# Ammo shortage?



## astrowolf67

Is any one else experiencing an ammo shortage? I live in the far West Kentucky area, and all gun shops, sporting goods stores, and wally worlds are completely out of all the popular ammo. Even the local Gander Mountain has no .22 ammo at all. I know it's selling good with all that's happening right now, but, wow, never seen it this bad before.


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## jc-hunter

I have noticed alot of ammos are sold out and the ones still available have gone up in price by 30-50%


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## CourtSwagger

Having the same issue in MS. That is why reloading equipment is on my shortlist of next purchases.


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## Mr Ed

jc-hunter said:


> I have noticed alot of ammos are sold out and the ones still available have gone up in price by 30-50%


Same in Northern Ohio No 5.56 7.62 and gouging on others 22, 45 ...


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## scramble4a5

Yep, it is all over the country. My LGS still has some but they limit the amount you can purchase.


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## Smitty901

First on storage if you keep it dry and way from oil the battle is almost won. Next try to avoid extreme temperature changes Storing it in old refrigerators works. I have 30.06 military that boxed up in 1950 that is as good today as ever with no special storage.
Ammo supply's. 5.56 and the like are going to be short for awhile Obama has been having military buy up stocks and they get priority on all manufacturing. But not even he can buy it all.
Some dealers are playing it straight as supplies come in the sell them at the normal price . Sunday I purchased 1260 rounds 7.62X39 for 23 cents a round off the shelf. 350 rounds 9mm bass case name brand 79 bucks.
So keep your eyes open don't panic buy yet . More .22 here than you could haul off with a fleet of trucks with no price increase.
Heck fleet farm has Huldra Adams Arms AR15's in stock at last years prices. The are limited 1 a day to each customer and sell about a s fast as they come in.
The world has not ended yet, know what is a good price be ready to buy when you see it. If you need to go home and think about the case will be gone when you return if it is a fair price.


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## Piratesailor

I order from my regular suppliers. Yes, price has risen. That pure economics. Gouging? Nope, not with my suppliers.


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## Piratesailor

Smitty.. Where did you get the 7.62? Local or online. I'm at about 27c online.


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## Dunbar

I have noticed this for two months now. I started buying ammo six months ago. Ever time I go back for more,,,there is less and less. My main three are; 12 gauge, 9mm, and .223. The 9mm seems to be selling out faster. I have managed to buy 1000 rounds of each. Maybe not enough, but I am still buying.


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## Alpha-17

I started stocking up towards the end of the last big ammo scare, back in '09. Right now, I'm resting comfortably on my stack of ammo cans. Yes, prices have gone up, and yes the supply seems to have dried up. Every time a politician talks gun control, the same thing happens. Give it 4-8 months, and, if we're lucky, and nothing happens on the political scene, prices will go back to normal. Until then, you just got to keep your eyes open, and grab any good deals you find.


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## trainershawn

.223 and 9mm is hard to come by in Wally World around here. But at Gander Mountain, they have buckets of Remington GB's in .22, 1400 rounds for $59.95. Plenty of 9mm and 40 on the shelves at Gander too. I think we're going to see a shortage of .223, .308, 9mm and other popular calibers for awhile. I reload now so it's not a concern to me. Plenty of 30-30 on the shelves around here too. 12ga, 30-30 and .22 are all I usually spend money on now. Ammo may be tough to get for awhile, but give it a few months. My big fear is that they attack the online sales. If that happens, many of the higher end rounds I get once in awhile will probably never be on the shelves around here. And if they are, they are probably going to be even more expensive. Been wanting to get a lever gun in .357 and a .357 revolver, but that is going to have to wait now. I don't want to start stocking another round during this turmoil.


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## Dunbar

I have read that Obama ( with the help of the U.N. ) would like to make the shelf life of ammo, one year. *One year.* That would really put a damper on many of us.


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## Gman303

It's the same in CO, I spent an entire day last week looking for ammo, went to 5 Wal-marts, 4 sports stores, and ended up with one box. Also the Wally worlds here have capped the amount you can buy.


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## Dunbar

what ammo did you buy Gman?


