Helping each other out through the ammo shortage

[myntalfloss]

Hi jmra,

Thanks for the LOL on the IKEA thread.

I'd probably have to be classified as just pro-gun. I've owned 10 guns, presently have 4 guns in 3 calibers and love to shoot.

But you make some valid points. There are a mess of new CHL applications and people are buying guns at a phenomenal rate and some of these are first time buyers. But I don't think that the majority are. I get the impression from everything I read on gun related posts and in general that most gun sales are current gun owners adding to their collection. And there's certainly nothing wrong with that, one of my major regrets is that I didn't go through with my purchase of an AR last September when I saw the clouds on the horizon. And I didn't stock up on ammo either, so I'm double dumb. But then again, that would put in the category of the selfish guys who are hoarding ammo for the forthcoming apocalypse.

As to the ammo manufacturers, I would have suspected that they would have seen this coming and ramped up. I doubt they were maxxed out to begin with but who knows.

Regardless, I'm sure looking forward to supply catching up to demand; or in this case, demand slowing to let supply catch up.

[jmra]

Hi jmra,

Thanks for the LOL on the IKEA thread.

I'd probably have to be classified as just pro-gun. I've owned 10 guns, presently have 4 guns in 3 calibers and love to shoot.

But you make some valid points. There are a mess of new CHL applications and people are buying guns at a phenomenal rate and some of these are first time buyers. But I don't think that the majority are. I get the impression from everything I read on gun related posts and in general that most gun sales are current gun owners adding to their collection. And there's certainly nothing wrong with that, one of my major regrets is that I didn't go through with my purchase of an AR last September when I saw the clouds on the horizon. And I didn't stock up on ammo either, so I'm double dumb. But then again, that would put in the category of the selfish guys who are hoarding ammo for the forthcoming apocalypse.

As to the ammo manufacturers, I would have suspected that they would have seen this coming and ramped up. I doubt they were maxxed out to begin with but who knows.

Regardless, I'm sure looking forward to supply catching up to demand; or in this case, demand slowing to let supply catch up.

You could be right about first time buyers. Don't even know how to find out one way or the other. I was basing my opinion on conversations at numerous gun shows and conversations at Walmart stores where people had no clue what ammo to buy.
I personally over the last 4 months have spoken with well over a hundred people in my small circle of influence that have purchased guns for the first time. I went with many of those people to help them select a firearm.

[myntalfloss]

You could be right about first time buyers. Don't even know how to find out one way or the other. I was basing my opinion on conversations at numerous gun shows and conversations at Walmart stores where people had no clue what ammo to buy.
I personally over the last 4 months have spoken with well over a hundred people in my small circle of influence that have purchased guns for the first time. I went with many of those people to help them select a firearm.

[/quote]


Your opinion is based on a lot more data points than mine, so I'll defer to you. Whatever the reason, let's hope for some relief.

I usually don't, but recently offered firearm advice to an ex-neighbor who asked. Not specific as in, it's gotta be a 1911, but more generic as in pros and cons of the platforms and calibers. Told him that he'd be hard pressed to find a bad gun these days and just make sure it meets his mission requirements and if he can, to try before he buys. He just got his CHL (in Ohio) and is apparently inundated by advice so I'm not sure if I helped or hindered. Plus, he's a Ph.D physicist and is probably looking for the exact, perfect weapon. Sometimes perfection is the enemy of good.

[myntalfloss]

I see a interesting trend on the chart above. All of the years prior to 2013 start with a lower number and then increase in subsequent months. 2013 starts out with a higher number and then it decreases in subsequent months. I wonder what that means?

Good eye. That is curious. Demand usually drops when the sense of need goes down. I haven't seen any signs of that. What do you think?

[anygunanywhere]

I see a interesting trend on the chart above. All of the years prior to 2013 start with a lower number and then increase in subsequent months. 2013 starts out with a higher number and then it decreases in subsequent months. I wonder what that means?

Good eye. That is curious. Demand usually drops when the sense of need goes down. I haven't seen any signs of that. What do you think?

The sense of need has not gone down.

Instead of crime driving the need, the threat of a tyrannical government is driving the need. Tyranny is more threatening than crime.

Anygunanywhere

[Hamourkiller]

All I can say is learn to load your own.

