There is a lot of truth in that article. The part that doesn't make sense is why aren't the gun shops getting the same amount of ammo from the distributors that they would get, pre panic? If the distributors aren't getting it, where is it going? It makes sense that when a gun shop does get 22 ammo that it will be gone fairly quickly, but they just aren't getting it like they used to.

 

Small gunshops are the bottom of the food chain. Let's say you have a limited amount of a highly sought after commodity. Do you make a lot of your little clients happy who traditionally buy 10 units of this a year and suddenly want 100 units? Or do you take care of your big client (Walmat, Cabela's) who buy 100,000 units every single year and now want 200,000? If you give it to the small gun shops, you can't give it to Walmart and Walmart starts sourcing other places. Suddenly Armscor and Magtech start filling Walmart shelves and when things settle down and the gun stores don't want 100 units anymore, Federal finds themselves with no place to sell their ammo - Walmart retrained their customers to buy Armscor and has no interest in your Federal ammo any longer. Walmart and Cabela's will be here in 2 years for sure. Many of the small gun shops may not. Obviously in the long view, you take care of Walmart, not small gun shops. And this is exactly what we see happening. Walmart and Cabela's get ammo regularly.

The article suggests:
"We all just have to trust that it will get better, do not buy more than we need and wait it out."
But this assumes you know how long before you find more and know how much you need. Personally, after 16 months of this, how much I "need" to last until I can easily buy again is a pretty high number.

 

His comments at first seem to give every reason for ammo companies to add production lines. Then he starts downplaying the idea? He should run for some office. How many politicians are accused of flip-flopping on an issue?

The shortage will go on indefinitely until something breaks the cycle. They could hold back supply until it would flood the shelves, but that could take years of priduction. Make resale of ammo illegal, but that gets the government's nose in deeper, big mistake there. There seems to be no good answer.

 

That part is cut off of the site in the link. I didn't see where he downplayed his original ideas nor where he flip flopped.

 

I think the ammo companies should up production facilities because you have more people than ever before shooting 22's. You have , per a friend who is LEO, using 22 in the AR platform to train their staff and along with just plain population growth , more women getting into shooting sports. The big box stores are getting most of the production of 22's,at least in our area. We buy ammo from a distributor in Louisiana and we ,we are a small customer and only buy 100 guns a year, that they do not have any 22 ammo available. The ammo we got last year came with the comment ,"one of our big customers decided to cancel their order ,do you want some bricks of 22's?" Wal Mart,Bass pro shop,Academy,Cabelas and Gander Mountain are getting most of the production because they are the largest customers . Us little guys are thrown crumbs when
the big guys do not take an order. If I ran one of the ammo companies , I would tool up and make more cartridges. You hear about a lead shortage but if you look there are tons of shotgun shells on the shelf . A box of 25 shotgun shells equates to approximately 2#'s of lead and that is enough lead to make 350 40 grain 22 bullets. So ever box of 12 gauge shells has enough lead to make 350 22 bullets ? There seems to be no shortage of shotgun shells ? Go figure.

 

It is not a lead shortage. The lead issue is with the last smelter here shutting the doors. That has and will have NO effect on lead here. We import lead already refined, just like a million other products we buy already at least partially made or refined overseas.

The Production ramp up in 22's sounds like a great idea till that accountant in the office gets wind of it. Even at today's inflated pricing, and millions and millions of rounds being produced, the profit margin on them is fairly modest for the company actually cranking them out. And these machines that can operate fast enough to make any sense in a 22LR ammo sense are expensive to buy and install.

But the point about increased consumption is well taken. There are a higher number of folks in the market place now with new to them, rifles and pistols shooting 22 rimfire, either by design or by adaptation. So the new lines added at CCI and Aguila are going to be welcome in the market. I think if memory serves me, these new lines are due to start production within a month or two or three.... Anyone remember when they were coming online ?

 

The part about a shooters idea of what he NEEDS now makes sense to me. If I had a brick of .22 lr. a few years ago, I thought I had a lot. I`m down to a brick and a half and I`m getting worried. If I had a case now, I think I would be light on ammo.

