I walked into my local Cabela’s the other day and was greeted by a strange sight: ammo on the shelves. Powder in stock. AR 30-round magazines by the crateload. Even the 33-round Glock 19 magazines were in stock, and available en masse. So my question to you is this: are you seeing the same in your neck of the woods? Or is this just another reason that Texas is the land of milk and honey for gun owners?
I’m stopping by Academy tomorrow morning to see if they stopped with the 1 box per customer limit. This is East Texas by the way. Last time I was there they had some 5.56 in stock and it was late afternoon which surprised me. Usually it is gone by the morning. I’m ready for this ammo shortage to be over with so I can start hitting the range more often.
I was in Academy in Florida Monday, and it was still effect, so I had to be happy with one box of .45 ACP. Although it seems like they are only enforcing it on certain calibers.
Was there yesterday. Limits still enforced, but ammo is appearing more frequently.
That’s good and it seems to be staying on the shelves longer. Hopefully they stop the one box limit soon, definitely miss the days when I could pick up a couple boxes of whatever and go straight to the range and just shoot.
I’m in East Texas too, here in Smith county, we’ve still got magazines on the shelf, albeit no Pmags. We are seeing in increase in the stock of MSR’s though the prices haven’t declined much. 12 gauge is abundant, but that seems to be the case everywhere, and .22 is non-existent, so I don’t know what the summer camp I’m working at is going to do about riflery.
Local wal-mart within driving distance of smith county sold about 6000-7000 rounds of 22lr in 550 rd or so bricks the other morning… They had a case of federal 9mm some win.40, .45, tula .556. They had the .22lr laid out on the counter in stacks of three and more in the cart…way more than I’ve ever seen there -even before the shortage started. Sadly it is gone now.
Good news is I’ve got plenty of pmags but no ammo to fill them. I’m completely out of .22lr and wish I had stocked up before the ammo crisis. Hoping to find a brick tomorrow at Academy.
Edit: Marine Raider, I wish I had some .22lr ammo to donate to your summer camp. Definitely want to see the continue growth of marksmanship for the kids of East Texas.
Marine Raider, at worst try ordering from Canadian websites, we still have lots of stock up North.
The only way it’s over is if it became apparent that the administration is throwing in the gun control towel. They’re clearly not, and panic buying is as close as the next school shootup.
Especially if they fulfill their promise to reintroduce their idiot gun control amendents.
+1
Seeing the gun racks starting to fill back up around Detroit, but most of the standard calibers are still M.I.A. I am having to fall back on Mosins and Mausers since I can’t find food for much else I have
Oddly, in this part of Texas 7.62x54R is harder to find that 7.63×39 or 5.56!
-Cranky
Aye. Can still find plenty on 7.62×39 around here, as well as x54R, but even the x54 is starting to become harder to find as more people are getting Mosins so that they have something to shoot. Starting to even have trouble finding 7×57
Cranky and Jay, ammo to go has surplus and new 54r. I just ordered 440 rounds. And ammo to go is a Texas based outfit. Even with shipping my 54r works out to a little more than 6 bucks per 20. Still pretty cheap for center fire ammo.
Still can’t find .22 LR in any kind of regularity. Ammo also lasting on the shelves at Walmart for less than a day of common pistol and smaller rifle calibers. Not seeing anything else at what I find reasonable prices anywhere else. I will not spend $20 for a box of 100 CCI minimags.
Not quite over here. No 9mm to be had, no .223 and almost no .22lr
In addition, almost no Glock 19 or 17 available, gen 4 or gen 3 in any store other than the highest volume dealer in the state, which happens to be in my city.
Thats what we got here in Los Angeles. We’re seeing racks fill up here and there. A few gun stores are receiving new shipments daily, but ammo is still MIA.
San Diego has been and continues to be a desert (as of last weekend) when it comes to either guns or ammo.
Ammo replenishment is at a trickle, at best.
Guns, hardley even that.
