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I had read articles similar to that above predicting the ammo shortage would deminish by mid 2021. BUT with the election of Biden / Harris and Biden's statement to put Beto in charge of guns. I don't see things getting any better in 2021 or maybe in 2022.

I have curtained practice to the shooting range for now. I was worried that if Trump was reelected the liberals would riot. With Biden appearing to win, the trouble has been minimal but the MAGA March had trouble start near sundown. I firmly believe there will be physical violence and we need to stay alert and prepared.

My wife and I reviewed possible escape routes out of our subdivision. These routes include going through those white aluminum fences, cutting through yards to reach a farmer's field and the road around it. I would rather have a plan I never need than need a plan I never had.
Not one single state has certified their vote yet. If he is able to get positive results from his legal efforts there will be violence
 
Ya mean there is a shortage of factory ammo? I'll be. No shortage here.
I talked to a guy the other day complains about finding primers, he obviously hand loads. One of the Dem Super PAC guys is in on the group that bought Marlin I believe, as they buy stuff up, they tighten availability, and prices go up drastically. And I’m sure Covid is no help, it’s made distribution and warehousing slower too as staff has beer either furloughed or reduced.
 
I had read articles similar to that above predicting the ammo shortage would deminish by mid 2021. BUT with the election of Biden / Harris and Biden's statement to put Beto in charge of guns. I don't see things getting any better in 2021 or maybe in 2022.

I have curtained practice to the shooting range for now. I was worried that if Trump was reelected the liberals would riot. With Biden appearing to win, the trouble has been minimal but the MAGA March had trouble start near sundown. I firmly believe there will be physical violence and we need to stay alert and prepared.

My wife and I reviewed possible escape routes out of our subdivision. These routes include going through those white aluminum fences, cutting through yards to reach a farmer's field and the road around it. I would rather have a plan I never need than need a plan I never had.
Suburban living. How wonderful... Not. Only difference between that and urban living is the density of idiots.
 
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The other thing that's happening is people are lining up at the big box stores, gun stores every morning of the ammo delivery (Ex. Mon, Wed, Fri at my nearby Academy) and buying everything they can and THEN re-selling it online at 25-50% mark-up.

Combination of a lot of things: political anxiety + regular hoarding instinct + record # of NEW gun owners + growing online re-sale market
 
The other thing that's happening is people are lining up at the big box stores, gun stores every morning of the ammo delivery (Ex. Mon, Wed, Fri at my nearby Academy) and buying everything they can and THEN re-selling it online at 25-50% mark-up.

Combination of a lot of things: political anxiety + regular hoarding instinct + record # of NEW gun owners + growing online re-sale market
Gee, I have around 5000 extra 223 rounds, wonder if I should sell them? Buck a round sounds reasonable.
 
You cannot list it on Craigs List nor Flea Bay. Kind of limits your outlets. I could off 5000 and still have a boatload left. You can only use one at a time... :p
 
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I'm better situated than I was the last run on ammo. Still, I expect this one will last longer. Worse, If we lose the 2 remaining Senate seats in Georgia,it may be all over. Period. My unspent ammo money is going to WinRed to support the runoff in GA.
 
My bet is that it is here to stay for quite a long time!
So, Wendy, does that mean we are going to need to learn to mix our own fulminate compounds and recycle primers? Or perhaps switch to flint? 😳. Seriously, I would not be surprised at a move to sharply limit or eliminate ammunition including components as a means to restrict usable firearms. If I recall there have been a few court cases indicating that ammunition limits may be a second amendment violation, but suspect those would take the long route to the Supreme Court.
 
So, Wendy, does that mean we are going to need to learn to mix our own fulminate compounds and recycle primers? Or perhaps switch to flint? 😳. Seriously, I would not be surprised at a move to sharply limit or eliminate ammunition including components as a means to restrict usable firearms. If I recall there have been a few court cases indicating that ammunition limits may be a second amendment violation, but suspect those would take the long route to the Supreme Court.
Imposing a HUGE tax on ammo can have the same result as restricting ammo availability. As the Supreme Court ruled on the muslam's obammmma care mandate - call it a tax, and all's fine and dandy. When ammo becomes too expensive to even consider buying, the left gets their wish.
 
The OP answered the question of why the ammo shortage at the end of his first post...

Not counting .22lr I have over 10,000 rounds that I use so it's not affecting me yet, but who knows what the future will bring.
Sometimes we are our own worse enemy. :)

I'm not condemning it, just making an observation of the current situation.

Fire arm sales were at record highs over the past 6 months and that surly impacted the availability of the common hand gun and semi auto rifle cartridges.

I reload and have several hundred rounds of each of the 20 different cartridges in my collection and have supplies to reload each several times over. Stocking primers and powder are my biggest concern. I cast for all of my hand gun bullets and all except the bottle neck cartridges in my rifle collection. Except, of course, for 22 rim fire. Probably have around 2000 of them on hand.

I noticed during the Obama years shortage that 17 rim fire was usually easier to find on the shelf than 22. Seriously considered buying a bolt action rifle in 17 HMR because of it but never did.

About the only silver lining I can see in the present situation is that if I want to downsize my collection, now is the time to do it.

John
 
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One of the Dem Super PAC guys is in on the group that bought Marlin I believe, as they buy stuff up, they tighten availability, and prices go up drastically.
Um... Ruger bought Marlin, paid in cash, no "group" involved.

I believe you might be referring to the group that bought the firearms portion of Remington.

Remington's ammo & components division was purchased by Vista Outdoors - which owns:
  • Alliant Powder
  • American Eagle
  • Blackhawk!
  • Blazer Ammunition
  • Butler Creek
  • CCI
  • Champion
  • Eagle Industries
  • Estate Cartridge
  • Federal Premium
  • Force on Force
  • Gunmate
  • Gunslick Pro
  • Hoppe's 9
  • Independence Ammo
  • M-Pro 7
  • Outers
  • RCBS
  • Remington
  • Speer Ammo
  • Speer Bullets
Note that Barnes (Barnes Bullets) is part of Remington ammo, and thus now part of Vista Outdoors.

Edit: Note that I goofed a bit - Barnes Bullets was sold separately to Sierra Bullets.
 
first and foremost. Firearms ammo manufacturers supple Government and US Law Enforcement first. My old agency where i served as range master I had a standard yearly order of 2,880.000 rounds of ammo ( handgun only) annually to train our over 3500 officers. WE mandated bi annual qualifications with 48 rounds per-course of fire per officer. Other agencies are much bigger and take lots of rounds for training and to equip the officers . Your must think of the shear volume of what is needed just to keep those who protect you trained and supplied.

then remember on top of that that the raw materials that are used to make the ammunition is mostly imported. Brass. Copper and especially LEAD mines and smelters have been closed by the hundreds because of the O'bamma EPA rules and regulations. The last lead mine closed in MO. back in 2013.

Now throw in the Covid 19 shutdown and workers staying home and not working for weeks on end . There you have the ammo shortage in a nut shell.

Ammo makers want to make ammo and sell it. But standard orders come first. Then take into account all the company mergers it suddenly becomes obvious civilian supplies are put on the back burner. and we in the sports shooting groups suffer. And no one cares but us.

Just my thoughts
 
Let's not forget that these companies also export their ammo to many other countries, militaries and law enforcement agencies; they are not going to jeopardize those foreign contracts and market share either.
 
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