this upcoming year will be more fruitful.

Hey @DirtyMike , you still taking custom orders? If so, do you ship?
Man, I am stuck with everyone else.... Had pistol primers on back order since last marc.

Whatcha after anyways? I might be able to work some rifle stuff.......
 

DirtyMike

Turbo Fluffer
Aug 8, 2005
14,437
1,017
My own world inside my head
Soooo, its not hoarding why ammo is gone....

It was a perfect storm everywhere.

Started in Australia. Hodgdon facility burned down. Huge supplier for gun powder across thw world.
Next, covid in France. There are only a few places in the world pruning compound comes from. The one in France happened to be the largest world wide supplier. France shut it down as a non essential manufacturer. This killed primer production across the world. Every manufacturer in the US that makes primers also makes loaded ammunition. Every single primer these guys can make is going into their own production.

Next, between march and the end of November, there are approximately 7 million new shooters in the US, nit new weapons..... New shooters. The known average was 100 rounds per new shooter..... Thats seven HUNDRED million rounds sold while manufacturers were just unable to produce new product......

Lead factories were shut down, copper factories shut down.......

Add into the mix Remington filing bankruptcy, and shutting down production as well.....

Add in the hoarders......... Well...... There just isnt a supply right now..... Its hitting rhe shelves, the manufacturers can only make it so fast.....

Primers for us small businesses, we are looking june/july 2022.....
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,232
20,016
Sleazattle
I have enough ammo to harvest meat if necessary. But most people are slow, with a machete on a bike I can probably cut down more than I can carry home. I can go a while without firing a shot. There are advantages to living in the city.

Wide bars and stable geometry are great for one handed steering while on the hunt.
 
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Atomic Dog

doesn't have a custom title yet.
Oct 22, 2002
1,207
1,340
In the basement at Weekly World News
I managed to find a single box of .270 Win locally, yay for me! I'm hoping to come across a few different brands to see what works for me. I have time since I still need to pick up a scope for the rifle, but I'd like to start shooting it this spring to practice for hunting season.

I've taken to dropping by local shops to check whenever I'm out and about since it seems like it's a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
 

KenW449

Thanos did nothing wrong
Jun 13, 2017
2,704
329
Floating down the whiskey river...
I managed to find a single box of .270 Win locally, yay for me! I'm hoping to come across a few different brands to see what works for me. I have time since I still need to pick up a scope for the rifle, but I'd like to start shooting it this spring to practice for hunting season.

I've taken to dropping by local shops to check whenever I'm out and about since it seems like it's a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
What do you have?