I was just at our neighborhood Cabela’s here in Illinois and saw the same thing as far as 5.56x45mm ammunition. However, ALL popular pistol calibers were completely out of stock. That includes: .38 SPL, .357 Magnum and Sig, 9mm, .40, .45, etc. I don’t think the panic buying is done yet. In fact, I don’t think it’ll be done until Obama is out of office, or at least until after the Senate reshuffle in 2014.
If you were at the Cabela’s in Hoffman Estates, swing by Gat Guns. It is 5 minutes away, and they have frequently had most of the major pistol calibers in stock. Although 9 mm is starting to become more rare there.
GAT is a good bet for ammo, although I hate to mention it because it means less for me (smile).
I thought long and hard about submitting my post, but I decided to be a good guy. Plus, we’re in the Chicagoland area. There’s only so many of us gun-owners around. Btw, MegaSports in Plainfield also has regularly had ammo in. But GAT and Mega are about the only places in all of Northern Illinois.
Bummer, I am pretty damn sure I can’t drive down from WI and just buy ammo right?
Not sure it’s over yet, and I wonder if it will be anytime soon. As someone who did not waste his money buying ammo at high prices, I am eager to buy as much ammo as possible whenever the prices approach 2012 levels. If there are many others out there like me – and I think there are – the demand will continue to keep prices high for a long time yet.
Yesterday I was in a gun store in northern NJ and although they had ammo for sale for use at their range, it was still limited to 2 boxes per person, and it was still quite pricey (e.g., $35 per box of 50 rounds of 9mm).
Did they have any .38 special?
Probably – I didn’t ask because I already had some .38 rounds. I just needed 9mm ammo. It was G&S Hunters in Paterson, NJ. http://www.gshunters.com/ You could call and ask. But, again, they’ll sell only 2 boxes at a time and for use at the range.
I’m starting to see more firearms in stock in Colorado, but ammo… fuggetaboutit. When it’s there, the prices are still too high.
What cabelas was that?! I’m getting an an airplane right now!!! In Appleton WI, Mags are back, handgun shelves are filling up again, and hunting rifles aren’t flying off the shelves anymore, but AR’s, 223/556, 9mm, 45 ACP, are still instock a few hours at a time a few times a month… :/
Around here, it’s MINUTES not hours on the ammunition.
Minnesota shelves are totally bare in the ammunition department. No nothing. Forget it. Not going to find anything except for .22 LR birdshot (any other .22 LR is a no go), shotgun ammunition, and the occasional hunting rifle caliber.
We have ARs/AKs and their magazines, but nobody buys them when they can’t feed them anymore. Sometimes you can find pistol mags, but not always.
Bill’s in Hudson, Circle Pines and Robbinsdale has lots of ammo. You’ll pay a premium but its in stock. Otherwise Glen’s Army Navy in Grand Rapids always has it too if you’re ever in that neck of the woods.
I will never again shop at Gander Mountain after seeing .44 mag at $64.99/box of 50!
Funny, Bill’s in Robbinsdale was totally out of everything last I went. They didn’t even have stuff left in the corner for their renters.
Hudson was well stocked last weekend when I went through. Had recent reports from a couple of buddies that the Robbinsdale site had a lot. Must sell out quickly.
Gander must be WAY down the priority list for mfg. Local store has nothing new for a couple months. Entire handgun ammo shelf is filled with GI 50cal ammo cans. Lots of 12ga ammo though. I don’t bother stopping.
Local shop and PraireduChein WI Cabelas has flow of stuff coming thru. 556 and 308 finally. And 9mm. ZERO on 22LR. think reason for 22LR shortage is different “logic” than other ammo. Has to be totally different production line. It’s being purchased as SHTF trading goods/store of wealth. Unless there is some unfathonable rational/method by which Bummer is buying it all. DHS have orders for billions of 22LR? Pretty hard to make a case for why that would be.
22LR is non-existent in my area (small town half way to both Austin & San Antonio) With UPS delivery Friday, it will bring number of rounds 5000, have been purchasing on-line since local supply dried up. It’s not for trade or wealth, it’s for putting 300 rds a month for me and my sister-in-law. Last batch a little reasonable than before. Local Academy Sports not getting enough for “re-sellers”. My guess is .22LR pistols/rifles very popular for new shooters, most common caliber at ladies shooting league sessions I attend. See a lot of moms bringing young daughters. Our league leader, stays real close to new shooters!
