Ammuntion shelf empty ammo
Luis Valdes for TTAG
coronavirus ammunition run buying
Courtesy Luis Valdes

This photo was snapped this morning by TTAG contributor Luis Valdes at his north Florida neighborhood Academy Sports store. As he reports, he “went to go get a set of weights and the ammo/gun department is being stripped clean.”

We all remember the run that took place after Sandy Hook as the Obama administration took its best shot at passing stricter federal gun control laws. Fortunately, the President made the critical mistake of putting Joe Biden in charge of that push. The effects of the buying spree — the original Ammogeddon — took years to fully wring themselves out and restore production and supplies back to normal.

Now gun owners are snapping up guns and ammo along with toilet paper, Wet Wipes and ramen noodle soup. While this is obviously prompted by the coronavirus emergency, most gun owners don’t need much of an excuse to get them to pull the proverbial trigger on another gun (or three). And as always, the answer to how much ammunition do you need is always “more.”

Does this mean we’re in for Ammogeddon II. Will the buying and hoarding taper off as the virus eventually does in the coming weeks and months? Have you been out this morning buying a new gun, more ammo, or both?

 

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224 COMMENTS

  1. I like to say ammo is just like money. You can have enough, but you can’t have too much.

      • A form of currency indeed and one with real intrinsic value too. However, I would not use it in bad times because it brings the wrong kind of attention. In good times, I err against it because if someone wanted to screw me, they could put a double charged load in the box.

        I accept Constitutional silver, bullion, crypto, and Federal Reserve Notes; most people just use cash or evil Paypal, with two exceptions.

        • I’ll gladly take cash, as the government will likely return to power. And if it doesn’t, well then I can use it as toilet paper.

          • Hmmmmmmm, OLD money will work but the new stuff will need some help maybe soaked in dish washing liquid (diluted) and cool tumble dried with plastic blocks…….

  2. Probably not on 2012/13 levels. That was a whole ‘nother animal. I imagine it will be a short boon for the ammo companies and then return to normal within a few weeks should the virus subside.

  3. No. This ‘shortage’ will only last a few weeks. I can still find everything I normally get except federal 5.56 and I can even find that if a little marked up. If this was the case .45ACP would be sold out at every single brick and mortar store and not a single online retailer would have any. I remember where there was literally no .45ACP at all anywhere where it was so bad you almost though none was being sold because you never saw a box. Also .22LR would not exist on the retail market. You just have to be smart about where you look.

    • This why it is always good to have the capability to make your own if it looks like there might be a shortage.

  4. This seems totally illogical. This crisis is temporary, yet the people that are buying and hoarding have already hoarded in the recent past. No intent to infringe on anyone’s right to have a warehouse, but is that really necessary? Along with a year’s supply of toilet paper…

  5. We stocked the necessities while the getting was good just to avoid any unforseen dog eat dog rush. Fortunately most law abiding gun owners are ahead of the curve and above the fray.
    Who knows? Typical LE response time is 11 minutes and that could turn into days if things get out of hand….poor poor anti gun democrats…what will they do without BIG GOVERNMENT?

    • “Typical LE response time is 11 minutes and that could turn into days if things get out of hand”

      That’s an important bit of math. LE have a report period, .. a dispatch period, .. a travel / response period..

      11 minutes (or Never) can be a looong time.

      By comparison, a trained-up on-body carrier would have a response period of around 1.5 seconds and a travel time of around 0.0026 seconds.

    • Iam not a Republican and I own guns. I will defend myself and my property without hesitation

      • You don’t have to be a republican but please to do not be a democrat. They WILL gladly take both your guns and your property and won’t give a damn how many innocents they have to murder in the process.

        • What you describe is the attitude of government. The Republicans would take guns and property just as gleefully as the Democrats, given half a chance.

      • “I am not a Republican and I own guns. ”

        Unfortunately, that is not the question. All too many “Republicans” are “Republicrats” (also known as RINOs). The question is whether you believe in individual liberty, and individual responsibility. Other than temporary gun ownership, do you think counter to the cult of death, worship of government dependency? If, in order to obtain the rest of your political/ideological goals, you had to peacefully surrender your guns, would you be willing to do so “for the greater good”? Are you suspicious and distrustful of government, or do you accept that government is the source and fount of all blessings in life; the beneficent source of all good things?

        The conundrum presented by, and to, gun owners who wish to impose government control over all other aspects of life, is the very disconnect of thought that says, “I am responsible for my safety, but believe it is the responsibility of people like me to see to it (through election of politicians) that the rest of society is made to ‘do right’ “.

        In the beginning, Hamilton and Jefferson represented two sides of the governance coin: one believed people could best manage their own affairs; the other believed people must be managed by an enlightened group of near aristocrats. That battle rages until this day.

  6. I have a couple of large ammo shipments coming in from online orders; larger than normal because my concern is exactly that the hoarders will decimate the inventory and when I do need my next batch, I won’t be able to get it. I noticed most of the inexpensive ammo in all my suppliers was out of stock and today even the medium priced ammo is getting cleaned out. Best plan, folks is to be prepared ahead of time and already have whatever stock you feel is needed in time of emergency. This won’t be the last time an event like this happens, so consider yourself informed to change your strategy and be prepared for the inevitable hit that comes next time and may very well be much worse than this strain of coronavirus.

    And if I have to take a two week break because everything shuts down? Well, good reason to get to work on those 80% lowers I’ve had sitting around for a couple months…

    • Anyone who was paying attention got on top of this long ago. This is our chance to laugh at the idiots fighting over tp.

      • My S.O. was at a major store yesterday.

        While people were clamoring for the fading next palettes of toilet paper to be authorized for release into the empty shelves, not even knowing what they would need after, she was walking around extremely calmly, apart from the fray, going “Hmm, my favorite lip balm is finally making ‘Strawberry’.”

        .. It’s her favorite new story. (lol)

      • Been buying 30 bucks a week worth of 9mm and 223 since November. I’m in a pretty good position right now. Esp with 9mm
        I was hoping to make it to Nov before a panic started. But so’s life right.
        Now I’m down to buying a box of 9mm and 223 a week for the duration since I’m kinda stuck on buying a case of Red army stnd for 120 shipped and spending more offends my Jewish sensibilities.