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## trainershawn

Dunbar said:


> I have read that Obama ( with the help of the U.N. ) would like to make the shelf life of ammo, one year. *One year.* That would really put a damper on many of us.


They've been rumoring that for years. The general consensus is it will never happen. Good thing I roll my own though.:grin:


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## Smitty901

Piratesailor said:


> Smitty.. Where did you get the 7.62? Local or online. I'm at about 27c online.


 No local Fleet farm Online company's are ripping people off they been sitting on it. And they were brass case.
Fleet farm sell it at normal prices as they get it in same with AR's
After seeing the game they are playing I have deleted 3 accounts for online sources


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## Smitty901

Dunbar said:


> I have read that Obama ( with the help of the U.N. ) would like to make the shelf life of ammo, one year. *One year.* That would really put a damper on many of us.


How would you like to deploy with a load of that stuff. look at the pallet and find you have 3 weeks left on your supply


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## Dunbar

No First Sergeant, I would not want to deploy with expired ammo. We had expired 155mm Howitzer ammo flying over head,,, exploding in mid flight. That sh*t sucks. I do not want my .223 ammo blowing up in my face.


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## bennettvm

Absolutely. Even online it is in limited supply. My two local walmarts are completely sold out of .22 ammo. Check the gun shows.


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## ozo

astrowolf67 said:


> Is any one else experiencing an ammo shortage? I live in the far West Kentucky area, and all gun shops, sporting goods stores, and wally worlds are completely out of all the popular ammo. Even the local Gander Mountain has no .22 ammo at all. I know it's selling good with all that's happening right now, but, wow, never seen it this bad before.


No dis intended.....
Did you just wake up from a long, long nap??
This 'shortage' as you refer......
did not just begin.......
where were you the last few months?


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## ozo

P.S. My apologies.....for not answering the ?
NO AMMO shortage here....I'm good.


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## ozo

Dunbar said:


> I have read that Obama ( with the help of the U.N. ) would like to make the shelf life of ammo, one year. *One year.* That would really put a damper on many of us.


And how do you think that could be made possible ?
A timer in the powder.......11mos and 29days.....poof?
Oh, mission impossible......or Agent 99....or....?
Damn.....you guys need to stop with the panic.......
Use your brain.....quit regurgitating all the paranoia 
you get from the www
No one is gonna have to come after your paranoid ass....
no gov't, no zombies,.....nobody.....
you are gonna kill yourself....with friggin worry.....
heart attack at minimum !


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## Dunbar

OZO-
"*No one is gonna have to come after your paranoid ass....*
no gov't, no zombies,.....nobody.....
you are gonna kill yourself....with friggin worry.....
heart attack at minimum !"

I am sorry if I upset you...I am just making conversation.

But, I don't know how, or why ammo expires. But like I said before, I have had many 155 howitzer ammo explode as it passes overhead, because of old ammo. All you can do is call in and tell them to change there lot.


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## Gman303

Dunbar said:


> what ammo did you buy Gman?


I found a box of 9mm


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## ozo

"But, I don't know how, or why ammo expires. But like I said before, I have had many 155 howitzer ammo explode as it passes overhead, because of old ammo. "--dunbar

How many 155's have you had over your head?
How do you know it was 'OLD AMMO ?
Was it video games....?
[you didn't upset me]
I am an old jarhead.......I am just seeking the truth.....FROM YOU.
Some of what you say don't add up....that's all.
Give me some detail.
I have ammo that's well over 50yrs old.....it still hasn't expired.
YOU said this:
"But, I don't know how, or why ammo expires."---dunbar
I just want to know...what you know.


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## Dunbar

*Was it video games....?*

Why would you even say that? I would not question your service.

But it was around 1995 at Fort Drum, NY on the OP. The artillery was set up behind us, shooting overhead to the target. I had a half dozen rounds explode prematurely overhead. (I was not calling for delayed). Communicating with the FDE, they said the lot was bad.

I was not hanging or loading rounds, so I was not there to see what they were sending. Maybe is was old,,,maybe they were f*cking up the "time". But I was not calling for delayed.


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## Old Man

You will also find reloading supplies hard to find or prices will be high on your bullets, powder, and primes. Eveything is going up again due to the goverments talk of more gun control.


