Saturday, December 21, 2013

".22 Plinkster" weighs in with "5 reasons you can’t find .22LR ammunition."

Link.

13 comments:

Chaplain Tim said...

I guess I'm an anti-hoarder. Back when Clinton was in office, I bought a case of 5000 rounds of 22LR for less than $100. I've used a lot of it teaching new shooters, gave away a few bricks as Christmas gifts, and hunted with some. I took two bricks down to the LGS (who can't get 22LR ammo at all) a few months ago and told the owners to give it away a box at a time with the purchase of a 22LR rifle or pistol. I've got plenty for me and mine, and I didn't want to have discouraged shooters walking away from buying their first gun just because they couldn't get ammo for it.
I have plenty because I've always bought it by the brick or bulk pack. I also bought a finicky pistol that didn't want to function with cheap 22LR, so I bought a brick of just about every kind of ammo I could find until I found the two brands that it liked. Now I have a shelf full of different brands to try for the next picky eater.

Anonymous said...

I own a gunshop.
You're wrong. Period.

This is a free market economy, If the law of supply and demand is not messed with on a exterior level, gaps in supply will be filled in by competitors hoping to get a foot in the door.

1. the factories are producing, but NOT shipping the same amounts. Ask Ellett Bros. or RSR. the two largest wholesalers in the country. Shipment volume is way down. If the ammo isn't going to them, where could it be going?
2.None of the school shootings happened in Brazil, the Philippines or Russia. If we had a gap SO large people are willing to pay 5times the going rate, why haven't the foreign companies shipments made up the difference? Armscorp/Tula/Magtech SHOULD be all over the shelves, but no. Why? Because the bonded warehouses they have to go through are not processing the requests (Gov't intervention) There are conexes at shipping ports filled with 22lr just sitting.
3.The ammo mfgs,are attempting to wither the supply intentionally to permanently raise the profit margin on the ammo. It's working. pre-Obama a brick was 9.99 then 11.99 now 27.99 is a good deal. wake up.
The closing of the last foundry is GOING to make this worse, not better.
4.The gov't orders for ammo (billions of rounds of it) get precedent in contract over all other production, so by continuing to order large amounts of ammo they are keeping the civilian supply small indirectly. I believe this to be a concerted effort. Don't believe it? do some research into Gov't contracts and read how they are written.
ATK owns Blount and CCI, ATK makes Missile and rocket motors for the military. They aren't going to kill the golden goose for a few civilian sales of lowly ammo. Same goes for Federal.
There is more to it than this I'm sure, but this is stuff I have been able to research myself.
Stop buying into their lies, this crap is NEVER spoken of in the glossy magazines. They are nothing but industry shills.
Wake up people.

Anonymous said...

In South Carolina the centerfire ammo shortages are over. Leaving only .22's in shortage.
The .22 is still a "panic buy", when people see it-they buy it.
The video saying that "price-gouging" is killing the supply is ass backwards. It is probably the only thing slowing down the velocity of sales. Not discounting that is pisses people off, but the sales are consensual, both parties obviously agreeing that the price is reasonable under the circumstances.

FG said...

.22 ammo shortages are probably going to be with us for a long time.

Almost every serious shooter I know buys ALL of the quality .22 LR they can find, WHENEVER they can find it fairly priced. Candidly, I don't blame them one little bit.

Respectfully....feel good, leave-some-behind-on-the-shelf platitudes are rather meaningless when it comes to the real-world priorities of staying tactically current in training, and being able to actually protect one's family if required.


Anonymous said...

Here in Michigan we still are seeing ammo shortages of the modern day "popular calibers. Most places still have rationing in place. In my 56 years as a shooter I have never, ever seen .22 S, L, LR ammo impossible to get. There was a time when every country grocery and bait shop at the lakes had a few boxes on shelf. Now there is none. I have heard and read all the excuses and the article in the recent American Rifleman but the fact is the Government is at fault. This is being done intentionally. No way around it. We know the amount of production that is attainable domestically. We also know from my distributors that foreign ammo is the next target and the amount that is being allowed into the US is getting smaller with every shipment. That will soon, very soon end as well. By buying up all the domestic production and then shutting off the supply of foreign ammo they control the flow. Remember if it weren't for the government buying up all the surplus milk, cheese and butter milk would be selling for .50 a gallon, butter for .25 a pound. They manipulate price and supply by removing surplus or buying less when shortages are looming. Ammo is now no different. At last count my numbers indicate that the US DHS has purchased over 30 billion rounds of ammo in the last 24 months. They are allowed by law and Congressional appropriations 1.6 billion for training and operations. I would say they have exceeded their allotment. Congress with the current leadership is useless. The promised hearings into this issue resutled in one hearing of one sub-committee. After that chirp, chirp. If these issues are to be resolved it will the people that make it happen. By using the rights we are afforded in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independance to remove the current tyranny and replacing it with a true Representive Republic as the founders invisioned.

Anonymous said...

Our club used to sell bricks for $5. I have all I will ever need, and gladly give boxes away to friends who need some. They are usually low-income working stiffs, retired, or disabled, who would like to keep their practice up and have some at home for emergencies.