 

I think this probably sums it up best. Back in January 2013 when the "hoarding" started, a whole lot of folks weren't aware it was happening. April rolls around, temps warm up and these folks headed to <insert store name> for a brick of 22s. And there were none to be had. The initial hoarding was probably over by June of last year, but all those folks who got caught empty-handed then are hoarding now. It looks like 2014 will be another "lost" year as far as 22s go.

American Handgunner magazine lists some odd/random statistics in the back of each issue. One that caused me to cringe was the 4.3 billion round backlog reported by one "major" 22 manufacturer. The math is easy and profound. But good news - Norma is going to start selling 22s here in the US - a whopping 5 million rounds a month.

So maybe things will normalize in 2015 - one can only hope.

 

I don't think that the distributors are getting what they used to get. That is the point. Walmart and Cabelas don't go through distributors like the little shops have to. The problem is that the distributors may lose out when the little shops go belly up because they can't get stock. The big boys aren't going to use distributors because they don't have to.
Maybe the manufacturers are catering to the big box stores.

 

I think that distributors have been selling on the internet under a few diffenent new names. In doing so, they get a much larger slice of the pie. There have been new online ammo sellers who have started up in the last few years. Why would anyone start a new business in a product that is not available, unless..........

 

No gun shop, large or small, is going belly up because they can't get 22 ammo. No kid or adult is not learning to shoot because they can't get 22 ammo. There is no great crisis here. Many of us may not get to shoot as much rimfire as we WANT to, but the reality is that any of us can get as much 22 as we NEED to do do essential things, although it might not be at the price we'd prefer. I think the ones at biggest risk if this continues are the manufacturers of 22 firearms, which may slow in sales if people can't get the ammo they want. I don't see anyone saying that's happening yet.
Keep calm and carry on. And maybe buy a pellet gun.

 

No gun shop, large or small, is going belly up because they can't get 22 ammo. No kid or adult is not learning to shoot because they can't get 22 ammo. There is no great crisis here. Many of us may not get to shoot as much rimfire as we WANT to, but the reality is that any of us can get as much 22 as we NEED to do do essential things, although it might not be at the price we'd prefer. I think the ones at biggest risk if this continues are the manufacturers of 22 firearms, which may slow in sales if people can't get the ammo they want. I don't see anyone saying that's happening yet.
Keep calm and carry on. And maybe buy a pellet gun.

It isn't just the 22 ammo. It is all firearm related items that are, or have been in short supply. Gun shops still have all the overhead that they have, whether or not they have anything to sell. You may not think that any gun shops are having issues, but many of the small shops are really hurting. Someday, we are going to regret that many of the small shops won't be in existence and big box stores are going to be the "norm". It happened in hardware, bicycles, etc. It will happen with guns also.

 

Had to travel the 50 miles to a larger town to get my vehicle worked on. Had time to kill so thought I would get dropped off at the mall and do a little experiment. Plopped down on a bench outside of Scheels to read a magazine and watch traffic. Had a birdseye view of the ammo counter and over 70 people entered the store and beelined right for the ammo area and asked about .22 rimfire ammo in a period of two hours and 15 minutes. After that I walked around the store and TWICE a salesperson actually told individuals who were looking to purchase Ruger 10/22's that they should not because the 50 rounds they could get at purchase would probably be all they will see for a long time. I couldn't believe it. They were definitely going to purchase a 22, but walked out empty handed shaking their heads and cursing. I am beginning to think this ammo situation will never resolve itself.

 

As long as the gougers have their way it will not.

Do not buy from these people and you will be doing the one thing that will change things the fastest.

 

+1

I agree with Vincent. You can't let the gougers control your life through manipulating your hobby. Out think the SOB's and ride this thing out with a quality pellet rifle, or take up archery. If neither of these two fit your lifestyle, then learn to control your shooting desires by cutting your range sessions in half.

If your range sessions consist of 50 rounds or more, then cut back to 25 quality shots and take your time making each shot. If you like to shoot for group, then instead of shooting five shot groups, shoot three shot groups.

Remember, we're the consumer. We can (as a whole) control availability and price if we stick together on this until we eliminate the gougers market.