Element Arms in Becker seems to have a steady supply of AR food. Sometimes it’s cheap Tula, sometimes pricier/nicer 5.56. But it’s there. I saw 9mm one weekend, but it was $25 for 50. Pricey indoor range stuff. But 9 is by far the hardest to find.
.22 rimfire, 9mm, .308, 5.56 and 7.62×39 are still pretty scarce in the bay area. I am one of the people who used to say go for the popular rounds and military rounds cause they’ll always be available. I was wrong.
In my area shotgun shells, .30-06, .38 special, .357 magnum were always available. I’m a big revolver fan anyway. Throw in the double whammy of lack of ammo and mags for semi autos and my next handgun purchase will likely be a .357 wheelgun.
“go for the popular rounds and military rounds cause they’ll always be available. I was wrong.” I think thats true in some respects, but the other, more important upside, IMO, is you’ll be able to keep your firearms up and running due to the market being flush with compatible parts. If my AR’s go down, I have spare parts for every single piece, but if my [insert less common make/model] goes down, and I dont have parts, I’m SOL.
Valid point. Parts breakage on an AR is a downside to that system. It’s one reason why I try to keep duplicates on all my guns. 1is none and 2 is 1….
That’s the exact reason I gave up on HK and became a content glock owner
Might I suggest getting a used Ruger Sevice Six or Security Six? Awesome revolvers and before the panic you could find them in the $350-$450 range.
My first .357 was a Ruger Service Six. It was the reason I got my first reloading set up. That’s more years ago than I care to think about now.
But the Rugers are definate contenders in my choice of revolvers.
Ha! Sounds like my father in law. He started reloading in the 80’s and his carry gun (armed guard) was a Security Six.
I bought my Service Six new in 79. I believe I payed $109 for it. I could be a little off on the price, but that seems to be correct.
I lived in the country in WV and could step into my back yard and shoot. Good times.
No not in my area in Florida, I have seen no 308 Win. or 22 LR , last i saw was Dec. 2012??? and the stores maybe get 10 boxes of odd and ends and gone same day.
.308 Win is in stock in St Louis @ Cabelas. Just saying
I was in North Central Florida about three weeks ago and checked out a local armory I’m familiar with.
They had a very complete stock of new firearms ; but nothing other than scraps for feed, and mostly the wrong feed.
You must have a nice little anomaly in TX. Ammo of ALL calibers still in short supply. Academy is still limiting purchaser to one box of each caliber.
I checked two of my local stores in the central Puget Sound region, and scored a box of 230 gr 45 ACP Blazer. Most other calibers are still MIA.
in suburban STL @ Cabela’s, they had a fair amount of 5.56 on the shelf and some .44 mag (this was late afternoon yesterday), but generally, the stuff still flies off the shelves. Magazines are starting to trickle back in however.
Ammo is still scarce in AZ. It’s not over yet.
We will know we are out of the woods when 5.7 x 28 becomes available again.
good supply here in OR. at 50 buckeroos a box tho!
Isn’t that the normal price?
Not until Libertarians take office, and reduce Big Government. You know that evil thing that fosters this current generation of young people with nothing but expectation.
I would laugh hard if after the mid term election DHS is forced to sell the ammo that they stocked. This would no doubt crash the market.
Even if DHS was purchasing everything allowed in the contract that only amounts to a few days of production time for the ammo manufacturers.
We, the People buy more than that per month.
Which is as it should be.
-Cranky
are you seeing the same in your neck of the woods?
In a word, no. Magazines are one thing, but the ammo shortage won’t end until DHS stops ordering massive quantities, sucking all the non-military capacity out of the system.
^^^^^^^^^ Until DHS (who now wants frangible ammo) stops distorting the market get what you can when you can. Seems they have gone from not letting a good crisis go to waste to creating crisis to fit specific goals.