      • “Hoarder” is one of those non-insults designed to sound like an insult.

        Having extra supplies makes you one less panicked person running around and begging the government for help. (Or more soecifically, begging the government to force other people to help.)

      • A hoarder is someone who has supplies others need but did not have the forethought to arrange for themselves.

        The term is make the accused feel guilt and shame for putting their needs over everyone else’s.

      • In my experience as an electrician/plumber/HVAC service tech. A hoarder is a mentally unwell person who impulsively accumulates things, usually randomly, always in a disorganized way, and always making it hard to do my job.
        Having extra supplies in case of an extended emergency isn’t hoarding (although I have been in a home with 12 shelving units full of dried and canned goods, throughout the house among the rest of the board). Unprepared people just call it hoarding because they wish they had it.

  7. No I don’t get paid but I just mentioned this on the previous post😎😃😏

  8. Human psychology is interesting. Living in NY I’ve been stocking up for the past couple of years in anticipation of impending draconian laws regarding ammunition.

    My point is that I have plenty stocked up, but this thread makes me want to buy more!! LOL

    • Good strategy. I myself stocked up several years in advance here in CA, and went into overdrive when our infamous Gunmaggedon laws were signed in 2016. Now that all of them are in effect (last year’s ammo BGC went into effect on July 1) and it’s nearly impossible to buy, I can sleep well knowing I’m stocked for the next several years.

      And then, there are those trips to Nevada (cough, cough).

      • On a bright note, I just found 500 rounds of 5.56, 200 of .45 ACP, and 350 Of 9mm 124 gr Speer Gold Dot JHP’s that I had hidden away in my garage and forgotten about. This on top of what I already have stockpiled. But, hell, you’ll never hear a guy say, “Damn, I wish I didn’t have this much ammo”.

    • For a more spicy finish, you might consider a garnish of lithium-6 deuteride, it really boosts the old neutrinos.

      • “For a more spicy finish, you might consider a garnish of lithium-6 deuteride, it really boosts the old neutrinos.”

        No doubt. But I am highly suspicious that there is absolutely no supply of DiLythium Crystals, anywhere on the planet. What’s going on here? What good are my Latinum bars, not?

        • No, really! L6D kicks themneutrinos all the way up to 14meV! We’re a-puttin’ the Thermo back into Thermonuclear!

          • “No, really! L6D kicks themneutrinos all the way up to 14meV! We’re a-puttin’ the Thermo back into Thermonuclear!”

            Thermonuclear is way overrated. All you need is a core, a tube and high velocity ram into the core (“Littleboy”). 20kt is enough to make the point. More than that is just for Utube videos, like Tannerite.

      • “@Nate people that don’t live in California can still buy ammo.”

        His question was more along the line of, “Doesn’t everybody load their own ammunition these days?”

  11. Hmm. The ammunition shelves looked normal at my local Walmart just this past Wednesday. For example they had at least 12 boxes of .22 LR bulk ammunition (550 count) priced at $19.95 each.

    I have no plans to purchase any ammunition. I purchased a comfortable supply as the Great Ammunition Drought of 2013 finally ended (more-or-less) in 2017.

    I can see why some people would want to purchase some more ammunition. We are definitely in uncharted territory. On the one hand our fundamentals (economy, technology, manufacturing, and work force) are in excellent shape. On the other hand, a LOT of stuff is shutting down and it is hard to say just how long that will prove to be disruptive to economic recovery. I am guardedly optimistic that we will see a slight downturn in business and our economy followed by a strong upswing due to strong fundamentals and pent up demand from everything shutting down for a short time.

    • We went to Cabela’s today. They’re out of 9mm, 45 and .38sp. Lots of .22 and 243, 5.56 etc. The guy at the counter said there’s been a rush on ammo since Thursday. Lots of people there….lots.

  12. Went out this morning to get a gallon of distilled water for my wife’s C-pap machine. The people are going crazy buying up everything in sight. All the water was gone off the shelves as with soap and most paper products.
    I took a short cut through the baby section and found 10 x 1 gallon jugs. Talk about being surprised!
    So I bought 2 gallons for $1 ea. That should last her for 2 months.

      • You tell that to people who stop breathing in their sleep. There are reasons people use CPAP machines and they need distilled water for hygienic/ proper functionality of the device.

          • “Lossing weight will solve most of these peoples “issue”. Which may well happen.”

            It appears there are two major (if not only) types of sleep apnea: obstructive; CNS. The two types are not related, except in effect. CNS apnea is where the brain doesn’t send sufficient breath responses (exhale) while the person is sleeping. The result can be a slowing of the heart and pulse rate to dangerous levels.

            My first experience with CNS apnea was startling, but I didn’t know what caused it: breathing stopped until, while asleep, I became aware of a screaming in my ears. A sound I learned was associated with oxygen starvation (learned from training in flight school). Even though asleep, I knew I had to wake up and get air. Ended up gasping for a few moments, then back to sleep. From there, the only indication I had (and did not recognize) was waking up every morning feeling like the victim of a beat down.

            Eventually, it became necessary to undergo a sleep test. The result was that I stopped breathing 20-40 times per hour. After a coupla years on a CPAP, I became aware that I stopped sleeping at about the same time I recognized slipping into the dream state, and I began to concentrate on the happenings in the dream. As it happened, during flight school, I was so intent on the activity of flying, and wanting to avoid any correction from the instructor pilot, I actually stopped breathing. The purpose was to remove any lapse of attention that could be declared a reason for not successfully completing the assigned flight activities. This carried into civilian life and word, and even as I type this, my breathing is halted.

            Docs say that forcing myself to not breath during flight instruction could not lead to CNS apnea, but it is curious that interrupted breathing is a significant characteristic of both situations.

  13. There’s a need in unprepared people, when confronted by a crisis, to do something to “prepare” so that they can tell themselves they did “something” more than just sit on their butts.

    With some people, this means clearing the shelves of toilet paper. With others, it will be .22LR ammo. Some others will buy cases of MRE’s that they’ll eventually throw out, some will buy guns and ammo.

    For lots of sophisticated urbanites, the issue is and will continue to be that they do not have enough food to last one week, never mind three+ weeks of ‘social distancing.’ This is a consequence of being a sophisticated urbanite, living their fabulous urban lifestyle in a chic and hip city, ensconced in a shambolic tower of tiny boxes, all piled on top of each other.

