Ammo prices

[mproko]

So assuming you can find the ammo you want and it isn’t some obscure caliber...is the price up because of production slow downs with Covid or is it hoarding? Probably both I presume.

[tjtM38]

It is hoarding and a stark example of supply and demand. I have been looking on ammo sellers sights today for .223/5.56 and it is just really scarce. I did find some Hornady .223 55 grain V-Max at a place called Rogers Sporting Goods. Four boxes of 50 rounds cost me $124, but the shipping was free. Today SG Ammo was completely out and their website was shut down due to overwhelming demand. Two weeks ago, I managed to buy some steel-case 9x18 Makarov pistol from them for $259 a case plus shipping. I was glad to get it. Luckily, I stocked up on 9x19 Luger at the first of the year, and with 2000 rounds on hand, I won't need any for a while. Everything has gotten ridiculously high, even for Russian steel case stuff. We've seen this before due to politics and other national crisis or unrest, but this one is different somehow. People are arming themselves and taking bunches of ammo and guns on the streets. It's really kind of scary for an old guy like me.

[GColloton]

My local gun shops in upstate NY said they sold out of all ammo when covid hit and panic started when places were being closed and you couldn’t find toilet paper to buy. When they ordered businesses like gun shops in NY as “non essential” they were forced to close by a certain date. Those last three days there were lines 50 people deep trying to buy up all the guns and ammo in case the sh!t hit the fan. Manufacturers depleted their warehouses, suppliers couldn’t keep up, and people keep buying. When they did start to begin catching up, covid focus turned to riots and property attacks (peaceful protesting) and gun shops sold out again. I don’t think they’ve recovered yet because you can’t find a lot yet. So supply and demand prices went up.
Ironically, I bought my first milsurp during covid,a Mosin 91/30. The shops were closed but posting inventory updates on Facebook for when they reopened. My local shop posted a pic of “just in” 91/30’s with a discount if you called about them. I called, they said there was a loop hole that I could come in “by appointment” to buy one. I knew nothing about them but decided to buy one. I lucked out getting an all stamp matching gun with a hex receiver in beautiful condition. This forum (thank you) helped me learn all about them and also how to clean off the old packing grease.

[Junk Yard Dog]

The shit hit the fan when the first protestor threw a Molotov cocktail at police and the politicians of that area didn't back up their own police force. Ma, and Pa normal America suddenly realized the shit that is rolling downhill at them, and they are arming up like never before. I am pretty sure every gun store in NY is sold out of all common calibers and most popular types of firearm. Or any firearm, for that matter the entire tri state area is likely to have empty gun stores. Empty of product anyway, but not empty of customers who are looking for the unobtainable.

[Longcolt44]

Everything in the above posts are true but there is a new factor. That group of card carrying, sign toting people that 90 days ago were telling you that you were the devil for having a firearm are now buying a handgun or shotgun or in some cases both. At the gun shop I work at we have sold more "first time guns" in the last 45 days than we did all last year. We are out of all name brand pistols and revolvers and so are our suppliers. Ammo is hit and miss. No .380 or 223/556 to be had. There is 9mm but it is costing us .35 to .40 per round, I have ordered 6000 rounds in the last 30 to 45 days ago and we are currently out but have 2000 coming in later this week. It is a strange market to say the least out there.

[GColloton]

Everything in the above posts are true but there is a new factor. That group of card carrying, sign toting people that 90 days ago were telling you that you were the devil for having a firearm are now buying a handgun or shotgun or in some cases both. At the gun shop I work at we have sold more "first time guns" in the last 45 days than we did all last year. We are out of all name brand pistols and revolvers and so are our suppliers. Ammo is hit and miss. No .380 or 223/556 to be had. There is 9mm but it is costing us .35 to .40 per round, I have ordered 6000 rounds in the last 30 to 45 days ago and we are currently out but have 2000 coming in later this week. It is a strange market to say the least out there.

