[Ripon]

It was my hope things would be returning to normal. They aren't. Friday I bought 4 boxes of 22LR when my Walmart source text me. $24.99 for 375 rounds of CCI 40 gr plus tax. Today I see forum flippers asking and reportedly getting $65 a brick. I just saw a post for a Cabellas ammo can with 2100 rounds of Federal 22LR that retailed last summer for $79.99 and less with coupons or even free shipping with two - the post price with takers was $250.

7.62x39 is trending up. I've seen posts at .40/50 a round
7.62x51 holding at .8 to $1.25'a round
9mm seems to be going up now nearing .50 a round
223 still high, running .60/70 a round
45 ACP holding at about .50 though I've seen higher Adkins I can't see any higher sales.

The real frenzy right now is on 22LR, go figure. I'm going to hypothesize that since Dec 22LR is what everyone is shooting for practice?

 

[paraquack]

I'd like to see what Obama has stashed in his basement.

 

[Smitty901]

Now CA has the push on again to band Lead from ammo. The only real alternative is costly and they will band that also costly.
Bismuth:

"Bismuth is a chemical element with symbol Bi and atomic number 83. Bismuth, a pentavalent poor metal, chemically resembles arsenic and antimony. Elemental bismuth may occur naturally, although its sulfide and oxide form important commercial ores. The free element is 86% as dense as lead"

 

[Chipper]

Yep I think your right about everyone using 22 for practice. The raising cost of center fire ammo and the lack of availability is driving the frenzy. Plus you can't find reloading supplies if you have the brass. So naturally people will look for a cheaper way to target shoot.
Also all the manufactures are producing 22's just like their bigger center fire weapons so you can practice with virtually the same gun cheaper. Like S&W's line of M&P 22's just like shooting an M-4 or a semi auto pistol center fire. Save the 556, 9mm and 45acp for emergencies. Shoot up and practice with the cheap stuff.
Better stock up now on pellets for your air rifles, they will be next.

 

[paraquack]

Maybe we should switch to silver bullets. Isn't that what they used to kill blood sucking vampires? Sorry, that was werewolves, wasn't it, my bad.

 

[Ripon]

I always kind of chuckle when this comes up. Probably because I thought it would be cool to sell silver bullets to the bullion/survival crowd. What a product - when you think about it - silver bullion and bullets if need be. Man that'd rock - only one problem. Its nearly impossible to make. There is a good blog about it and some academics trying to melt silver and put them to molds - its probably only possible in a significant industrial factory with the potential for extremely high temps; and then the ballistics don't hold up that well either. Bummer.

Maybe we should switch to silver bullets. Isn't that what they used to kill blood sucking vampires? Sorry, that was werewolves, wasn't it, my bad.

 

[Seneca]

My suspicion is that it's the flipper frenzy is the only thing thats growing...and this is why I suggest flippers...

The introduced gun control legislation that kicked this buying frenzy off is no longer pending and for the time being DOA in a Democratically controlled senate. Thats no longer an immeadite concern and probably won't even be considered until after the 2014 elections...and entirely dependent on whether or not pro gun control senators are elected in sufficient numbers to warrant them having another go at it.

The Boston thing shouldn't have impacted ammo sales in any appreciable way. Pressure cookers maybe...Savvy canners need to stock up on pressure cookers before they are regulated or outright banned. Given the laughable levels of idiocracy we are currently seeing in caped crusading it is highly possible that several states may require a background check to purchase home canning supplies...yes thats sarcasm...

So that leave us with flippers keeping the panic/profit pot stirred and the gullible idiots that buy from them...

 

[Chipper]

Could be that people just figured out like back in 08 their gun "supplies" aren't a given. Without ammo and reloading supplies what good are the guns? Happened once and now a second time will there be a third, and how bad will that be??
I learned my lesson in 08 and stocked up once the smoke cleared. I've sold some extra's I have and paid for it all, guns and ammo. I'm not a flipper but I will take advantage of any situation.

 

[paraquack]

Likewise, I'd like to put away a few .22LRs for the future, but at $70-$90 a brick (locally), I'll have to slow down on the target practice. Sometimes I'd like take the flippers I see and tie their ammo around their neck and use them buoys in Lake Michigan. But then the Liberals would probably arrest me for polluting the lake with lead. Either that or sh_t!

