Yep. Covid, Floyd, Election coming up... Its going to be interesting for sure.
Think of all the new gun owners with the record current sales. If all of them want to buy a few hundred rounds for stock and then want to get range time I think the supply will only grow tighter for 9mm even past the election. I don't need it but I wish I had stocked up last year when prices were so good but I figured on stability for the next few years until the 2024 election cycle. Shame on me. Ill be practicing with 22 as much as possible as I have more than enough of that.....i think.
A Democrat victory this fall means ammo shortage for 4 years. If they take POTUS, they’ll take Senate too. A Republican victory means more riots and an ammo shortage for at least 2 years.This sums it up nicely. The warehouses were stacked pretty deep and we weathered Covid19 with higher prices but pretty decent inventory. I told people to settle down, summer time would see some normalcy. Now the riots and other politically polarizing events have started right in front of an election. If you need some ammo grab some, I don’t see prices going down until next year so long as the election results allow that to happen.
9mm pricing locally is $269 per 1000 for brass cased ammo. .223 is $429 per 1000. So not cheap but not priced as to be unavailable.
Reloading supplies are tighter now then they were in 2012. I think people wanted to be “smart” and not experience shortages.
Back in 2012 it also went through the roof or was just unavailable. This too shall pass, eventually.
I think you are spot on as I had long been adulting by 1994. The internet/ smart phone boom has made buying anything so easy that I, as you, believe it has contributed to over-buying and shortages. It also has contributed to the ease, that those who would demonstrate or riot, can communicate their messages. Another factor is that the amount of gun owners/ shooters has boomed in the years since, especially lately.Are we ready to dispense with the myth that “stick with the common calibers because they’re always available” ? Twice in just 5 years we’ve had this idea soundly and completely refuted. Common calibers mean everyone wants it and are the first to sell out. .22lr, 9mm, and 5.56 go first every time. Meanwhile 10mm, 40sw, .357 , 44mag even 38spl are pretty much available.
But eventually everything sells out which is why reloading and/or stockpiling components or loaded ammo are ultimately the only viable strategy.
I’m glad I learned my lesson the first time, but I feel bad for those new or casual gun owners who haven’t yet grasped the fragility of ammo supply.
Panic ammo shortages as a regular occurrence seem to be a new thing in the Internet age. Did this happen in ‘94 with Rodney King? I wasn’t paying attention as I was just out of high school.