    Meanwhile, we unsophisticated flyover country rubes, with a chest freezer or two of food already laid in, who buy our rice and beans in 25-lb bags… well, OK, it means we’re going to get cabin fever for a bit. No biggie. It’ll be like having to hunker down during a blizzard, only we won’t have to shovel any snow (at least not yet – we’re still having bouts of snow flurries in Wyoming, even as I type this). If it warms up a bit, we can do early gardening, maintenance on all those nifty power tools we have to make life easier. In the evenings, it’ll be time to do a bunch of reloading with the metric ton of components we’ve purchased since Obama The Magnificent caused the first ammo shortage.

    • Obama, magnificent or otherwise, did not cause a gun and ammo buying panic. Gun folk did that to themselves, a self created and inflicted crisis.

      Obama himself was a complete and utter failure at gun control law. He talked plenty, but never had the backing or the skill to make his anti-gun chatter become law.

      Gun people and their panic are their own worst enemy.

      • When the Left’s own Constitutional Scholar understands that freedom is freedom and “shall not be infringed” means exactly what it says, and declines to take any gun-grabby measures, then perhaps they should follow his good example and leave firearms alone.

      • I remember a .22 shortage. The Dept of Education, IRS, Social Security, National Weather Service/NOAA, USDA and the usual ICE, Homeland, DOJ, FBI were buying lots of ammo in different sizes. They must have all been practicing with .22″s. Our shelves were empty for quite a long time.

    • “Some others will buy cases of MRE’s that they’ll eventually throw out,…”

      Brings to mind….

      Was at a military commissary not long ago, and along the “impulse buy” line there were dozens f packages of surplus MRE. Always thought those things lasted for 100yrs, or so. But what was really funny/interesting/curious/inane was that mixed in with the military surplus were numerous packages (clear plastic) of “training” MREs. “Training” MREs? Now we gotta train the grunts how to use MREs? How does one get to be an instructor for that task?

      • Tailored Operational Training Meal (TOTM)

        The TOTM was designed as a lower-calorie “sack lunch” type of MRE used for inactive duty training (classroom work, etc.). These MREs utilize many of the same components as regular MREs – there are just fewer of them.

        • “The TOTM was designed as a lower-calorie “sack lunch” type of MRE used for inactive duty training (classroom work, etc.).”

          Thanx for the info; good to know.

        • Tatirs sad cause Izzie got shot by the coyote hunters because she was chewing on a dead cow over by the east pond. Izzie didn’t kill the cow, just munchin on leftovers

    • Beans and rice is scarce on the shelves locally. The people buying it have no idea how to prepare dried beans. They just heard somewhere that it’s the thing to buy. How did this country become so fragile? Some of us saw it coming

    • This x10000000000 lol
      Have you ever thought of growing tobacco? You should check it out I’m going to for the first time this year and I’m gonna use my old shed as a curing room.
      Alot of uses for it like bee stings, chew, stoogies, and barter.

      • Grew up on a farm in Ky. we raised 2 acres of burley tobacco yearly, labor intensive, requires lots of water, fertilizer, weed and bug control….. hard work…

          • You chop it and spear it on a tobacco stick 5 to 7 plants per depending on size… Burley is tall, up 6/7 feet which is mostly used for cigarettes, another type we called darkfire is shorter with broader leaf primarily used for cigars… Tobacco is very sticky and most hands used gloves to prevent staining and blisters, a good hand could turn 800 to 1000 sticks a day… Curing is also different, burley is air cured and darkfire is smoke cured by smoldering sawdust and oak planks……

        • Worst summer job I ever had. Still grow some every couple years. Along with corn, soybeans, maters, okra, squash, pole beans, purple hulls, greens, water melons, blueberries, peaches, apples, pears, plums, persimmons (for the deer), paw paws, and every now and then a little of this and a little of that, whatever I need. Chickens (layin’ and eatin’), peacocks, turkeys, spring fed ponds full of bass and bream. Critters of all types. That’s just while I’m still working full time, all I got time for right now. But I ain’t worried about shit tickets.

          • Do you have a bedding spot, you should scorch the area before you sow the seed and cover with a cotton tobacco bed canvas.. How much actual planting area do you have…

      • I’ve been growing my own tobacco for several years now. I’ve got over 5 pounds of it in a big tub — I grow it faster than I smoke it.

        Getting the sprouts started is a real bitch. They don’t like a lot of sun, and until you get them hardened it’s very easy to burn the little ones up. But once you get past that, they are very low maintenance except for the hornworms. One of those buggers can take down a whole leaf in under a day. You gotta check every day. When I find them, I just cut them with a knife.

        Once the leaves harvested and cured (hang them up for two months) I put them in a hotbox at 120°F and 70% rel humidity for a month to ferment. When that’s done, I run it through a little hand-crank shredder, and it’s ready to roll and smoke.

        Yeah, it’s a lot of work, but it sure beats paying $9+ to the tax man for a pack of Camel straights.

    • “…Some others will buy cases of MRE’s that they’ll eventually throw out…”

      I have paid next to nothing for MREs at yard sales after the ‘scare du-jour’ wears off and everything gets back to normal.

    • Spam and beans. If it turns out you don’t need the extra stuff you bought just in case you can give it to the local food bank.

        • “The Spam with Bacon actually makes a pretty good pot of beans.”

          Didn’t even know Spam (the meat mix) was “bad” until Monty Python. We had it routinely, fried, with meals and sandwiches at school. Baloney was another matter altogether.

        • “Does anyone know what size of shot in 20 gauge is best for bats?”

          If you can find their nests, thinking a grenade launcher or flame thrower would do the job.

          Is rock salt still used for varmints?

        • Don’t get mad at the bats. Bats eat about 10 times their weight in flying insects a night.
          Don’t get mad at the bats, get mad at the idiots that kill and eat the bats.

      • Spam is great in the field for something that is salty and filling. I err against anything with trans fat though, the only fat I avoid.

    • After seeing the results of panic buying, I took stock of what I had in the pantry and freezer. I could survive 6-8 weeks on what it in there alone, provided I have electricity and water. And I have enough bulk dry dog food to last several months (I always buy a bag or two when the price is below a certain point). And yes I do actually have a dog. I’m only buying replacements for what I’m actually using.