100%. I was picking up .303 ammo for an enfield I purchased, and it was the day after the first riots, I mean peaceful protesting.
There were so many couples in the shop. Buying “home defense” shot guns, pistols, and rifles. Anything black that looked Tactical. One guy even had what looked like a sniper rifle at the counter and his wife was getting a shotgun and he was inquiring where he could take her to use it so she knew how. It was packed. A week later I stopped in to see what they had left and it was empty except for some used hunting rifles, turkey guns, etc.

[awalker1829]

I learned my lesson in 2012 and started reloading. I just got in an 8 pound keg of Titegroup and have several pounds of Red Dot in reserve. I’ve about used up a case of small pistol primers and have plenty of 9x19 loaded with an additional supply of bullets in storage. Last batch I reloaded cost me $0.18 cents a cartridge to reload. Only cartridge I don’t reload is 7.62x39, but I have the dies for it. I have so much pistol brass stored that I’ll never need any more. Every so often, I’ll spend an afternoon just bagging components in lots of 100 to save time when I reload.

[tjtM38]

I learned my lesson in 2012 and started reloading. I just got in an 8 pound keg of Titegroup and have several pounds of Red Dot in reserve. I’ve about used up a case of small pistol primers and have plenty of 9x19 loaded with an additional supply of bullets in storage. Last batch I reloaded cost me $0.18 cents a cartridge to reload. Only cartridge I don’t reload is 7.62x39, but I have the dies for it. I have so much pistol brass stored that I’ll never need any more. Every so often, I’ll spend an afternoon just bagging components in lots of 100 to save time when I reload.

Don't know what it's like in your area, but I can't find any small pistol primers. Every local store is sold out. Can't find any online either.

[qz2026]

I hear you although I've got plenty of ammo for all calibers. My son recently purchased his first pistol a glock about 3 months ago right after the plandemic hit. He lives in Colorado. His gun shop had just gotten in a small supply although they said not much more would be coming. Even at that time, supplied were being gobbled up at a record pace. He was able to get a little ammo locally but paid through the nose for it. At the time I looked out on Ammo Seek and recommended that he buy a case of 1000 or two since the prices weren't too bad but he didn't... Probably should have... I told him that learning to shoot at the range would eat ammo fast but they never listen...

[awalker1829]

I learned my lesson in 2012 and started reloading. I just got in an 8 pound keg of Titegroup and have several pounds of Red Dot in reserve. I’ve about used up a case of small pistol primers and have plenty of 9x19 loaded with an additional supply of bullets in storage. Last batch I reloaded cost me $0.18 cents a cartridge to reload. Only cartridge I don’t reload is 7.62x39, but I have the dies for it. I have so much pistol brass stored that I’ll never need any more. Every so often, I’ll spend an afternoon just bagging components in lots of 100 to save time when I reload.

Don't know what it's like in your area, but I can't find any small pistol primers. Every local store is sold out. Can't find any online either.

I monitor the local gun shops and have notifications set up. I did find some locally a couple of weeks ago and I had ordered a case earlier in the year. I also bought a lot of powder at the beginning of the year. I have about 5,000 pieces of 9x19 brass stored. I might be receiving a couple thousand small pistol primers this week.

[SA1911a1]

I can tell you that in my part of North Florida, shops are out of guns and ammo. The price of both has gone up accordingly. About Spring of next year, after the elections, and people calm down, there will be a lot of lightly used guns and unneeded ammo on the market. I can hold out.

My son has found some 9MM plinking ammo on line for reasonable prices. He has bought 500 rounds each from two different vendors in the last few weeks, they were just not our regular source.

[awalker1829]

I placed a couple of bulk orders for bullets (the bullet only) and got normal prices without any difficulty. Of course, factory loaded ammo and most handguns are sold out locally. My cost per unit came out to something like 13 cents including tax and shipping. No difference between jhp or rn.