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## MikeyPrepper

Ill stick to sling shots


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## astrowolf67

ozo said:


> No dis intended.....
> Did you just wake up from a long, long nap??
> This 'shortage' as you refer......
> did not just begin.......
> where were you the last few months?


No dis taken

To make a long story short, last month I bought a .22 survival rifle, and a bulk box of ammo. Two weeks later, about the same time I finished off what I had, the SHTF in Newtown. Couple days after that, I went to get some ammo, and bought the only box of mini mags I could find. Now, I make the rounds to all the local stores once a week, just hoping to catch some at the right time.


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## Alpha-17

Dunbar said:


> I have read that Obama ( with the help of the U.N. ) would like to make the shelf life of ammo, one year. *One year.* That would really put a damper on many of us.


I would really be curious to see how they'd do that. That'd sure be hell on the Gov't stockpiles they have in case the next Big One starts off.


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## Smitty901

Dunbar said:


> No First Sergeant, I would not want to deploy with expired ammo. We had expired 155mm Howitzer ammo flying over head,,, exploding in mid flight. That sh*t sucks. I do not want my .223 ammo blowing up in my face.
> 
> View attachment 1161


 Making power shelf stable life longer was a long fight . It would not be hard to add of remove chemicals to power to cut it's useable life.
The stuff we have today is pretty high tech.
Some don't know that even though the 155 was replaced with the 198 many 155's were used in Bosnia in the late 90's. 
Any many are still around and were used for years in training and demo's


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## Mr Ed

In June I bought 9mm at 9.99 now 14.99 the last I saw
, 22 for 16.99 for 525 now 24.95 for 525,
the cheapest 5.56 was $5.00 (talo)-$7.00(federal) a box of 20 now unavailable 
No AR type weapons to be found, actually all auto loaders scarce a few high end shotguns. Crazy I tell ya!


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## rice paddy daddy

The panic buying has not hit out here yet. But then the Ace Hardware in town pretty much just stocks hunting ammo - no 1,000 round cases of 5.56.


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## LunaticFringeInc

It was bad between Christmas and New Years here, but holy crap! In the last week it has been brutal!!! There aint Jack Chit left on the shelf except a few odd ball chamberings here and there. Absolutely no 223, 308, 7.62x39, 9mm, 38 Spl, 357, 44 mag, 40 S&W, 45 ACP or 22 rim fire ammo left in sight. Might be a box of 45-70 or maybe if your lucky 17 HMR left. This is worse than 2008 ammunition run!!!

Payday is next Tuesday and I am buying 2 kegs of powder and at lest 5000 primers minimum to bolster my supplies. My Text Toy is about ready to explode with all of the text messages coming in from folks who know I reload wanting to make a deal with the devil and buy some reloads from me. Right now if I had enough supplies I bet I could make more tax free under the table money than I do at my full and part time job combined this year! Its nothing short of insane!!!

Man am I glad I took the 2008 shortage serious and stocked a little every pay day since. Not too many people think Im am crazy or loosing my mind now...


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## Smitty901

LunaticFringeInc said:


> It was bad between Christmas and New Years here, but holy crap! In the last week it has been brutal!!! There aint Jack Chit left on the shelf except a few odd ball chamberings here and there. Absolutely no 223, 308, 7.62x39, 9mm, 38 Spl, 357, 44 mag, 40 S&W, 45 ACP or 22 rim fire ammo left in sight. Might be a box of 45-70 or maybe if your lucky 17 HMR left. This is worse than 2008 ammunition run!!!
> 
> Payday is next Tuesday and I am buying 2 kegs of powder and at lest 5000 primers minimum to bolster my supplies. My Text Toy is about ready to explode with all of the text messages coming in from folks who know I reload wanting to make a deal with the devil and buy some reloads from me. Right now if I had enough supplies I bet I could make more tax free under the table money than I do at my full and part time job combined this year! Its nothing short of insane!!!
> 
> Man am I glad I took the 2008 shortage serious and stocked a little every pay day since. Not too many people think Im am crazy or loosing my mind now...