The larger independent gun store owners here in Vermont tell me that when they expect a delivery, the same vehicles show up, some from out of state, and clean them out for cash. Not just .22LR, but 9mm, .308, .30-06, .223 as well. Most of them keep a few bricks/boxes behind the counter for their regular customers.

I live very close to Canada, no shortages there. Canadians who belong to the club can bring down some bricks for personal use at the range. They often leave their excess in the free bin at the club.

Anon @0715 has some good points, and owns a gun shop. He would be in a good position to know the situation.

I do not have a personal opinion, except to say that no more .22 appears to be being used than before.



Anonymous said...

One of the reasons the government has turned it's rabid attentions to the sporting calibers is they know that we who hunt for subsistance use these calibers to feed ourselves or control PESTS. All kinds of PESTS. The .22 is most versitile. Has many functions. That to me points to another sinister intent. If we can't hunt for meat or fish because of the Extreme Progressive Agend agency wanting to lock all the waterways and lakes as goverment domain they seek to remove a secondary source of sustanence for WE THE PEOPLE. These city turds might want to consider the fact that we common folk are very ingenius when it comes to making due. They might want to rethink their agenda. They have actually deluded themselves into thinking that they control this country. We don't farm, they don't eat. We will. If we don't work, they don't drive, shop nor any of the other vaingloriouse pursuits the elite class enjoys. WE MAKE THIS COUNTY WORK. Not some Illegal in a pin striped suit. Not the Congress, nor the Bureaucrats. WE DO and when WE STOP, well hell. Then the elites will have to learn to eat shit.

Anonymous said...


I reject the collectivist’s negative connotation, which so many wish to internalize, to the definition to the word hoard. Their narrative is to imply that the practice is morally wrong to be Individually responsible for those things for which one needs for their own purposes, whatever they may be. Therefore a proper redistribution must be morally correct ideology which may require “legal dictate” to correct.

HOARD, noun A store, stock or large quantity of any thing accumulated or laid up; a hidden stock; a treasure; as a hoard of provisions for winter; a hoard of money.

HOARD, verb transitive To collect and lay up a large quantity of any thing; to amass and deposit in secret; to store secretly; as, to hoard grain or provisions; to hoard silver and gold.
It is sometimes followed by up, but without use; as, to hoard up provisions.

HOARD, verb intransitive To collect and form a hoard; to lay up store.
I also reject the collectivist’s negative connotation of price gouging. It is an affront to one of the most basic of Individual’s rights that they own themselves and all that they acquire and produce themselves.

Both negative connotations implied are narratives designed and/or internalized by those who wish to assign blame for their own shortcomings onto others.

Liberty Clause
iii

Anonymous said...

"....agreeing that the price is reasonable under the circumstances."

Those circumstances were created my friend, and everyone but the average Joe, is benefiting and I do mean BIG TIME.

It therefore follows than one should not contribute to the scheme by purchasing under those circumstances. That is if one wants to manipulate the situation to his advantage and therefore the advantage of us all.

But then you always have the opportunist and the shi*head who doesn't give a shit about anyone but himself, even in the face of knowing that he is contributing to the enemy's efforts. Good to hear about those who do not do so.

I have plenty, so I will not buy. In my area some of the more common calibers are going for a buck a round or more! But if I fly 2000 miles away from home I get a 50% price cut which means at least a 100% mark-up in my area......??

INTERESTING TO SAY THE LEAST.

This was done to you deliberately, by your government and everyone who can, is piling on, all the while claiming market demands, free market choices, etc. All of it is complete bullshit, for the benefit of people other than you.

The more you are willing to pay, the higher the prices will go. If all they have to do is mention "more control and shortages expected" to get you to wet soil your pampers and buy at higher prices, guess what they're going to do!

Anonymous said...

Centerfire ammo shortage is over. I can get any caliber i want at a decent price. Walmart has so much 223 now that its getting over stocked.

Everyone and their uncle who has either gotten into owning guns over the last few years is also buying 22 conversion kits or 22s and when ylu have a new hobby you get into it, you go over board you get everything you need then some. Well it will calm down and 22's will get mote reasonable again.
As for not being avIlable from foriegn sources,the gov could only bottle it up for so long, and if they are, why aren't tbey bottlng up foriegn supplies of 7.62x39 ? I can buy it at dirt cheap prices till i run out of money. Could something else happen and it get worse again? You bet. But i think its just the tail end still shaking out

d'Heat said...

Re: "price gouging", perhaps 22Plinkster would be more comfortable with government price controls.

Anonymous said...

I decided to do an inventory a few years ago. I stopped counting when I went over the 80,000 rounds figure. I decided that should be enough to last for a while. I know who my friends are and if they should ever NEED some AMMO, I will gladly supply them.

Anonymous said...

The prices are what they are if you choose to pay triple the shelf price from soneone who went out and cleaned out the shelves of every store for 50 miles thats your choice, I wont do it sold my 22 bought a 380 and said the hell with it.I see posts on arms list with guys with 10 and 15 thousand rounds for sale dont buy it hopefully they will get jammed with it. If your buying it your just adding to shortage. Drop the demand and the supply will return. Stop buying 22lr guns and they will get the message.