Here’s What the Ammo Shortage Revealed About the Industry

[Talyn]

Between erratic availability of components, wildly swinging prices, and limited production capacity, the ammunition industry is scrambling to serve shooters.

Here’s What the Ammo Shortage Revealed About the Industry

 

[TEXASforLIFE]

Well, if someone wants too build a primer facility I have room to spare and no one around to bother. Heck! They can build it in my backyard! With limited copper sources/suppliers from around the globe (I think there's only 2 or 3) it impacts everything copper is used in/for. While aluminum can be substituted for some it usually needs to be larger to convey as much electricity. The cost is way less to use aluminum for wiring (I know because the cost of 1,500' of underground copper was 2 or more times the cost). Primer paste is safe when it's in wet stage, but very explosive when dried.

 

[The Night Rider]

The Obama Ammo Panic taught me a lesson that I will never, ever, ever forget. We got caught a really short and in the middle of it while I was standing in line at Walmart to get a box of ammunition I promised myself that if things ever eased up I would never get caught short like that again.

We started buying online after the panic subsided. I sat down and did the math once and we were paying right around $12.00 a box for Blazer 9mm when Walmart was selling it for $16.00.

We have a designated amount of money that we set aside for ammunition from every paycheck and when we find a good sale we buy as much as we can reasonably afford.

 

[HansGruber]

The Obama Ammo Panic taught me a lesson that I will never, ever, ever forget. We got caught a really short and in the middle of it while I was standing in line at Walmart to get a box of ammunition I promised myself that if things ever eased up I would never get caught short like that again.

We started buying online after the panic subsided. I sat down and did the math once and we were paying right around $12.00 a box for Blazer 9mm when Walmart was selling it for $16.00.

We have a designated amount of money that we set aside for ammunition from every paycheck and when we find a good sale we buy as much as we can reasonably afford.

I learned in the first one—in late ‘08.

After that, when prices were good, I stocked deep; in fact, up to early 2020, 9mm was cheap enough that—factoring on my time—it was cheaper to buy 115fmj in bulk over reloading.

I still have 10k+ 9mm that I bought for .18/rd delivered in The Before Times (in fact, I was going through receipts; my last major 9mm purchase was for Prvi Partisan 124gr FMJ, 5k rounds for $879.45 (+tax), delivered, in Feb 2020…I saw the writing on the wall.

Haven’t even opened those cases yet…

We will NEVER see that price again. I doubt we’ll break .25 a round for brass 9mm blasters.

 

[TEXASforLIFE]

I learned in the first one—in late ‘08.

After that, when prices were good, I stocked deep; in fact, up to early 2020, 9mm was cheap enough that—factoring on my time—it was cheaper to buy 115fmj in bulk over reloading.

I still have 10k+ 9mm that I bought for .18/rd delivered in The Before Times (in fact, I was going through receipts; my last major 9mm purchase was for Prvi Partisan 124gr FMJ, 5k rounds for $879.45 (+tax), delivered, in Feb 2020…I saw the writing on the wall.

Haven’t even opened those cases yet…

We will NEVER see that price again. I doubt we’ll break .25 a round for brass 9mm blasters.

Especially when primers are costing 8-12 cents/piece those that reload can only save on specialty rounds. Plinking rounds might not be worth to reload for, but might as well hang onto the brass. Long action mags aren't really a plinking round, so those are worth reloading. Take a look at 5.7x28's. They defiantly are worth reloading.

 

[HansGruber]

Especially when primers are costing 8-12 cents/piece those that reload can only save on specialty rounds. Plinking rounds might not be worth to reload for, but might as well hang onto the brass. Long action mags aren't really a plinking round, so those are worth reloading. Take a look at 5.7x28's. They defiantly are worth reloading.

My last 9mm reloading excursion was 147gr coated HP subsonics…sooo quiet through my Z5RS.

 

[ddeuce22]

I prefer the term BC. (Before Covid).

If buying in bulk i'm able to get brass 9mm for around $0.22 to $0.25 per round. Hoping it will continue to trend downward, but that's wishful thinking I am sure.

 

[powerboatr]

bulk ammo .com
he has prices of built up ammo that fluctuates with market. but he had ammo when others did not
berries bullets seem to be pretty steady in bullets,
when everyone bought up 9mm, i bought up cheaper 45 acp

i also reload, so buying bulk powder saved me. but in a year i will out of primers unless they come down a bit in price
27 for a 1000 is ok, but 60 for 1000 is absurd

its a daily check of all sources and buy when i find what i need . its part of budget for household entertainment fund

i harvest LOTS of brass at the range. i am shocked at how many people burn through tons of rounds and leave 1 once fired brass on the ground
monday mornings after the weekenders is prime harvest time
i have not bought pistol brass in a decade

 

[TEXASforLIFE]

bulk ammo .com
he has prices of built up ammo that fluctuates with market. but he had ammo when others did not
berries bullets seem to be pretty steady in bullets,
when everyone bought up 9mm, i bought up cheaper 45 acp

i also reload, so buying bulk powder saved me. but in a year i will out of primers unless they come down a bit in price
27 for a 1000 is ok, but 60 for 1000 is absurd

its a daily check of all sources and buy when i find what i need . its part of budget for household entertainment fund

i harvest LOTS of brass at the range. i am shocked at how many people burn through tons of rounds and leave 1 once fired brass on the ground
monday mornings after the weekenders is prime harvest time

So, trying to find spp in 45 could help. About the only somewhat steady available primers are in the small variety (pistol and rifle). The last lrp and mlrp/lmrp cost around 10-15 cents/piece. Adding those to the accumulated lrp and mlrp/lmrp in the average of those that were bought when it was 3 cents/piece doesn't make it hurt so bad. I might be starting a new cartridge within the same caliber, so it's not as bad finding bullets for it either. 27 and 28cal heavies is another story.