  14. I began stockpiling ammo in the mid-80s and hit my stride in the early 90s. I always had a floor number where I considered myself out of ammo. i.e. I have 5000 rds. of 7.62 NATO. I’m out. Time to buy more. I’ve always believed that if you panic buy you waited too long. No matter what the product.

  15. Panic is a strange behavior among these herd animals. It builds up slowly, almost imperceptibly until suddenly, the herd stampedes. It need not make any sense, the perceived danger may be illusory or have real roots but the herd response is vastly out of proportion to the reality.

    Adults acting like small children fearing monsters in the closet or under the bed ….

    This can be a very peculiar planet, but as it is still the only one we have, so we will simply have to make do.

    • I kicked the tv out of my life a couple of years ago. This AM I was at the dealership getting my wife’s car serviced. They had the waiting room tv on cnn. No wonder people are in a panic. If you watch that drivel for a few minutes you see that the world as we know it is ending and that it’s all Trumps fault.

      • I watch / read the news just enough to keep up with what the sheep are being fed, but otherwise continue on about my life because there isn’t anything I can do about the world’s problems. China and India could start a nuclear war and I wouldn’t know about it until I felt the vibrations through the ground several hours later.

      • I simply don’t watch free-to-air or cable TV. My viewing is exclusively downloads. Either from YouTube using a browser plugin (Forgotten Weapons, C@Rsenal, The Chieftain, Mike B, and a few others) or BitTorrent.

        When I talk to people about current TV, they universally say how crap it is. My viewing is tailored to my interests.

      • No those are my numbers. I cycle my ammo yearly, that’s what I can shoot a year so that is what I stock, talk to the guy who thinks having a hundred rounds is “getting crazy”…. 15000 rounds will last a good long time under anything but “Zombie Hoard” conditions…

  17. Nice! Most of “us” have enough guns (??? – I know, the correct number is one more than you currently own) and “adequate” ammo (which, from our distorted point of view is “never enough”. I hope the panic buying consists of mostly democrats! Let’s welcome them to the community and, not try to rub their noses in the fact that we’ve been right all along…. They’ll “believe” when they spend their money!
    I buy high-end S.D. ammo in very small quantities only for the guns I carry (.380, 9mm, .38spl & .45ACP).
    I will not be a captive of “factory” ammo pricing, availability, the most recent panic or, whatever laws the Dem’s want to pass. I have 4 single stage presses and one 4-hole rotary, about 10lbs of various rifle powders, a few pounds of pistol powders (I know ..this isn’t much), thousands of primers for all calibers, thousands of assorted bullets for all calibers (up to .308) and buckets of brass for each. I only load in bulk for SHTF calibers (9mm & .223).
    Pricey S.D. ammo is nice in court but, if the SHTF, I’ll throw whatever lead I have downrange!
    Do yourself a favor. You only need a few reloading manuals (never trust just one …Hornady in particular), calipers, decent manual press, a couple of sets of dies, a cheap digital scale, a pound or two of appropriate powder, primers, bullets and your old brass to keep yourself supplied. A tumbler is nice but, you can wash brass and functional ammo doesn’t have to be pretty. The internet can provide excellent advice but, DON’T use anybody’s “pet load” off the internet without verifying it against the manuals. And, don’t load bulk ammo anywhere near “hot”. Handgun calibers are easy. You don’t really HAVE to trim the brass for bulk ammo. .38spl, 9mm & .45ACP are pretty easy but, weigh your charges and check your cases …empty and “double charge” are both REALLY, REALLY bad. .223 isn’t bad. Just RTFM (read the f&#king manual).

    Handgun: Used brass $0, primer $0.03, powder $0.03-0.05, bullet $0.07-$0.10. Total: $0.13-$0.28/round.

    Yes, there are start-up costs but, the first 100 rounds of 300BLK or .308 paid for the dies, gauges, case trimmers, etc. and, I’ll never run out of ammo or pay the price!

      • “reloading for the .9mm is way cheap.”

        Yeah, but when the virus is gone, you will have useless ammunition. Once there are no more virus germs to kill, all that .9mm ammo will just corrode from disuse. Holding a vast surplus of .9mm, just in case another virus arises, is utterly wasteful.

        • I have a membership at the range. Ammo does NOT go to waste. You wouldn’t want to feed my habit!

          • “I have a membership at the range. Ammo does NOT go to waste. You wouldn’t want to feed my habit!”

            Wow. Your range owners allow you to shoot .9mm? At my local range, .9mm is banned because it is too difficult to capture the bullets, and clean up the spent brass.

        • You’re going to the wrong range! Mine allows anything from .17 to 30-06 …including 9mm, .45ACP, 10mm, .50Cal, .223, 300BLK, .308 whatever. They have multiple ranges, great classes, good prices…

          • “You’re going to the wrong range! ”

            I think you missed the gag. The original statement was about .9mm, as in point-nine millimeter. As in nine-tenths of a millimeter. It’s been a running joke around here for a coupla years.

        • Sam I Am: Also, I pick up my brass ….38 you just put back in the box. I grovel on the floor for my .45, .223/5.56, 300BLK & .308. I’ll pick up 9mm if it’s right under my hand but …have buckets of it. I don’t bother with NATO 9mm w/crimped primers. I’m not going to waste my time reaming out the crimps and sizing the primer pockets for 9mm. I just sweep the “junk” to the back of the lane and leave the area clean.

          • “That exchange was good for a chuckle.”

            Happy to be here, grateful for the opportunity, proud to serve.

    • BTW, Have the presses set up for 9mm right now … went to the bench while I was drinking coffee this A.M. and cranked out a box (50) of 9mm before I went to work. Added it to the pile. Win FMJRN-HB bullet, 4.8g of Unique, WSP primer, 1.100″ COAL …This is near max in Hornady, mid-range in LEE, Lyman and “bunny fart” in M.D. Smith. Cheap, easy shooting and accurate in my 9’s. Cleaned the brass, sized and primed ahead of time. Like machining, the setup is the longest part. I only bother with one caliber at a time. If you only load one or two calibers, just leave it set up.