Shearer and or korean…Thermold…
11.99 a box? Yikes.
I think that will likely be the new bottom dollar.
Nothing here in Orygun. Local Bi-Mart had some black powder. 5 bricks of primers lasted a day and a half. Course at a 1 “box” (100 primers) limit.
Ammo in not so common calibers. 7mm, 300 win, at regular prices.
Projos are starting to stay on shelves in every caliber.
I think the panic buying is over, but unfortunately the hoarding isn’t. Couple that with the ammo manufacturers still trying to catch up. I stop at all the local places here in my town (College Station, TX) and usually all the pistol ammo is gone. There are one or two places that have 5.56/223 but it’s not a lot and it’s expensive. The local Academy and Wal-Mart stores are sold out of all the popular ammo before it even gets on the shelves. People know when the trucks come and they start waiting outside several hours before the store opens. I don’t know about everyone else, but I don’t have time to “camp” outside of Academy just to get one box of over priced ammo.
The answer is no. Check any of the on line suppliers and they are still all sold out with no backorder. Besides, the Feds are still buying like crazy; question is why??
What do they know that we don’t? Could it be that the QE “bubble” is about to burst? When it goes and the checks stop going to all the “deserving” citizns (or not) all hell will break loose. Thank God I stocked up BIG TIME before the election.
I think that you’re giving the Fed too much credit for being proactive and capable.
I contend that the DHS ammo grab is one way the current administration is flexing its gun control muscles by constricting ammo- simply because they can.
+1
Bernanke has lost control.
Ammo costs have gone up steadily and it isn’t due simply to demand.
I payed under $20 for .44 Mag within the past 10 years, the other day it was $64.99 at Gander Mountain. It was $35 or so pre-panic. Inflation has eroded the dollar’s purchasing power, demand is simply pricing many consumers out of the market.
I saw three AR-15s on the shelf at wallyworld this morning. No ammo to speak of. Yesterday, at another walmart, 7 or 8 100 round boxes each of 9mm and .380. I think the panic buying of guns is largely over, and slowly getting back to the point of stores keeping stock on the shelves and being able to order what you want. Ammo is another matter. Even those who didn’t panic buy a gun still stocked up on ammo during this, and all those new panic bought guns need food too. I hit the stores fairly often looking for ammo, I don’t foresee the shelves full for some time.
Not even close.
Sub
$0.16 .22,
$0.60 .223/5.56
$0.30 9mm
All sell out instantly online.
Powder is still scarce. I am backordered and also waiting for notices for Varget and H4198 at three distributors. Midway USA had small pistol primers for exactly 2 minutes this week. I got their inventory notice email and took a phone call from a client. By the time I hung up a minute later, they were gone. Same went for 224 bullets. I again was notified a company that a shipment of bergers came in and they were snapped up in less than three minutes. This is all this week. Though stuff is coming in, its evaporating. I did have a LGS get a shipment of IMR powder but only IMR and none of the powders that were most popular. Go figure.
Vegas (at least in the SE/SW areas):
• Walmart: Unless you want .270 or .300 mag, its still a ghost town on the ammo shelves. Every now and then ye’ old Tula steel-cased 7.62×39 can be found (limit 3)
• BassPro: Affordable ammo is OOS for .223/308/7.62×39/9mm/.45. Oddly, .40 can be found sometimes. Personal Defense and more expensive target/match grades of the listed rifle ammo can still be found.
• Big5: Don’t make me laugh.
• Private shops/combo ranges: Hit or miss. When in stock, .223 still gets a $600/case price tag.
Overall FA’s themselves are mostly back in stock. Prices are still at a slight-to-OMG premium. Varies by reseller. Backpage trolls are still trying to gouge the crap out of the local market. Who is actually buying from these “$1500 for a M&P15 Sport” guys?
Powder? Some availability at smaller stores. Primers. Varies from nothing to randome backpagers selling 1K-5K lots (sometimes at a decent price). My Midway/Cabelas/Brownells powder and primer backorders continue to trickle in, so, while not exactly rolling in it, I’ve been able to keep up with my reloading.
