Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Logistics: Panic subsides but still demand is high and rationing grows.

I was required by events to shuttle around Birmingham and its outskirts today, so I made a point of checking in on firearm and ammunition retailers. At Academy Sports in Trussville, this sign was put up about every four feet on the ammo shelves, which were almost bare:
Due To product availability, we are currently limiting purchase quantities on the following:
AMMUNITION
The following ammunition calibers are located at Customer Service and limited to:
One (1) box per caliber, three (3) boxes total per customer, per day for: 9mm, 40, 45, .223, 5.56, .308 and 22LR
We are committed to servicing as many customers as possible.
I checked WalMarts in Birmingham, Trussville, Leeds and Pell City. They also had a three box per day maximum imposed, although they had more ammo on the shelves as supplies begin to flow through their system again.
For example, I was told by one manager that they had a relatively large shipment of Winchester 12 Gauge come in yesterday. (This was true of all four stores which are served by the same distribution center.) It consisted of 2.75' and 3" 00 Buckshot and slugs in 5 and 15 round boxes. Even with the restrictions, by this afternoon all four stores were pretty well cleaned out of the shipment. Two managers (one of whom knows me) assured me that the rumors floating around that WalMart is going to stop selling ammunition, or that they are holding product in the warehouses, are categorically untrue.
I chatted with several customers at all the stores I visited and there was no sense of "I-gotta-get-it-before-it-becomes-unobtainium." Rather, most were just "stocking up," as one put it, "because one of these days we're going to have to use it."
One small gunshop had a sign on the door: "No hi-cap magazines for ARs, AKs, etc." While I was leaving, a fellow came up to the door, read the sign, and walked back to his car.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Not surprised by the stores' reactions to market conditions. This stuff is available, but one has to pay through the nose to get it. You known damn well that all the $60 magazines at the Indy 1500 gun show weren't bought for 50 bucks a piece, but guys are dragging them out of their back closet to make a pretty penny off of them.

If you don't have it, you won't get it. If this all blows over, don't expect to get $60 for your magazines that you did buy.

Unfortunately, there may be plenty laying around...

Anonymous said...

we petition the White House to ban assault weapons and limit magazine capacities in violent video games.

http://wh.gov/yRXi

Anonymous said...

M.V.

A Praxis on making gunpowder and casings would be much appreciated.

I bought a reloader last year, but I have to buy my casings and my powder.

I will be putting together the stuff I need to cast my own lead this year, but I am worried about what to put in a .45 ACP or 7.62x54r should the commies in our government succeed in banning powder and brass.

thx.

bondmen said...

Sh_it folks, is this what it looks like when society degrades and civil unrest appears to be something we will all have to deal with sooner if not later? Where is that uniter of The People so many low information voters voted for? Why are there so many new entrants in the gun and ammunition buying community and what took them so long to wake up to the harsh realities facing American citizens?

Anonymous said...

There was plenty of warning this could happen. Folks who have to shop retail stores for their supply will have a hard time building up personal inventory.

While the brick and mortar retailers limit folks to a box or two, I've notice at least one online seller that's not breaking down cases anymore. Even so, once something comes in, the restock is usually depleted in a day. Sometimes much quicker.

Anonymous said...

While browsing the pistol counter at our local emporium, a young fellow asked for ten 20-round boxes of 5.56 and mags for his M15. Shop owner gives him three boxes and says he's limiting purchases. No AR mags, though he did have some crusty Ruger Mini14 mags on the counter- he'd been cleaning them up- his whole magazine stock right there.
He also limited .9mm and .40 purchases: he was down to stock on shelves behind the counter. About 20 boxes of each.
I decided it was time to add some supplies, so picked out a can of W296 and - oops, he was down to two cans now- five flats of primers: he was limiting those as well. He was down to two bricks of mag pistol, only a few flats of rifle. I asked for a brick of .22, and got it: his last brick, down to the loose boxes on the shelf. (The only reason I got the brick, I'm sure, is 'cuz I normally buy them by the ton... OK, ten bricks at a time.)
It ain't lookin' good for the new purchasers who may wanna learn to use their toys.
JSW

Chaplain Tim said...

I also stopped by a local Walmart the other day. While taking to the young manager of the hunting section, another customer came up and the three of us chatted for about 15 minutes. "Walmart will sell ammo and guns until they are illegal or the world ends", was the way the manager put it. They are not hoarding anything in their warehouses, and I saw a case of bulk pack 22LR delivered and put on the shelf, it wasn't expected to last the night. Bass Pro and Cabela's have limits on the amounts of powder and primers along with the ammo restrictions. My local gun shop can't get any information on when the manufacturers will be able to resupply their bare shelves.

SWIFT said...

From what I have been reading and witnessing, what Mike observed around Birmingham, is identical to northern states. Valerie Jerrett, among others, have been comparing Obama to Lincoln. She may be more right than she knows, when the breaking point is reached. Charlie Rangel says you southerners have got to change your mind set, for everything to work out. My, my, my.

Anonymous said...

Yeh well.... seems to me that many who have been "panic buying" allready had thousends of rounds in storage. I had one feller tell me he was waiting for a ban so he could get 5-10$ a round on the black market. This same asshat clames to have "hundreds" of mags. He claims he wants to wait till he can get 100$ for an AR mag.-- Now I'm REALY glad I never bought an AR.

Anonymous said...

Unrelated praxis, IMO may deserve its own post: SG has nato launchers threaded for akm barrels.

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/10-new-yugoslavian-military-ak-47-launchers.aspx?a=1123979

At 10/$18, cheap and useful. G3HK cleaning kits same price.

They also have new mouser/sk barrels $40 and polish akm recvr blanks $27.

Had to delay my ssi subscription because of all this!

III N TN

Anonymous said...

Anyone know where I can ger a few thousand primers? All my sources are dried up.

Edwin III

Paul X said...

"I had one feller tell me he was waiting for a ban so he could get 5-10$ a round on the black market."

Mike, maybe we need a praxis on the free market. :-)

If demand is high and supply tight, there are only 3 options: raise your prices, ration, or close up shop and go fishing. And no, I wouldn't sneer at somebody who has stocked up, thinking to sell later. You may someday need some of his ammo at any price.

BTW the private market has taken up the slack; have you looked at armslist.com lately? In Oregon the AR-15's are coming out of the woodwork.