Another thing... I point out that the article was published over a year ago, on March 5th, 2009. I was in Cabelas on Friday, and they literally had
tables piled high with inexpensive .223, 7.62x39, and 9mm ammo. I forget the brand names, but I didn't buy any .223 because they were steel cased, and I'm fixing to reload a bunch of it myself today or tomorrow anyway. However, I have had no trouble buying brass cased .223 ammo for months now. I bought some Federal XM193 for $8.50 a box (42.5¢/round) a couple of weeks ago. So whatever predictions Rockwell made about ammo based on supply and demand seem to be playing out. The price is still up, but the supply is stable and as overal troop draw-downs continue (which is the
truth about Obama's overall military strategy), supply will increase and prices will come down.
In fact, here is a
WASHINGTON POST ARTICLE titled "
U.S. 'secret war' expands globally as Special Operations forces take larger role." The article makes the point that Obama has significantly expanded the use of Special Operations forces all over the world, because these forces typically operate in secrecy, and they don't talk to the press about what they're doing. Consequently, this gives Obama a "useful tool" to accomplish military objectives, while shielding him from criticisms from his own party about sending troops overseas. Of course, what Obama is either ignoring or hasn't given due consideration, is that the people who are fighting against (and occasionally killing) American Special Forces operators are well aware that they are fighting Americans. Consequently, word of
specific instances of Special Forces deployments
will get into the media. Does Obama imagine that radical Muslims in Somalia don't have Internet access? Look for pictures and video footage of these clashes to begin appearing on the web. Obama is a cynic. He's assuming that he can trade a smaller number of Special Forces wounded and killed for a larger number of conventional forces wounded and killed, and that we won't find out about it.
Ain't gonna happen... ...unless
Obama's administration succeeds in reinventing journalism...
Back on topic, Rockwell said:
While I don't have precise estimates on costs, I do know that AR-15 lower receiver forgings can be purchased for $35 dollars and the finished product sold in 2005 for $90 dollars and now sells for $175–300 dollars. To me, this suggests that prices may have a long way to fall to a new equilibrium.
I saw AR15 stripped lowers at the Fort Worth gun show a week ago selling for $90.00 at one booth. Granted, they weren't a high end manufacturer, but they were decent, serviceable lowers. This same vendor was selling them for nearly twice that a year ago, so it looks like that new equilibrium is taking shape.