NY is still a wasteland. .22LR is impossible to find. We have vultures at the Wal-Marts, Dick’s, Gander Mountain’s and Bass Pro Shop… they know the delivery schedules and they and their friends buy everything and list it later that day on the internet for 2-3X what they paid.
Handguns sell within a day or two of coming in. Ruger 10/22’s fly off the shelves. Magazines are almost nonexistent as well.
You have to remember, here in NY, since that Asshat Cuomo’s law passed, our clock is ticking before every ammo purchase requires a background check and is logged into a database. So we will be SOL on internet ammo buys, etc.
On the upside, they backpedaled and we can once again buy 10 round magazines for our rifles and handguns. On the downside, companies like Midway won’t sell magazines to NY anymore, and while we can put 10 rounds in at the range, if 4 guys are breaking into my house, I can only load 7 into the magazine or I will be breaking the law.
Load enough to protect yourself and make sure to empty all your guns and magazines by the time the police arrive so they won’t know you carried more than 7. If they ask how you fired 28 rounds, you can tell them you reloaded four times.
No, not in Wyoming or in Billings, MT, either.
There is some powder available, but it’s mostly powders most people don’t want – like 4064, or shotgun powders. The only bullets available are either heavy hunting bullets (230gr, .308 caliber) or obscure calibers.
Ammo is back on the shelves, but no bulk ammo other than 7.62x54R and trap loads for shotguns.
I think we’re getting close. People have spent too much money the past few months and have stocked up to the extreme. Once we’re totally out of tax return season, I think we’ll start seeing stock build up in a big way as people who want to buy it trickle off. Already there’s no problem where I am buying .223/5.56 (including 1,000 rnd boxes), .22 lr in bulk boxes, 9mm, and everything else under the sun. Including AR-15’s for sale everywhere, crates of AR and AK mags, standard cap pistol mags, cases stocked totally full of Glocks and every other pistol, etc. It looks pretty normal again.
What state or region of the country do you live where you are seeing that situation?
I think you are right to a point. People are still going to stock up and hoard ammo for a while. As for the AR and other “assault” rifles, I believe a lot of folks thought they could flip them and when the Feinstein amendment failed miserably, they realized there was no way. Prices are going down on backpage. People are still not reasonable yet, still wanting $2000 for a Bushmaster, $1200 for a COR15 or a well used CMP-worthy A2. All prices about 50% what they should be. Give it 2 months before that part of the market adjusts as well.
Wife in Wis Gander called: had to choose between 350 rnd box PMC 9mm or 2×100 CCI Mini Mag.
Gander was limiting total, not just per caliber.
No Magpul
5/8/2013
BTW
Edgewood, Verona share lead at Shoot-Out
Headline on my local Madison online newspaper about two HS teams:
My gun brain did not read this as the golf story it was.
There was no ammo exchanged.
Hope you told her to pick the Mini Mags? 22LR will be harder to replenish and cannot be reloaded.
Pickings are slim in most stores I’ve visited in south-eastern PA. There is one store/range that is more likely than most to have cheap ball ammo in popular calibers in stock (an owner said they had a pretty large stock of guns they used to obtain ammo at the peak of the AR drought), but even they are often down to range-use ammo only these days.
I’m really loving my nightly basement sessions with my air pistol: http://www.amazon.com/Gamo-PT-85-Blowback-Pellet-Pistol/dp/B003WP7C38
Not completely the same as the real thing, but good enough to keep skills from decaying due to less frequent trips to the range.
I have been finding 5.56, .223 and 6.8 sitting on WalMart shelves. One day recently a box of .22, another day some .357 Sig and even some .40
Supplies are still short in North Dakota. Stores are getting an occasional brick of .22 ammo and small quantities of .223, but my stores are limiting to one box a day. I did score 3 pounds of powder!! (At one per day)
In Houston 22LR is still very hard to find. How much 22LR is DHS buying, I bet none.