    • I used to reload. It was entertaining. I did it so I could shoot premium rifle, and to a lesser extent, handgun bullets. Then those bullets became available from the factory. Good bye reloading. Nothing against those that do. Just that the time/cost savings didn’t work for me. Still got the gear. Could take it up again tomorrow. But really, I have so much loaded ammo I could keep the larder stocked for years. As for defense, sooner or later someone is going to get lucky with a .22 LR. So do I worry? Not much.

    • And for the price of it all, including time and effort, I could buy a pallet of ammo and never have to buy again.

  18. Neighbor who is a hunter bought a AK and has an AR on the way. I thought everyone who wanted one had one but it looks like every time there is a crisis or a government threat to infringe we gain a few more converts.

    While high ammo prices are an inconvenience to me if it persists over the summer, I’m excited more people are arming up and stocking up.

    • Every single time it’s always somebody’s first time and you’re left to wonder where the hell that person was the last 20 times. Children excluded of course.

      • Every day a whole new batch of folks turns 18. And the last crisis Joe Blow may not have had the finances to go off buying guns. Lots of reasons why every new crisis breeds a rush on stuff.

        Fortunately I’m stocked up on TP.

        What i have thought to do in the past is to get a couple of homer buckets and fill 1 with bottles of cheap booze and the other with tobacco products. I don’t drink or smoke. But they might be good to have in a real crisis. I’ve just been too lazy.

        • “Fortunately I’m stocked up on TP.”

          Lack of reusable paper is a great downside of the decline in print media. Bits and Bytes are just no substitute. (Don’t ask how I know)

        • Booze, tobacco and drugs (oxy and zanex) will be the currency of the future “cashless” post-SHTF society…..

  19. It’s time to buy, buy, buy, then buy some more. Get it while you can enjoy it folks.
    I recommend revolvers, Saiga shotguns, and good knives. Go armed everywhere, or wear chains.

  20. the least amount of ammo i have is for my .38 my dad gave me but i am working on loading more. never can have to much

    • .38 is EASY! I love it! I have my 4th manual press set up at the office and, use it for .38’s. You can go down to 2.7g of Bullseye with 158g LSWC’s for target/bunny fart loads. Extremely accurate.. this is a classic load for Conventional Pistol. Don’t try this with FMJ’s! They take more powder. I use a MINIMUM of 4g of Bullseye with 115g FMJ-HP’s. My S&W Model 10 LOVES the 158g LSWC’s. I load as light as possible for my snubbie (15oz.) …it has a bit of recoil. I use other powders but, save the BE for .38 and .45ACP. Again, don’t use my loads without consulting a couple of manuals!

  21. I was relatively comfortable that I had enough ammo stores in case things got stupid. Now that a large portion of the population has gone full retard, I’m still relatively comfortable. Sure, I would like to have more, but I don’t see or expect a NEED (at least not until after the national vote)

  22. I got a call that my Colt Python pre-order was in on Mar-12th, so yesterday,the 13th I went to my gunstore to pick up my pre-order, got there just after 1:00 pm thinking that would be a good time to miss the crowds. NOT! The parking lot was completely full, and this is a BIG store. Inside was chaos, 2 hour wait from the time you signed in till you got your turn at the counter. They were pulling PALLETS of ammo into the isles as fast as they could. I always like striking up conversations with fellow gun enthusiasts, and was amazed how many people told me they’ve never bought a gun before but were now. I’m a bit of a prepper, I have plenty of food for at least 6 months, over 32 thousand rounds of ammo, 3 gun safes full of guns. I wasn’t even out because of the virus scare, just picking up my new 2020 Colt Python that had been on pre-order for months. While standing in line a lady that just came in and signed up for her 2 hour wait was talking and said that about 20 miles north of where the gun store was, people were rioting, panicking in a Walmart store over goods, fighting and grabbing things from each others carts and that police were just getting there. I’m worried about the virus and it’s potential, but it is a known factor, it just does what a virus does, it’s not going to kick in my door and steal all my food, guns, ammo, supplies and kill my family because it wants my stuff, it’ll either make me sick or not, get better or not. What scares the living hell out of me is PEOPLE AND HOW THEY REACT in this kind of situation, THAT is the biggest threat of all.

    • You must have felt an enormous sense of self satisfaction in the midst of that chaos. It’s a good feeling being prepared. People who are not prepared are the major threat.

  23. Since I reload, I’ve been stocking up on components more than factory ammo. I’ve enough on hand to reload most of my stockpile.

  24. I dont get it. Aren’t we already prepared for this situation? Already have stockpiled our necessary items? Did we shoot up all that ammo because there would be no more threats? Is the buying just a Pavlov’s dog response to media blathering? Aren’t we better than this? (Don’t answer that)

    • “Is the buying just a Pavlov’s dog response to media blathering?”

      If people are again buying against a SHTF moment, it seems the questions would be….”How much S, and how long will it last?”. Being unable to predict either answer, hoarding and hoarding again doesn’t seem so unreasonable.

      One unintended benefit to panic buying of guns and ammo might be the amount of media attention it gathers. The more government is informed about the potential capability of the public, the better?

      • I agree, more responsible gun owners is a good thing. I just wondered if anyone who could be persuaded, was not already persuaded. If these are all new converts, I say amen, and welcome aboard. And get busy learning, because there’s a hell of a lot more to it than just buying a gun. Nothing like a little honest, life-threatening fear to blow away the fog liberal stupidity, hopefully

      • Sam, you’re back! Nice to see you! I agree! The entire industry should focus on selling guns & ammo to democrats! The rest of us don’t need to be convinced. We need videos of “The Moms” shooting AR’s. The virus is bad, the panic is bad but, the result may be “tipping the scales” ..as they say.
        A couple of thousand rounds is NOT stockpiling! I can barely keep up with myself ..and, a few close friends! A major SHTF war would not require more ammo than we waste on a monthly basis! It wouldn’t make a noticeable dent in the supply
        For the casual shooter, a couple of boxes would be more than they need. If they don’t have a couple of boxes, maybe they should buy a couple? They can leave ’em for their kids along with “THE GUN” (singular).

        • Maybe we should make a case that the 2nd Amendment is the only thing that protects your right to abortions, saying stupid things, Medicare for all, free tuition, free money for all, higher taxes, a failed economy, unemployment, Avocado toast, etc.?

