Any logic to less popular rounds?

[bnc]

Cruising through the gun forums it is inevitable that we come across discussion about the ammo shortage a of a few years ago and the possibility that it might happen again. These discussions usually involve everyone stating which calibers they could and could not find at various stores and online retailers during the shortage.

I have been of the opinion that the most common calibers are the way to go, at least for my first few guns (non-collector items). What good is it to have a gun if you can't find any ammo to put in it? So, rounds like 9mm, .40, .45, 12ga, .22, .223/5.56, 7.62x39, .38/.357 etc. seemed like good choices.

I recently came across a thread on a different forum where the OP was trying to decide between two rifles. One poster left a comment in favor of the rifle chambered for the less popular cartridge because he could still find that during the last shortage while all the stores near him were out of the more popular one (I forget which rounds they were talking about, but the point is the same).

This started me thinking about how it may be smart to have a gun or two chambered for a less common, but still available, round. For instance, if another shortage happens you can bet that .223 is going to be flying off of the shelves, but will those couple of boxes of .45-70 on the far end of the shelf be snatched so quickly? For handguns, 9mm will be in high demand, but maybe something like .44, .41, 9x18 will still be around. These may be bad examples since I'm not an ammo expert.

So my question is, does it make sense to purposely shoot a less common round (not something totally obscure though), and if so, what might some good choices be?

I know the right answer is to reload your own (or stop by Andy's house ), but that still requires being able to find components or factory ammo to start with. I would consider ease of reloading as a factor to consider when choosing a caliber.

[apostate]

For the cost of a firearm in a less popular caliber, you could buy quite a bit of ammunition in a popular caliber.

That said, I wouldn't let caliber (un)popularity dissuade me from buying a firearm I like.

[Weg]

I've always steered toward common calibers simply because the ammo tends to be cheaper. During the last ammo shortage, I had only a slight problem finding .38/45 Auto/40 S&W. As for the whole aspect of ammo shortage caused by economic/social collapse, I would just make sure you had a 1,000 or so rounds per caliber squirreled away, which comes full circle back to common calibers being cheaper in general, which makes it easier to stockpile. My 2 cents.

[2up1down]

Ammo Shortage.

IF due to uncertain times, I would hope a personal stockpile would see me through
and I do understand and advocate having several different caliber options, but the
key I believe is to stock up before the others to meet your current and future needs.

IF the shortage is due to the Zombies roaming wild,
Then you better have platforms that require what the
Zombies will be using, so you can pick them clean when they fall.
9mm, .40, .45, .223, 5.56, and of course 12 Gauge.

Let's imagine for a moment that there is a rush for ammo at the retailers and
there is no expectation for the stores to be full again,,, The only ammo that
will be available is what you have, what you can make, and what you can "find".

Do not ignore the cartridges that can be used in pistol and rifle.
"sub caliber rifles" turn pistol ammo into a longer, deadlier reach.

It is no different than disaster preparedness (Hurricane, etc)
You can't find plywood the day before the storm hits.

[couzin]

IF the shortage is due to the Zombies roaming wild,
Then you better have platforms that require what the
Zombies will be using, so you can pick them clean when they fall.
9mm, .40, .45, .223, 5.56, and of course 12 Gauge.

This comment was only partly meant to be funny. Field scavage of ammo is absolutely correct - and the most popular stuff is what you will find. Keep in mind also, that with a resourced supply of powder and primer, one can 'reload' without any equipment, esp those shotgun rounds. Can be done with pistol and rifle cartridges as well but success is sketchy. The blackpowder and bow zombie fighters will probably survive a little longer in zombieland...

[philip964]

Does anyone remember the gas shortage of what 1973, then again in 1979. A gas station down the street used to always have diesel even during those shortages. So I bought a diesel after that and have had one to this day. There hasn't been a shortage since then. But I'm ready.

[michael e]

I think its best to try and own every caliber out there so you dont have to worry about what ammo the place has you can use it.

[CC Italian]

I don't know. I remember when the ammo shortage was at its worst and the two handgun calibers I would always see on the shelf were .45 GAP and .44mag . 9mm was the easiest to find out of the common calibers and many of the dealers said they would put it on the shelves and it would be gone within 30 minutes. I remember searching for 4 days before I found 2 boxes of .40 to go to the range. The GAP was always there. Of course this was at Academy and a few gun ranges. I don't remember Wal-Mart ever carrying .45 GAP.

.45GAP, .41 mag and .38 super I could always find at least a few boxes at local ranges because nobody really shoots them much anymore, including myself.

[punkndisorderly]

A agree that, for the price of a firearm in a less popular caliber, you can buy a good bit of a common caliber for guns you already have. The ammo for those less common rounds also tends to be a good bit higher, so you're looking at even more expense over just buying some more common ammo to put away.

Plopping down several hundred dollars for a gun to combat the possibilty of a shortage of the kind that's happened once in recent memory might be an inferior choice when compared to spending that money on preparedness for more common occurances (job loss, medical emergency, accident, flood, fire, hurricane, etc).

[Steve133]

I don't know - I've never had any problems finding 9mm Luger, no matter how bad shortages have been. Even the local Wal-Mart (in a few different localities) seems to always have at least a few boxes of at least one brand on the shelves. Seems like I remember .357 magnum, .45 ACP, and .40 SW being about the same, but I wasn't really paying attention, so I could be wrong.

I think you really run into trouble with the calibers of intermediate popularity - ones that are (or at least used to be) common, if not particularly popular, if that makes any sense. I have had trouble finding .380, and even .38 spl at times. Oddball rounds like 10mm and .45 GAP seem like they don't disappear as much, but that's more a case of low fluctuation in already low availability. Besides, after the circumstances behind the shortage are resolved, the more common rounds are going to be the ones that get manufactured the fastest to meet demand.

Purposefully buying a gun in an obscure caliber because the ammunition may at some point be less scarce than some other rounds seems too much like giving up a sure thing now for a small chance at something later for my tastes (though your mileage may obviously vary). I'd rather have something that won't break the bank to stockpile and practice with now.

[Mike from Texas]

While the "popular" calibers will always be in my lineup, I have my share of "non popular" calibers as well. I just make sure I always have a good supply of ammo for all of them on hand.
I don't let ammo availability dictate what calibers I purchase. I purchase what I feel is the best for the job at hand.

And I do have a few of the "non popular" calibers.

[*]10mm
[*]41 Mag
[*]6.5 Grendel
[*]260 Remington
[*]6.5-284 Norma
[*]450 Marlin

[ghostrider]

I don't let ammo availability dictate what calibers I purchase. I purchase what I feel is the best for the job at hand.

me too.
I have a 460 Rowland - I dare you to find a brick and mortar store with factory ammo in stock in
that calibre :-)