DHS does not buy .22LR. But when the manufacturers have to choose between making cheap .22LR for us or more expensive ammo for DHS, that’s what they do.
All manufacturing lines do not run all the time. That would require overstaffing all lines, rather than running the factory with a lean staff and switching the workers among the lines as needed.
Directly from the CCI rep at the NRA show:
They are running the rimfire lines at full capacity and producing millions of rounds per day.
I said I hadn’t seen CCI minimags since December and he said they are either being bought before they hit the shelves or immediately afterwards. Production is up not down.
-Cranky
My shop in No. Illinois went from a 2 box per 9mm limit (when it was even available) to a 5 box limit with actual supplies on the shelves. So I’ll call that progress. Still pricey though.
Care to share the name of the store? (I’ll certainly understand if you don’t.)
Here in the Pittsburgh area, ammo is still scarce and limits are still being enforced. Checked a few stores–the less-popular calibers are easy to find but .22LR, 9mm and .45ACP are still rare birds.
Still crappy here in he Seattle area.
Worse for me is that reloading supples are nowhere to be found, locally or online. I thought reloading was still a small enough niche that supplies wouldn’t really dry up, silly me.
I just want some Unique, Berry’s plated in .355FP and .357FP and some primers, I’ll do all the rest. Is that so much to ask?
My hope is that most of the folks who thought “hey, I’ll just load my own!” discover that the amount of effort it really takes doesn’t suit them and Craigslist will soon be flooded with components and supplies.
here in Iowa I have seen all major calibers available at local gun stores…for a price. Wal-mart and other chain stores still barren
In my LGS (Gainesville, VA) its a three box limit and the most popular calibres are hard to come buy. I did find a 50 count box of 380 FMJ at Wallyworld, its was the only thing other than 7MM and Shotgun shells in the cabinet. I am having good luck on Gnbot getting what I need though, even got some 22LR subsonic for .04 a round 2 days ago.
NH looks better. Walmarts have ammo more regularly though it still sells out.
LGS has plenty of ammo and EBR’s. Mags too. All near pre idiocy prices.
Armslist is still full of jokers trying to get $300 for a stipped lower, .223 for a buck a round and PMags for $30.
PLENTY of guns in stock locally. Still priced on the high side, but way down from the height of the panic prices. Ammo is still scarce, but attainable, if slightly higher in price. I’m hoping to see a near complete return to normality by July/August.
I doubt this panic will be over until 2016.
I agree – but I think you mean January 2017, unfortunately.
I’m in the middle of PA. It’s coming back but not enough for someone who actually shoots. Maybe it will be enough for people who want to buy five boxes and leave them in their closet for a year.
-I snagged an 8 pounder of HP38 (same as 231), 4 lbs of varget, and 500 vmax 55 gr .223 bullets within the past two weeks. I’ve already shot a third my vmax loads.
-Also my local Dicks had about 30 boxes of .223 rem (good stuff) and probably 20 of steel case 5.56. I bought 3 boxes and let my friends shoot them when I brought them out to the range.
-I bought 3 bulk boxes of federal automatch .22lr a few days ago from walmart, and saw some 9mm and .38 special in stock. Granted this was at 11:30pm. I already shot a box during a plate shoot.
There are a bunch of people in this area (usually aged around 18 to 24) that go to walmart when they’re unloading the new pallets. They each buy the 3 box limit and then it pops up on locally as a price gouge private sale. I saw one guy with a group of girls buy up almost a whole case of .223, and none of them looked like the shooting type.
My sonoran desert of Arizona has started to see “some light” here in the phoenix area… with hit or miss depending on the shop/day. Prices when found are pretty reasonable in todays day and age. ObaMao -he aint gun salesman o the decade – he and DemoCrooks are gun salesman of the galaxy…
I have said it all along. Obama is a true corporate democrat. And, BTW, it is not just Obama. It is all politicians are to blame for this.
good luck finding ammo in MA. guns are just starting to come back, but nothing new on the ammo front.