 

[Ripon]

While the Federal issues may be DOA there are states, like California, that are looking at FAR worse legislation
then what was going through the senate. I've posted a list before but some of the measures still going thru
include a license to buy ammo (that costs $50 for 2 years), mandatory reporting on ammo purchases, killing
the private sale of ammo (dealer only - and no those "pro gun" dealers aren't exactly lining up to fight that one
so watch out), regulations on reloading components - particularly powder (they can't really beat up the
pressure cookers can they).

 

[csi-tech]

I am woefully understocked on everything but 7.62x39. My next purchases will be a Glock 9mm and a Mossberg 590 tactical in that order but I have zero 9mm and under 200 rounds of 12 ga. I hope things will settle to whatever the new normal is.

 

[wesley762]

Maybe I just got lucky this weekend but I just picked up 300 rounds of 9mm at .25 cents a round and 300 rounds of 7.62x39 for .34 cents a round (Ya that 7.62 was overpriced but a ton on the shelf).

 

[Seneca]

Some of these flippers may not even own a gun...greedy jerks who see where a buck can be made by screwing people over...apparently there are several ways to never letting a crisis go to waste...all unethical...

I'm set and keeping it in the family, my brother inlaw is not a shooter but has a large ranch, so he keeps a couple of boxes of .22LR around for guests who do shoot. He goes through a couple of boxes a year, he's out and can't find any. I'll slide him off a couple of boxes. It's a small kindness that will find it's way back to me, and since he runs cattle it's a kindness usually returned in beef. Steaks or roasts...lol

 

[Moonshinedave]

There is at least three websites that track ammo prices. I check them often, 95% of the time, I find their ammo more than what I am willing to pay. But for example, Thursday night I checked around 10:30 pm, .22 LR. was about 30 cents per round (too much), Friday morning, I got up at 5:30am to go to work, drinking my morning coffee I checked ammo prices again, to my surprise, Cabelas was selling .22LR for 5 cents per round, limit one box of 333 per customer, I order one box, and my wife ordered another. In the past month or so, I have been able to buy ammo for every weapon I own (except for 9mm) at what I consider reasonable prices. The morale of this story is keep the faith, refuse to pay too much money for ammo, and search often for that deal that pops up now and then, it does happen.

 

[shadownmss]

I scored 1000 rounds of the Tula .223 for $330.00 at Walmart........sure it's the steel cased cheap stuff but since I ant get primers I was pleased to get it.

 

[Montana Rancher]

Haha I have 1200 round wooden crates of 7.62x39 that have a price tag of $79.99 on them

I also purchased severak SKS for the same price, my how times have changed.

 

[bennettvm]

I post .22 lr on ammo auction sites. I can't keep up with the demand. I have people emailing me directly for more and more ammo.

I pay around .06-.08 per round. So a brick is around $35. I have had them go as high as $138 in the last month, and that doesn't include shipping. Most of the ending auction prices are under $100. Which is still pretty nuts. The extra funds go right into my prepping.

 

[LunaticFringeInc]

What you have to keep in mind that the last time this happened it was Aug 2007-till October 2008...about 14 months before things started returning to normal. I suspect the drought this time around will also last that long if not longer especially when Obama is trying to use executive orders to accomplish what his party wasnt willing or able to do. Until then as long as folks are willing to pay big stupid dollar prices for the limited supply thats available, the prices will continue to remain elevated.

While I dont have as much as I would like I have a few years worth of ammo laid back. When it returns to normal and the prices are more reasonable I will go back to buying several boxes every payday again. Until then I am going to just stand by while the ship is in a turn and comes about.

 

[Go2ndAmend]

Ditto the Lunatic

 

[Inor]

We were at a gun store today and the clerk mentioned that the backroom rumors were that their last shipment of .22LR was the last they were expecting for the rest of the year! I am sure those were just rumors. But if it is based on the fact that they are expecting significantly less shipments for the rest of the year, we can expect prices to go up further.

You could absolutely make a mint if you could find a reliable source of powder and the chemical they use in place of a primer for rimfires. You could buy a couple old WWII vintage punch presses for stamping out the brass and set up shop. You could retire by the end of the year. (Although I expect getting the dies made on short notice might prove almost as difficult as finding ammunition now.)