 

What other supplies are in short supply? Most any caliber of ammo even is available now. The flip side of things not being available is the reason: there is more demand for everything which means more things are selling. When even Gander had no pistols last year, it was because they sold them all in a compressed time frame. That was a business boom, not a hard time.
I live in a small semi rural town (town population 1450, township population 15,100) but close to metro Detroit so there are a lot of options around. A new gun shop opened in town 2-3 months ago. They're actually doing very well. With the exception of 22 ammo they are able to get most anything and obviously they don't have built up relationships with distributors. I was in there today talking to the owner and they've sold at least one gun pretty much every day they've been open. I sold a single shot shotgun and the 10/22 build I had listed on here through them on consignment - both sold in less than a week. They do sell 22 ammo, but it's ammo they scrounge and sell at high prices, but even so, they sell through it pretty quick too.
Nothing drives demand in Americans like scarcity and being told they can't get something. The past year has pushed gun sales through the roof. It will actually be worse for small stores when everything is commonly available and people don't feel any pressure to buy.
Many of the small shops that are hurting are doing so because they charge too much or offer bad service. Their poor sales are more the result of a change in the market place (the internet competition and more big box stores) than scarcity of product. Yes, the trend to big stores is real as you mention. I don't want small gun stores to go away. But I don't think lack of product is a factor here.

 

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Here's a more accurate one:

"PROFITEER"

Now, to be clear: I hold no animosity toward the individual who stocked up on ammo before all this drought began & is now selling off their stock at the (temporary) artificially high prices now availing: they're actually helping to combat the continuation of the drought by easing supply. The gouger/profiteer is the jerk who goes to the mart of walls or other low-cost supplier, buys up their stock & then resells it at triple or 4x the price to someone who would otherwise have bought it when they went to WM [or wherever] but were denied because the stock was all sold out to the profiteer.

An important distinction to make, I think.

 

I don't know what the proper term is gouger, capitalist, whatever. I have been able to purchase 100 rounds cci blazer, 675 Remington golden(I know, yuch) and 300 rounds cci standard velocity round nose in the last year locally. All for about $.05-.06 per round. So it is available in very limited quantities at respectable prices. On line I have only been able to find it at double these prices at best. Refuse to pay this, so I guess I will continue to eek out small amounts to keep my bare bone needs covered(approximately 3000 rds per year). However, from what I have experienced in my local area I don't think this situation is going to resolve itself soon. Too many new shooters and those who panic and buy up as much as possible at inflated prices either to increase their stash or to resell.

 

I don't know what the proper term is gouger, capitalist, whatever. I have been able to purchase 100 rounds cci blazer, 675 Remington golden(I know, yuch) and 300 rounds cci standard velocity round nose in the last year locally. All for about $.05-.06 per round. So it is available in very limited quantities at respectable prices. On line I have only been able to find it at double these prices at best.

If you have a Cabela's or a Gander Mountain close to you, you can buy from them online and ship to store for free. Cabela's offers 500 rounds of CCI Blazer several times a week for $27.99. If no store near you, I think the shipping is $9, so even with shipping you are at $.07 per round. If you do the ship to store, it takes almost 2 weeks before your order is available for pick up.

Gander's pricing is a little higher and I have not ordered from them, so not sure what the shipping cost is.

 

.22 L.R. Shortage

I am what you call a "gouger"
I am also an avid shooter.
I go to the range once a week for long-range center fire.
I go again each week for .22 LR
I fire about 2000 rounds per year of 22 L.R.
My sport is to develop to maximum potential the accuracy of each rifle I own
To accomplish that my rifles insist on the best, most expensive Brands. E.g. Wolf Match Extra, RWS R50, and Eley Tenex ECT.
These Brands cost in Excess of .22 to .28 per round.
Center fire components cost even more.
I have three choices:
1. I can quit the sport.
2. I can complain or whine about the situation and cut back on the hobby I love so much. Or
3. I can study the problem, as it exists, find out where the ammo is, buy it up in quantity and resell it for a profit.
Last week I went to Gander Mountain's Grand Opening in Fenton, Missouri. I bought 5000 rounds. They had six tables of eight different brands and never ran out of stock on any day for the week…. They sold 10's of thousands. Five trailers parked in parking lot for a week.

