The Truth About Ammo
There is a lot to know about ammunition, but I learned a little more at the NRA convention. Ammunition manufacturers are making and selling all they can. I asked every manufacturer, importer and distributor I found. Each said the same thing. They are operating at least two shifts a day and six days a week. That is true for the component manufacturers who make brass and bullets too. US shooters are pulling in ammunition from around the world! So why are the shelves empty? I think I learned about that too. We are the problem, and that is a good thing.
I met many people at the NRA convention who are new to firearms. One couple didn’t think they needed a gun until a few years ago. They were not part of the gun community then, but they are now! They approached things the right way. They shopped, and then bought guns AND training. Now they have their CCW permits and carry when they can. They joined a local range to practice often. This couple recently joined the NRA and this was their first convention. Their story is typical and the NRA grew by a million members this last year.
We’ve sucked the store shelves dry. It isn’t the government who is buying 22 ammunition. It is us! We’re using 22 ammo for training and sport. The government isn’t buying shotgun slugs and rifle rounds for obscure imported rifles. We are.
Look at gun sales and do the math without listening to the media spin. Most new guns are going to new gun owners. In fact, existing gun owners have been reducing their collections so they can standardize on ammunition. Gun sales have been up for years. That inventory of new guns is being used by new shooters and they have emptied the shelves of ammunition. New shooters want to shoot and new guns get shot!
Look at gun sales as a leading indicator of ammunition sales. Consider the number of new shooters and start building more ammunition manufacturing lines. The demand is there.
I’ll look at the gun sales statistics (here) when I get home.
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Rob in Houston, Texas
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SlowFacts 
If this was totally true, answer this. How can all of it be bought up by the public when the stores, gun shops, etc, can’t get it from their distributors/whoesalers? Somebody is getting it before it gets there and it isn’t us.
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Welcome, Jim. What is your evidence? The stores in my area get ammo, but it is gone in hours. Most of the online distributors are the same way. No one has implimented a queue system yet, but sell on a first come/ first served basis.
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My proof is the two gun ranges I go to plus 3 gun stores. The ranges can only give you a box or two for shooting that day at the range and sometimes they run out of that. The gun stores are trying to get bulk, 200 rounds or more, and can’t find it. They will sell two boxes a day per customer as long as they have it in stock. 45ACP and 223/5.56mm is the hardest to get. This is in Jacksonville Florida. And they are the ones that have told me their distributors haven’t seen any bulk in months and boxes of 20 to 50 rds are being sent to them a case at a time.
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Jim, the military hardly uses 45 and 223. Why is 7.62x54R out of stock? As I said in my post, that isn’t the government.
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NO!! Tom Gresham reported on the “truck greeters” who know when ammo arrives at Walmart. They see the truck coming and bum rush the sporting goods section. Guys are being documented buying ammo for guns they don’t even OWN. Mark Walters AND Cam Edwards addressed this many times since January. Give it a rest.
Ray from Bloomberga
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Ray, who are you disagreeing with?
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From Eye Wear Goggles-
To back up Rob’s hypothesis that it’s new gun owners, I have personally purchased over 3000 rounds of ammunition in the past 3 months. Compare that to the previous 30 years when I might have purchased 300 rounds total! Based on my purchases only I think Rob is right on the money. The threat of government gun control has created a insatiable demand for ammo by all gun owners, both old and new. However, I also think the reports of Homeland Security, FBI, etc stockpiling ammo are also true and contribute to availability.
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I don’t believe it for a second, I think the government has ordered manufacturers to halt production , possibly over a year ago ..and it’s taken 8 months to deplete supply’s.
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Did you notice the date of the article?
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