When ammo storage takes up the same amount of room as food storage you just about caught up.

Maybe a few think your crazy but I think you show good judgement. You can't lose the ones not buy or that did not have everything to lose


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## SARGE7402

Walmart had six boxes of 9mm no 22. Bass Pro had about 20 boxes of Remington .22 golden bullet, no 9mm, no 40, and very little .38.

The next couple of weeks ought to tell us just how bad things are going to get.

May have to pull out my loading press and start picking up brass


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## SSGT

trainershawn said:


> They've been rumoring that for years. The general consensus is it will never happen. Good thing I roll my own though.:grin:


Another "ROLL MY OWN" here! Getting ready to load 200 22.250's with 55 grain Nosler BT on top of 35 gr. of VARGET in just a few minutes for the range tomorrow!

Started buying Powder and primers by the 8 pound kegs and 10,000 cartons a long time ago and storing. I figure I can shoot 500 rounds a week 22.250 and .308 for the next 30 years and not buy supplies! Of course my bullet pile on the concrete garage floor is about to put a wrinkle in the earths crust but I cant help that!

Another thing.....That local 100/200/300 yard rifle range is awfully lonely lately! I shoot 4 to 5 days a week and hunt on weekends all over the state.

Shooting 20 year old Hodgden powder now (H-4895) and its as good as the stuff I bought a week ago!


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## astrowolf67

Well, I found some ammo last weekend, after a 90 mile road trip, plus a couple more hand guns, but, local is still non existant. It is being hoarded, and some opportunist types are trying to turn a profit already. One is selling the 10 dollar Wal Mart box of Remington Golden bullet 225 count for 20 bucks a box. The good thing is, there have been no replies to his add in the five days it's been posted.


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## rickkyw1720pf

Dunbar said:


> I have read that Obama ( with the help of the U.N. ) would like to make the shelf life of ammo, one year. *One year.* That would really put a damper on many of us.


Never buy any ammo marked lead free because it pertains to the primmer as much as the bullet and they do have a much shorter shelf life.

Here is a little interesting post where Hodgdon's say if you have a can of there gun powder made in 1930 it should be fine to use.

http://www.ronspomeroutdoors.com/blog/danger-old-gunpowder-can-kill-you/


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## AquaHull

I "Found" some Gold Dot 124+P's, 100 of them at the local hardware store.


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## celticdad98

I finally went by my favorite gunstore this week, the shelves were BARE!!!! They only had several 22s left in stock, the sales guy told me that they literally had people trying to bid up the sales staff as people were doing their paperwork. He told me that they had a guy call from Georgia asking if they had ammo in stock. NO ONE has ever seen anything like this.


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## shotlady

my gun range has limited sales to 2 of 100round bags per person of 223. they were 25 bux. now they are 47 bux. so when i hold my classes i count the students and visitors and have them sell me two per person 

im still waiting on my 22 from cabelas ordered 12/20. they expect to ship it out by 1/25. :/ 
my 9,40 & 45 are plentiful. pricey but im not paying what others are. the price as of my last purchase went up.

im not experiencing the shortage. I am glad i stocked up before the stupidness of it all. i have plenty of 22, but i want more so i can continue to have plenty.


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## StarPD45

Today I went to the gun show. Some guy had Federal 115g FMJ (100 pack) for $45.00. I almost told him he was nuts.
That's the same stuff I bought at Walmart last week for $19.95. 
The guy at Walmart told me that everything was going up by a few bucks with the next shipment. The 100 round box of 12G #8 shot went from 23 and change to 25 and change.
Glad I don't "really" need much of anything.


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## Prince Humperdink

I've been looking for IMR 4064,and 4895 locally but it has been gone for a while.I just found some at a small gun store and they wanted $34.99 for 1lb of IMR4064.....I passed,and will wait it out.


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## astrowolf67

Went to a gun show in my home town yesterday as well. While there was some ammo, it was mostly plinking rounds. I need two calibers, .22, and 9x18 Mak. I picked up three boxes of Mak, and no .22. I also bought some cheap Wolf 9mm for a friend who was working. I guess I'm not as bad off as some, I do have a couple thousand rounds of .22, and right at 500 rounds of 9mm Mak, but, I want to at least double my .22 stock.