          • “Maybe we should make a case that the 2nd Amendment is the only thing that protects your right to…”

            People believe they have a right to the things you list because they have a right to anything they want, and the government is the source. Thus, to such people, it is entirely illogical to think that such a government would ever need to be overthrown, for any reason.

            As to self-defense in a panic, breakdown of society situation, that is what police and the military are for. You gotta ask why it is that during all the other world-wide disease outbreaks this level of panic was never seen? (Setting aside the toilet paper crisis Johnny Carson started)

        • There was (probably still is) a long-running grudge match between fighter pilots, and bomber pilots. One of the main sticking points is the number of engines required for the different aircraft types; more for bombers. At the bar one night, an older interceptor pilot was ragging on bomber pilots about the engine differential. The old fighter pilot said it was a matter of fact that an aircraft only needed one engine, until that one quit…then the fighter pilot needed just one more. One of the older bomber pilots asked, “What happens when that one quits?” The moral of the story? You can never have enough engines. “One is none; two is one….etc.”

          As someone commented, your need for ammo is more than you have.

  25. I can see the view that a police department may be understaffed if half the officers were out with the virus. But seriously, we’re not talking Thunder Dome here.

    • Roof Koreans and shop owners in Ferguson may not agree with you.

      We are always one power outage away from the stone age.

      • And it doesn’t have to happen everywhere, it only has to happen in your town, or your neighborhood, or only just to YOU.

      • Yep…we live across the street from a Mexican market. Spanglish folk come from nearby towns and load up their cart(at highly inflated prices). Their parking lot is jammed right now.We’re doing pretty well but there’s been an uptick in crime & shootings even before the plague. It could all go to he!! quite easily…and I have the most ammo I’ve ever had😒

      • I got my CCW in 2008. I was very slow to investing in ammo. Then Sandy Hook in 2012 happened. That real taught me a lesson. The days of a 500 round brick of .22 caliber for less than $10 disappeared. A box of 50 for $1.25 disappeared. And two years ago I started to invest in Ammo Cans. And shotgun caliber adapters for my Judge revolver! After Sandy Hook only .25 and .32 caliber handgun ammo was available. Now if 9mm or 45acp disappears again my Judge will always have ammo.
        I got food and water. Got first aid supplies. But anti diarrhea meds are a must have.

  26. This coronavirus outbreak is BS and Americans[and their elected officials] are brain dead idiots.If I have to,I ‘ll use[no shiny 3 leafed plant]leaves or grass and crap outdoors.I don’t need sanitizer[I can use chlorine bleach or FelsNaphta soap].The common flu kills/disables more people every year.I have to really wonder if this a weaponized Chinese product.If so,then it ought to be applied to China,India,Iran/South -central America and Africa
    A 1300s European pandemic would be good for NY/US/world-get rid of the overpopulation[and their parasitic behavior e.g.school/welfare taxes]. I’m waiting to see if/when churches in western NY-and the US Post Office/UPS/Fed Ex shut down.

    • It would be mostly over 60 adults who would die from it. That leaves the young who have been conditioned by the school system against the western way of life. Be careful what you wish for.

    • That you two idiots just heard about the chicom flu is sad. It has decimated chicomland, which in the grand scheme for world, is a feature not a bug. Buts coming to YOUR neighborhood. May or many not be as bad as the Spanish flu (see 1918/19 genius).

  27. I not worried about toilet paper. I have lots of toilet paper grow and living in the woods behind my house. In the days before indoor plumbing people used the Sears and Roebuck catalog to wipe. I have plenty of junk mail I could use if I got in a bind.

  28. Been a gun owner for almost 60 years. I’ve accumulated many firearms and gathered a large stock of assorted ammunition for as long as I can remember. I have enough to last a lifetime regardless of circumstances for my entire family. I’ve taught my children how to hunt and take care of themselves. This too shall pass…..

  29. There is a gun show in a nearby city this weekend. Shoulder-to-shoulder throngs of desperate sweaty people all jostling for that last box of 223 or 9mm ammo or 60 year-old surplus radiation suits.

    On any other day I’d be there…crop-dusting. Not today. No way. Nuh-uh.

    • The problem with that is because of the panic, get what you need is difficult. I buy whole chicken to cook up for my dogs for dog food and when I went to the store last night, there was no meat products. I had to go at 7:00 AM this morning and buy four of them and froze three so I have it when I need now. It’s a damn ripple effect. Even if I needed ass-wipe, I couldn’t get it, there is none to be had.

      • I give it 10 days to 2 weeks for the panic and crowds in the stores to have completely burnt itself out. I’m running low on coffee, but other than that I couldn’t care less.

        • I always stockpile coffee! It’s way more important than ammo, can’t shoot if you can’t wake up! LOL

          • “I always stockpile coffee! It’s way more important than ammo, can’t shoot if you can’t wake up! LOL”

            Cheaper to just keep a knife point under your chin.

      • I secured my dog’s food supply before I finished topping off my stuff. He is good through May.

      • “Don’t let your possessions on you.”

        My possessions don’t own me, but it is troubling that they keep clamoring for more companions.

        Gonna need to hire some engineers to help me figure out how to get all this stuff through “the eye of the needle.”

  32. Cue TTAG again with fear mongering as usual causing panic buys just like the major news outlets are doing. Anything for clicks just like CNN.

    • Nothing to do with TTAG. They’re reporting the facts. I went to Dunhams for birdshot to review another shotgun. They we’re almost out of everything except .40s&w and 12 g game & gun club loads.

  33. I’ve been buying ammo regularly over the years so no panic here, although I will be cutting my lawn extra short, (don’t want any one dragging their buts) as a precaution though!

  34. I’ve been buying ammo regularly over the years so no panic here, although I will be cutting my lawn extra short, (don’t want any one dragging their butts) as a precaution though!

    • I pack a .40 and while I don’t have an awful lot on hand, I have enough to fight my way to my big guns. I’m NOT going out and buying some ammo and lower myself to the level of these juice-lip retawded panic buyers. As far as my battle rifles, I have a butt load of 7.62 X 39 on hand and a fair amount of .300 blk. A person could ALWAYS buy .300 blk huh!

