Oh, great:
Ammo Shortage May Last Until 2021
As I read this story, I decided to do a little digging to see how bad the problem actually is.
Now I can understand that SHTF ammo (.223 Rem, 7.62x39mm Soviet, 7.62x51mm NATO etc.) and hunting ammo (.30-30, .30-06 etc.) might be in short supply. And we all know about handgun ammo (9mm, .45 ACP, .357 Mag etc.) being scarce to non-existent. But .22 Long Rifle? Seriously?
And where it’s not out of stock, it’s running anywhere from 11 cents to 40 cents per round. (19 cents for Remington Golden Bullet in the 525-pack? I used to use this stuff as ballast.)
Here’s a sample of what’s (not) out there:
SGAmmo — Ammo.com — Midway — Classic Firearms — Sportsman’s Warehouse — J&G Sales — (un)Lucky Gunner — CheaperThanDirt — Brownells* — and so on. (Check AmmoSeek for a longer list.)
(I know, it’s not a comprehensive list, but it’s a big enough sample.)
This is the equivalent of all supermarkets being simultaneously out-of-stock on salt, sugar and bread, never mind toilet paper and bleach.
Just out of curiosity, I checked my “tote” bag, which contains my “everyday plinking” supply that follows me to the range whenever I take my .22 rifles or pistols. I gave up counting at 5,000 rounds. In Ye Olde Ammoe Locquer, of course… well, ’nuff said. I think my lowest brand quantity is CCI Green Tag, and that’s at about two bricks. I last shot Green Tag about two years ago.
It’s a funny thing. I think one always felt a little silly when buying that 500-round brick of .22 online, and checking the “10” quantity (which used to be my standard practice, per brand). Hell, I’d buy a brick just to see how it shot, or as a cheap Christmas present for my buddies.
No more. What interests me is what will happen when ammo supplies “stabilize”. Given the situation now, I’m not sure they ever will.
*By the way, I’ve heard good things about the SK brand now available at Brownells, but unfortunately they’re only offering it in the 5,000-round bulk pack — and at 13 cents a round, it’s still too expensive for a bulk purchase. When / if the ammo supply situation ever returns to sanity, I’ll buy a couple boxes and test them.