I did notice at the show, the ammo prices were pretty standard with what they had been. No price gouging as of yet. However, the prices of guns, especially hand guns, was through the roof! Even the old SNS guns were priced high, such as a Jennings J22, well worn out, priced at 199!


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## NKY_Guy

Part of being prepped is being self reliant. If you stock up on thousands of rounds of ammo you are investing heavely then you are taking resources away from other areas of your preps. As someone who has lived their entire adult life trying to be as self sufficient as I can it's been a very long time since I've purchased ammo and I shoot 500 to 700 rounds a month easily Make friends with a few tire shops and get their lead, smelt it down to good clean lead and cast some bullets. Load those bullets. You don't need a fancy press you can do it simply with a single stage press. 

I can cast 500 45cal bullets in a few hours, then clean brass and reload them in a few more hours. I have heard that power and primers are starting to sell as others get into reloading but you can easily order 10,000 primers and 25 to 50lbs of power and that will take most people years to shoot up.

If you can do it for yourself, you'll never go needing anything.


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## AvengersAssembled

It's had to find at times everywhere, luckily I have some stored up, but more never hurt anything! I just keep checking back at places sold out, sooner or later something pops up. Hopefully, things will start to go back to normal during this year. I know I'm ready for it...


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## rickkyw1720pf

I don't know how true this is but I would put it past the Obama admin to buy up all the 223 ammo. 
DHS TO BUY ALL AMMO PERIOD :IN THE MARKET FOR 50 BILLION .223 SHELL CASINGS | RevolutionRadio.org


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## Ripon

I sincerely doubt the US Government, with a national budget of 3,800 billion is going to spend 1.5% of that on ammo? That looks like a bunch of hooey to me. 
$50,000,000,000 at the inflated price of say $625 (for easy math) would be 80 billion rounds of 223/5.56mm. Seriously? Come on that does not pass a smell
test. With a standing army, reservist and LE capacity of less than a million that would be 80,000 rounds each. That would be a 20 year supply of training
and qualifying. So lets call that what it is - BS.

Now as for the ammo shortage - people got to stop buying for the prices to decline - until the folks stop buying the prices will continue to skyrocket.


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## Ripon

and here is your source, directly from the link provided:

*The person I spoke with had just received a phone call from one of his closest, life-long friends. The friend who called him spent some time in the Marines. While he was in the Corps he became very close friends with a man who now works in Washington, D.C. as an "International Advisor to the Pentagon."[/B]*


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## AquaHull

Our friend, told his friend, so a friend of a friend of a fiender


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## rickkyw1720pf

I am happy that my state is fighting back.
Kentucky approved bill SB 129 by a vote of 34-3, which seeks to render all federal rules and regulations as unenforceable. Significantly, it mentions gun registration:
Any federal law, rule, regulation, or order created on or after January 1, 2013, including any amendment or other change made after January 1, 2013, to a preexisting federal law, rule, regulation, or order, shall be unenforceable within the borders of Kentucky if the law, rule, regulation, order, amendment, or other change attempts to: 
(a) Ban or restrict ownership of a semi-automatic firearm, magazine, or other firearm accessory; or

(b) Require any firearm, magazine, or other firearm accessory to be registered in any manner.
- See more at: Activist Post: 3 More States Propose Bills to Resist Federal Gun Control


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## Ripon

My bad, I read dollars not casings, all right so its only 50,000 rounds per government soldier/employee and thus only a 12 year supply. 
Still BS and the source, OMG, friend of so and so who knew a guy that said um? Come on guys. Who knows how many rounds of 223
our govt buys a year - I'm sure its in the billions. I'd also be surprised if the sellers of ammo to our government don't have a seperate
production line "just for them." 

S2353 is more of the crap from politicos' that have a hatred for firearms that we need to worry about. 

And you guys can think its manufacturers, middlemen, retailers, or whatever you want that are holding back - maybe they are but 
it does not help that everything they put forward sales out. Some retailer went foreward with 200 round "battle packs" of 223
yesterday listing 200 on their site and a max of 5 per - price I think was $169? I can't recall - people on the gun forum I 
participate b%$&ed and m&^%$nd and watched it sell out in 30 minutes.