  36. 98 Years ago my Grand parents were facing a similar situation against the Spanish ( Influenza ) flu. I STRONGLY doubt people were reacting in the same manner. I went out yesterday to get a few things totally unaware of the panic. I came away with a different view of my fellow man. This reminds me of a line from the movie Men in Black. People are dumb,stupid and panicky. I

    • Yeah Mitch 50 to 100000000 people died worldwide. 1918 to 1920. The .gov reacted…POORLY. Especially the top 3 worst President’s ever-Woodrow Wilson. MY 2 uncles got deathly ill in France as part of the American Expeditionary Force. My uncle Raymond died very young. WE spread the apocalypse with our foreign war for no reason…

  37. If you guys didn’t see this coming three weeks ago… you should have been paying attention to international news and not just Hannity.

      • Anyone you don’t like is apparently a shill for one thing or another.

        OAN is my usual source for mockingbird media. For alternative news, its a mix of everything from RT news to the fringe at Infowars, to the tabloids of Dailymail to John Doe’s blog. Individuals at X location reporting directly to the internet are a good way to gauge events and get a more accurate picture of what happened.

        I go to liberal websites, I go to republican websites, independent websites, I rarely ever watch Fox or Hannity anymore. Redeye, water’s world, Greg Guttfield, and Life-Liberty&Levin, are the last good shows on Fox.

        I guess I’m a liberal shill too, oh well. I was up to date on WuFlu long before it ever got out of China thanks to a variety of sources, even Liveleak.

      • Possible repost because this site does not like my VPN:

        Who said anything about MSNBC? I knew this shit was coming by finding sources of news outside the US entirely. Sources around China, Italy and Iran made clear the writing on the wall.

        Instead of picking which media teat to suck on maybe you should try reading for yourself.

  38. I’m not sure what’s more lulzy. The panic over random household products or this comment section.

    • Oh it’s the panic buying, CLEARLY! Comments are an everyday sideshow without any real effect on any single individual. But the panic buying is having an obvious ripple effect for those who aren’t even succumbing to the hysteria.

  39. I popped in at Bud’s and a couple of other online retailers. 9MM has been gobbled up pretty good. Still ammo available, but a number of popular choices are “Out of Stock”. (Interestingly enough, TULAMMO is completely out at Bud’s.)

    As for me, I’m pretty good on ammo. I don’t have anywhere near the stock a lot of you guys (and gals) have, but I do make it a habit to pick up an extra box now and then. And if it turns out that squirrels are behind the Coronavirus, I have an arsenal of .22 ready to take on the horde. 😀

    • “And if it turns out that squirrels are behind the Coronavirus, I have an arsenal of .22 ready to take on the horde.”

      I have to be judicious with my .22LR supply. Can I send some of the squirrels your way?

      • Sure thing, man. Chipmunks, too (they are suspected of being “fellow travelers”).

        No stoats, though. I have several of them acting as my agents inside…well, perhaps I’ve said too much already…

        • “No stoats, though. I have several of them acting as my agents inside…well, perhaps I’ve said too much already…”

          Wait….I trained those stoats, and they are working for me; joke’s on you.

          (Or maybe stoats can’t stay bought)

    • Bats are actually virus carriers. Anyone know what size of shot to use for them? I shoot 20 Gauge.

      • They’re fast, may I suggest a skeet choke with #8 or #9.

        All kidding aside, there are conflicting accounts of where the virus is coming from. I hope people don’t kill beneficial bats out of fear. Small biting insects spread more illness worldwide than any bats.

  40. Jokes aside stocking up on TP etc. makes sense. It minimizes the number of trips to the store and cuts your exposure. Stocking up on guns and ammo is silly. Cops get sick, crooks get sick. The crooks that are healthy will get bolder but if you had enough to deal with them before C19 you have enough now. I am more worried about the hardcore scoffers. When they get sick and run out of food in three days they will come knocking on your door.

    • Agree. I’m a bit upset, I was going to shoot some clays tomorrow and “needed” some extra bird shot, only reason I was at a big store yesterday was for some clays. I bought 5 cases of clays, figured I can go shooting 2 or 3 times, since the clay shooting range isn’t a high risk place, while waiting out the virus. If my adult students don’t bring the virus to class with them.

      • I’m glad to see I wasn’t the only idiot panic buying target clays. I live in the country so no interaction with anyone, just several fun afternoons in the field until my shoulder gets sore and a few beers in the evening while I clean them up. Sounds like the American dream to me.

        Unfortunately at this point I’m flat out the next two weeks working 12-14 hours everyday but Sunday. I figure a slowdown or recession is imminent though so I’m not too concerned.

        • Enjoy work if you can be distanced from people. I’m breaking clays today, I have another shotgun to review. I did purchase more birdshot last night, now I have the correct amount to finish my review and my daughter to still have a good stock for when the school reopens after school activities/sports.

  41. So Colorado Springs is not immune to this buying panic, in ammo form or food and water supplies. Currently, CBI backgrounds are at 18 hours, and I expect it to only get longer. Ammo supplies aren’t terrible, but we’re starting the “panic” pricing. 9mm FMJ is running close to .50/rd in private sales, and it’s well above .25/rd at retailers, if they have it.

  42. The people who hoard anything are usually people who are scared of their own shadow…
    In a REAL crisis these same people would not be mentally able to hold onto these things and will be the first targets of roving gangs….
    Still, it’s funny to watch these idiots clamor about for nothing…..

    • The people who scoff are the first ones standing at your door asking for a handout or become part of roving gangs.

    • Depends on your definition of hoarding. Someone who looks around at the empty shelves and blames “hoarding” is not exactly prepared.

  43. I broke down and got a 1000 of 223 and 1000 of 9mm just in case. Local LGS sold out or overpriced. Guess I just contributed to the problem but I was admittedly running a tad low.

  44. yes but have you heard about gun sales and whos buying its anti-gun people according to retailers who have said they have been seeing a lot of people who had said they would never buy a gun so I guess a little scare is all some people need to change

    • “so I guess a little scare is all some people need to change”

      The “tell” will be how such conversions manifest after the panic is gone. If it doesn’t translate into electoral pressure to end gun control laws, the “change” would be situational, not principle.

    • I guess a little scare is all some people need to change

      Either that or a lot of heap used guns on the market when this is over…….