I did the same thing with Cabela's last year.
They turned the problem into a business opportunity, not I. I just use the nature of the problem to solve my shooting problem.
In the meantime I don't like gougers any more than you do.

 

I am what you call a "gouger"

No, still not a "gouger"... Capitalist, flipper, businessman, SOB , but still not a gouger.

If you were selling water at triple the market price for profit in a hurricane relief area, then you would be a gouger.

Some think what you are doing is wrong... others think you are providing a valuable service. I can choose to buy ammo from you at an inflated price, thus paying for convenience, or I can get up early, or camp out at grand openings, fight the crowds, etc...

The local grocery store sells milk for $3 a gallon. The local convenience store sells milk for $3 per half gallon, yet no one calls them gougers...

 

Oh, don't get me wrong, I don't have ill will towards anyone for their ammo buying choices or how they go about it. It is a free country, thank God and each has a right to go about it however they so deem. I never shoot paper, and every round has the purpose of dispatching a pest. That is why I feel it necessary to purchase the best quality I can at respectable prices. If the time comes when I run low and need to I will purchase match ammo to finish out the season. (I shoot primarily from June to October). Then I will try to restock back to 3,000 rds for next year. I am simply saying that just in my area, this looks like it will continue for some time. The sheer amount of people I see inquiring about .22 ammo availability is mind boggling. Nearest large retailer like Cabela's is 211 miles away which doesn't help. I check Cabela's online every day, but as yet have not seen anything but .17 hmr or match ammo at over $.20 per round. Guess I must be too slow, or not doing something right.

 

I check Cabela's online every day, but as yet have not seen anything but .17 hmr or match ammo at over $.20 per round. Guess I must be too slow, or not doing something right.

North, use this link... check it often, several times a day. It will show available here before it shows on the main ammo page.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shooting/Ammunition/Rimfire-Ammunition%7C/pc/104792580/c/104691780/sc/104536080/CCI-Blazer-22-LR-Ammo/1804618.uts?avad=55963_e64a5f19&WT.mc_id=al41227&rid=12&WT.tsrc=AFF

 

The one interesting thing about this particular ammo shortage is its tenacity. I can't remember any other time where rimfire has been so short for so long. And I am not looking forward to the 2016 elections for this very reason.

 

Last line in Webster " overcharge ". I was talking to a gouger at a local flea market this last Saturday, he told me that Acadamy in Gadsden had plenty of Agulla SuperExtra they couldn't sell bebause it misfired too much. I didn't believe him but I drove down there anyway. They had all their ammo up at the service desk and very little of it at that. Nothing I wanted and they had a sign "only one box a day per customer."
Also many gun shops are gouging on line so their customers don't know.

 

Last line in Webster " overcharge ". I was talking to a gouger at a local flea market this last Saturday

Gouging has a legal definition... and one can be prosecuted for gouging in many jurisdictions. So, this gouger you spoke to, what disaster area is he selling items that are necessary for survival?

 

We should consider ourselves lucky that the current shortage is only .22 bullets rather than food. Check out the attached link.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.susps.org%2Foverview%2Fnumbers.html&h=0&w=0&tbnid=mTbg63w9_8D7IM&zoom=1&tbnh=196&tbnw=257&docid=Zkj4mm7yQJOxsM&tbm=isch&ei=J6NOU9LQDeH4yAHsr4GQBA&ved=0CAUQsCUoAQ

 

We should consider ourselves lucky that the current shortage is only .22 bullets rather than food. Check out the attached link.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...bnw=257&docid=Zkj4mm7yQJOxsM&tbm=isch&ei=J6NOU9LQDeH4yAHsr4GQBA&ved=0CAUQsCUoAQ

Those charts are definitely scary. If you think about it, virtually every problem of current times has some connection with overpopulation. Even the ammo shortage. The world has too little of everything that too many need, or want.

I did my part, no kids, got "fixed" 39 years ago. Zero Population Growth was a big issue back then, but not enough people paid attention.