Learn to cast your own handgun bullets. Keep a good 38 special or 357 mag revolver in you stable. This brass is available and 3grs of bulls-eye or similar powder loads 12,000 rounds per 8 lb jug.

Keep a good 30-30 carbine and learn to cast your bullets for it, brass is easy to find and this makes a very good home defense rifle.

When things return to normal stock up on components and never fear short term panic situations again.

You can also load for the semi autos with cast bullets. Get as far away from the just in time mentality as you can afford.

DO NOT FORGET the current situation and take affirmative steps to avoid it in the future.

[jmra]

When/if things calm down I plan to get setup for reloading. Until then, I've got a decent amount of ammo laying around.

[myntalfloss]

Not to try to dispell the doom and gloom but a friend of mine in Nashville sent me this:

My friend told me he lucked out yesterday and was able to buy several cases of ammo. On the way home he stopped at the gas station where a drop-dead gorgeous blonde was filling up her car at the next pump.
She looked at the ammo in the back of my SUV and said in a very sexy voice, "I'm a big believer in barter, big boy...would you be interested in trading sex for ammo?"
My friend said he thought about her proposition for a few seconds, then asked, "What kinda ammo ya got?"

[The Annoyed Man]

All I can say is learn to load your own.

Learn to cast your own handgun bullets. Keep a good 38 special or 357 mag revolver in you stable. This brass is available and 3grs of bulls-eye or similar powder loads 12,000 rounds per 8 lb jug.

Keep a good 30-30 carbine and learn to cast your bullets for it, brass is easy to find and this makes a very good home defense rifle.

When things return to normal stock up on components and never fear short term panic situations again.

You can also load for the semi autos with cast bullets. Get as far away from the just in time mentality as you can afford.

DO NOT FORGET the current situation and take affirmative steps to avoid it in the future.

I have a smallish but sufficient supply of 5.56, .45, and 9mm to get me through the current situation, but .308 is the caliber about which I'm most uncomfortable with my supply on hand. I have around 400 loaded rounds on hand, in different weights and loads.

I have powder enough for another 1200 rounds or so, and primers and cases to load several thousand rounds, but I have only about 475 .308 bullets of varying types from 165, 168, 175, and 180 grains. Here's my problem:

• I have 110 bullets in 165 grains, but 50 are Hornady GMX and 60 are Sierra Game Kings. The load data may not match up, and that's not a lot of either bullet to build good load data with AND have enough left over to build an inventory with.
• I have 46 168 grain SMKs. I have a decent load for those, but it isn't that many cartridges, and SMKs are hard to find these days.
• I have good proven load data for the 175 grain SMKs for two rifles, and maybe for a third, but I have only 72 bullets left (Sierra Match Kings in .308 are unobtanium for all practical purposes).
• I have 50 Hornady 180 grain SSTs and 100 each of 180 grain Nosler Hunting Ballistic Tips and 180 grain Nosler Ballistic Silver Tips. All three are ballistic tips and ought to perform similarly, but.....

The problem was that I was still researching loads and taking my sweet time about it when all of this came down. I concentrated on making sure that I had enough 5.56, .45 and 9mm on hand, and I was successful with that, but when I turned around to start buying components, they were all gone with only the heaviest .308 bullet weights being still available.

So on paper, I've got 850 or so total rounds of .308, but I don't have that many in any one load/bullet combination which I can count on to perform in a predictable way in any of my rifles. The only one I know works well is that 175 grain SMK over 45 grains of Varget, and I can only load 72 of those. I'm not happy about it, and I can tell you that when components become available again, I'm going to stock up like crazy on those things too.

Edited to add: I have about 230 lb of lead ingots, some of which have already been combined with wheel weights, which I got in trade from v-rog for something else, but I still need to buy bullet moulds for each of the calibers I want to make. I'm guessing that I'll need to buy some gas checks if I want to make rifle bullets.

[bizarrenormality]

The sense of need has not gone down.

Instead of crime driving the need, the threat of a tyrannical government is driving the need. Tyranny is more threatening than crime.

Isn't the point of the 3D-printer liberator to use it to get a bigger supply of ammunition (and a gun to fire that ammunition, if necessary) from the tyrant's tools? Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

Isn't that really why some of his tools pulled the CAD plans off the internet?

[drjoker]

I've been shooting bb guns.... no ammo!