  46. I happened to by Academy in Nashville today, same story.. ammo shelves almost bare. I will admit I was contributing to panic buying an Black rifle….I purchased a Savage Rascal death dealing single shot bolt 22lr. Even purchased a few hundred rounds of subsonic cci (surprised, they had a bit left) so my girls can deal mass casualties on orange dots without a sound. Not a good day to go, but this was planned before the freak out.

  47. I lived about 45 minutes from Sandy Hook when it happened. It took about 48 hours for ammo to start selling out. I had started to collect AR parts before hand but wasn’t finished. It took almost a year before I could get everything together on a flimsy Gen 1 ATI OMNI lower. It failed after 200 rounds. I decided I wouldn’t get burned again and keep a decent amount of 9mm, .223, 7.62×39, and 7.62×51. Other rounds I keep just a minimum as they are mroe for plinking or other activities. I decided I didn’t want to be burned like I was back then. I think a new group of people are realizing this now. I don’t think it will be like post Sandy Hook, but it might cause some problems for a few months. Then we have the election in November. That could cause another run on ammo.

  48. Just tested some new handloads handcast for my 9mms (yes, plural).
    In addition to the 1500 rounds I’ve got stocked-partially thanks to my local Wally World red tagging them, I I’ve got 500 brass ready 2 load. With the 50 lbs of linotype my brother gave me, figure I have enough to hold me. This doesn’t include my 308 and 26-06 loads.

  49. Must be location, aparently folks in my part of the world are comfortable with what they have, checked a dozen stores in the area icluding two Walmarts, no more than usual weekend levels of shoppers at the gun shops and the crowds at Walmart were fighting over TP, paper towels and paper napkins (nobody thought about the big rolls of blue scott paper shop towels?) a goldmine of soft absorbent paper in the automotive section…. however the ammo racks were full and noone was even paying attention when I picked up another 100 rounds of federal 45s on sale just for the hell of it, probably give them to my brother for his recently acquired Rock Island 1911…

  50. I had to stop at my local Wal-Mart today to pick up an SD card for the new video camera and walked past the sporting goods department. I glanced over at the ammo cabinet. It was full, there were no lines, no crowds, nothing. Heck, they still had .223. I did, however, stay way clear of the food department, parked back by automotive and that’s not far from electronics, sporting goods is between the two.

  51. People have gone nucking futz out there. I was in a Sam’s Club today, people have wiped out entire sections down to the concrete with all this panic buying for the Apocalypse. Some of it would make sense in a real catastrophe, maybe. But frozen foods? And sliced cold meats for sandwiches? All the milk and bulk cheese gone?

    People were milling about the empty concrete floors taking pictures for posterity.

    Come the End Times, the local warehouse membership stores will be the big tourist attractions.

    People are fucking nutz …..

    • People aren’t preparing for the end of the world (i.e. dry food, canned food) they’re preparing for temporary isolation and possible food supply shortages. As bad as I think this is going to be, I don’t think it’s likely to shut down electricity so freezer food is a good idea.

  52. A psychologist on TV the other day posited that hoarding of anything during a crisis or emergency makes the hoarder feel in control of a situation they are really not in control of. I’ve been thru all this a few times before. TP and bullets are always stocked up here.

  53. Hoarders (for the corona virus) are stupid. Obviously, that includes a few gun owners who also panicked. If you are buying ammo at a brick and mortar location, you are paying way too much also.

  54. I couldnt find any Preparation H on the shelves today. Did you guys hoard it all to treat all the hemorrhoids you’ll get sitting on your asses worrying all day??

    • “I couldnt find any Preparation H on the shelves today. ”

      Glad you brought this up. I have three tubes still in original boxes. Am I a hoarder, or a prepper?

      • Depends on if you actually have hemorrhoids or not. Guess they could change the name to Prepper Ration H to avoid confusion

        • “Guess they could change the name to Prepper Ration H to avoid confusion”

          You may be onto something.

  55. The ammo drought of the Obama years was indeed something else–by the time he was sworn into office in January 2009 the only pistol caliber I could find in my area in any available quantity at all was .40 S&W, so in the early spring my first .40 S&W pistol was a G23. It was a lemon and could never feed an entire magazine without at least one FTE (and sometimes more), but it was also the only pistol I could get ammo for. I got a great deal of malfunction clearing practice on that G23, and an insight into how badly a stovepipe could tie up a pistol. It seems the .40 S&W has a large enough case mouth that, if it manages to get jammed into the GLOCK’s ejection port on its way out, it can lodge into place in such a way that a simple tap-rack procedure will do nothing but slam the empty casing into place even harder and require a surprising amount of physical force to remove it. I no longer have that G23.

    I’m not yet seeing the levels of drought here that I saw in my old hometown area in the early Obama years, and I hope it doesn’t return. Rather, that drought effect seems to have chosen TP, soap, hand sanitzer, bottled water, paper towels, and various types of food stuffs (even pet food seems to be less well-stocked than usual). I guess when shit hits the fan, people want plenty of cleaning supplies on hand for the mess.

    I’m not sure what’s worse–the media pumping out coronavirus news like it’s the coming of reckoning for man, or the panic it’s sowing into the masses of the feeble-minded who eat it up. I’m still trying to sort through all the available information on COVID-19 to see what’s BS and what’s legitimate…

    • The 6.5 inch Ruger Blackhawk Convertible 10mm/40 S&W is moving up toward the top of my wish list because 40 S&W never seem to unavailable.

  56. People are idiots. Even if worst case scenario coronavirus happens (Everybody catches it tomorrow and 1-2% of the most immune compromised people die) It wont disrupt society that much.

    • “Even if worst case scenario coronavirus happens (Everybody catches it tomorrow and 1-2% of the most immune compromised people die) It wont disrupt society that much.”

      Actually, the planned/intended disruption is upon us, right now. As someone said….”If you want to know what the Green New Deal would look like….”

      • Uh……..yea, it will disrupt society. And it wont stop. The fatalities will keep rising while it keeps infecting. You really are 1 dumb sob.

  57. This article needs to be updated. It is August already, almost 5 moths after this article had been writing and we are still on full shortage and price increase. I live in one of the big 3 city of USA and a lot of gun shops have put a limit of how much ammo you can buy.

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