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## Frankazin

Well I can reply to make you feel better. Same topic though. All of the rifles, pistols and ammo are priced sky high now. J&G Sales in Prescott, Arizona is in short supply but even when they get an AK-47 or similar in stock, it is priced $100 to $300 more than it was just two or three months ago. Same with ammo, but their scopes seem about the same. Wal-Mart is a joke. For weeks all they have had is a few shotguns and bolt action rifles. Their ammo.............forget it!
Frankazin


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## rickkyw1720pf

Ripon said:


> My bad, I read dollars not casings, all right so its only 50,000 rounds per government soldier/employee and thus only a 12 year supply.
> Still BS and the source, OMG, friend of so and so who knew a guy that said um? Come on guys. Who knows how many rounds of 223
> our govt buys a year - I'm sure its in the billions. I'd also be surprised if the sellers of ammo to our government don't have a seperate
> production line "just for them."
> 
> S2353 is more of the crap from politicos' that have a hatred for firearms that we need to worry about.
> 
> And you guys can think its manufacturers, middlemen, retailers, or whatever you want that are holding back - maybe they are but
> it does not help that everything they put forward sales out. Some retailer went foreward with 200 round "battle packs" of 223
> yesterday listing 200 on their site and a max of 5 per - price I think was $169? I can't recall - people on the gun forum I
> participate b%$&ed and m&^%$nd and watched it sell out in 30 minutes.


Our government already has it's own ammunition plant the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Independence, Missouri It makes about 1.4 billion rnds a year. That includes 5.56x45 7.62x51 and may other up to 20 mm.
What is up now that the government needs more ammo than they can produce an we are not in any major war even. The government doesn't keep small arms ammo for long periods of time that is why we can get surplus ammo at a cheap price.


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## rickkyw1720pf

Sarah Palin says we are toast 
Says the government is buying up ammo for civil unrest. 
Sarah Palin: Feds ?stockpiling bullets? to use against us - Kevin Cirilli - POLITICO.com


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## Ripon

The potential for civil unrest is quite real, the potential for economic collapse is quite real, but neither are going to hit tomorrow or the next day. 
It could be a month, more likely a few years. Much has to happen first like a war in the middle east (Syria / Israel) and once Israel starts to 
win Iran will chime in, and once Israel starts to win a few others will chime in. Then our oil supply will be impacted at which point the government
will have to report actual inflation (though they will under state it) and ofailure in charge will have to start issuing executive price fixing orders.
The spiral will continue and increase in speed and dimension from there.



rickkyw1720pf said:


> Sarah Palin says we are toast
> Says the government is buying up ammo for civil unrest.
> Sarah Palin: Feds ?stockpiling bullets? to use against us - Kevin Cirilli - POLITICO.com


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## SSGT

Living in Central Kentucky no powder on the shelves here in Sportsmans Warehouse but I've noticed Large rifle primers on the shelf EVERY time and noticing .22 caliber bullets are coming back in...even 2 or 3 days after they were put on the shelf! .308 caliber bullets are still scarce...(Good thing I had 40,000+ LOL!)

I'd say this wont last a lot longer...most people looking at .223 and .308 calibers will have problems longer but I'm still buying 22.250 brass by the 500's and VARGET powder by mail...50 pounds at a time. May just be industry is catching up with demand though?


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## rickkyw1720pf

SSGT
I want to be on your side if you are buying VARGET powder 50 pounds at a time. 
Is this you


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## SSGT

oswegoscott said:


> Yeah,plus he has 40,000 .308 rounds and can carry 550 pounds around. Make a great ammo carrier for a whole platoon


I worked a lotta ammo detail in the army.... one bullet at a time! One of my AMMO handling buddies below..Big old Georgia boy!

203MM / 8 inch..204 pounds for the "LITTLE ONE'S" thats shown RAP round was bigger...same shell...had a rocket on it as well!


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## nightshooter

Well the people that the govt. sends are people just like us, so I cant see that working out very well for them ????????????

what do you think ?


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