 

Darn pricey ammo at Cabela's:

Remington® Eley Bulk .22 Target Rifle Ammunition - 40-Gr. LRN with Dry-Storage Box

Regular Price: $1,999.88

Yes, I realize it is an error on their website, at least I hope it is.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shoo...Mcat104792580%3Bcat104691780&WTz_l=SBC;MMcat104792580;cat104691780;cat104536080

 

Cabelas probably just hired a new web guy who used to work at Gun Broker.

Okay, just kidding.

 

Centerfire

Before I found RFC I had been shooting my centerfire stuff more than rimfire for years. I have a fairly large large stash of bullets and cases and primers and a good bit of powder. Because of this I will shoot centerfire for a year or two before considering ever paying gouger prices.

 

Here you go. Hit the link and look at the rimfire stash for sale by this "private individual." Think some of the shortage might be here? From what I can see in the picture, the Federal cases are 84,000 rounds alone.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=920463

:AR15firin

 

Here you go. Hit the link and look at the rimfire stash for sale by this "private individual." Think some of the shortage might be here? From what I can see in the picture, the Federal cases are 84,000 rounds alone.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=920463

:AR15firin

That just looks like a guy who followed my advise to have a minimum of a 3 years supply of ammo to get through the lean times.

 

Couldn't stand it any longer

I went to Wal-Mart yesterday and picked up a Gamo CO2 blowback pellet pistol. I had never used a CO2 powered gun before. I tell you what, it's fun to shoot, it makes holes in cans and rings the steel targets, etc. I'm thinking it will scratch my itch until the .22 ammo availability returns.

 

I personally don't see anything wrong with a full auto blast every now and then.

 

arcticap - your wally store mgr might have decided not to sell ammo

not around here - bought 114 boxes from 1/1 2013 to 6/1/2013 of a variety of calibers

just where did the statement that REMINGTON new plant will be making 22lr

 

To be clear my comment was tongue in cheek, devil's advocate sarcasm. I have a few tactical guns myself. They're fun. I'm fine with anyone shooting in any fashion they want. I'm also fine with some guy having 80,000 rounds and still wanting more. Maybe he participates in action shooting with 3 of his kids and that's not even a 3 month supply.

However, in the interest of the public good and to level the playing field for those who can't seem to get ammo, I propose the following:
The ban and confiscation of all semi-auto 22 firearms.
The Ban and confiscation of all magazines over 5 rounds.
The confiscation and reallocation of all ammo over 500 rounds held by any one individual, household or entity.
The imposition of mandated ammo purchasing limits.
And to aid in the enforcement of those limits, the requirement of all ammo purchasers to obtain a license to purchase ammo and make all purchases through a dealer participating in federal oversight of all ammo sales.
The immediate cessation of all internet ammo sales unless they are delivered to a federally sanctioned ammo dealer who can verify the identity of the person picking up the ammo.
Lastly, to ensure the success of this program where others have failed, the requirement that any and all firing of ammo take place at federally supervised shooting ranges where the ammo consumption can be monitored to ensure that no individual fires more than their allotted share of ammo. If the ammo is to be used in hunting, the hunting party must include one federal ammo supervisor whose cost shall be paid for by the hunting party.

Hopefully nobody misses the sarcasm of this post.

What I disapprove of is all the whining, name calling and judgement about 22 ammo buyers these days.
The fact is that if demand and consumption were less there wouldn't be a problem. If everyone who already has 500 rounds in the closet would just stop buying ammo, the problem would be over next week. But that's a silly solution, isn't it? If you're going to blame someone (and I don't) for the current situation you HAVE to blame the buyers/shooters. It just so happens that as a buyer and shooter, I don't care what anyone thinks of my buying and shooting behavior. Unless they start proposing to take away my right to do so. That would truly ruin the sport.

 

...

The immediate cessation of all internet ammo sales unless they are delivered to a federally sanctioned ammo dealer who can verify the identity of the person picking up the ammo.
...

Sarcasm noted, but if you change the word 'federally' to 'state', you have NY state law since Jan. 15th of this year.