Local LGS has stock. But the prices are still 25% to 100% higher than what they were a few months ago. Even one store marked up their transfer fee 50%. Ammo might be coming in, but the prices are still high except for Walmart. So, I can wait and will only support those who have not jacked up their prices. People as long as you are paying the high prices, the prices will stay high. Let the stock be rebuilt and hold steady. Eventually, the prices will drop back down to pre-panic levels.
Not the case here in Detroit area. Shelves still as empty as an Ethiopian’s toaster oven…
Ha!
Hey fellow Michigander. I’m in St. Joe County.
My area has gotten an increase of AKs and ARs. There are even mags turning up. However the ammo is still non-existent.
If my guns were people they would look like this. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grnrx7JeDhg] (Too far?)
No, all the local shops are still bone dry. Dicks, Cabelas, BassPro, local ranges, everyone. There’s still a crowd every Friday at 9:00am in front of Dicks to get the few boxes they bring in. They literally run to the counter.
Over the last two months I’ve had no issue finding 9mm and .45 ACP at the Austin area Wally Worlds. The steady supply has allowed me to support my habit (1200+ rounds a month). Thankfully, they have maintained their prices.
The trick is knowing their delivery schedules and when they’ll hit the sales counters. The only caliber that is still hard to get is .22LR. Thus far, I’ve only been able to score a single 375rd box of .22LR.
I’m quite convinced Walmart has completely given up on obtaining any more .22LR to speak of. my store has received 2 cases (about 10 bricks each) TWO TIMES in FIVE MONTHS. Hell, why bother?
Nah, they just sell out immediately. The local Walmart near my house has started posting the time and dates of when their new shipments are coming as well as WHA they’re getting and how many boxes. Shipments usually come around 7:30 to 9pm. People start lining up as early as 3pm.
Uh, I work at Walmart. Not in sporting goods, but I do know how many times we’ve received .22LR bricks and the answer is indeed correct….two times since December. We’ve gotten a few shipments of Remington subsonic and thunderbolts as well, but with a limit of 3 boxes its a bit of a harder sell. The frustrating part is that 2 or 3 bricks would be plenty enough to last me well into next year.
It’s even harder for me to buy than the regular customer since I can only do so when I’m off the clock, and I work overnights to boot. I stroll by the ammo cabinet after I get off in the morning and it’s always the same depressing sight – a fair selection of the same .270 and .300WinMag, plus some 7mm and 7mm-08, then a whole lot of nothing. Not even much 12 gauge. Everything else, if anything, is gone the night before. Occasionally there’s a few boxes left over past 10pm or even midnight (1 guy rang up his 3 boxes of .223 Tula around 1am this morning) but that’s become the exception lately. I do think it’s gotten worse here instead of better. That’s my observation and I’m sticking to it.
As for me, I’m looking for .22LR and .308/7.62×51. Don’t have an AR yet. Still slowly trying to build up a stash of mags (which have been hard to find locally as well).
got 2 sleaves 7.62+51 ball 100 rds ea. from austria 35$ ea.
Local bi-mart here in NW Oregon had mostly bare shelves today. I saw a few boxes of 12g shells and 5-10 boxes of odd calibers.
I’ve been able to find magazines lately but still having trouble finding any 5.56 or 9mm. When I do they want $0.75 to $1 a round. The 100 pack of Winchester white box in .45 ACP is still going to $65 a box at my local shops. Jerks are still price gouging. I haven’t bought any .45ACP unless I can find it for $20 or so for 50rds which is to say I haven’t bought much lately. I think I picked up two 50rd boxes of white box for $23 at Bass Pro Shop.
There’s a few AR-15s at my local Walmart in Franklin, KY that have been there several days now (we haven’t seen any ARs for long, long time) – Bushmaster ($900 and change) and 3 Olympic Arms. (Under $700) . Also, lots more long gun ammo: 30.06,.308, .223. seem plentiful
Pistol ammo (.45 ACP, 9mm, 380, ) is still in the “you need to be there when it arrives” category. But, they say its coming in almost daily. Box of 50 .45 hi-end hollow point around $35.
It’s definitely lookin’ better here.
still having to order online at Cabelas and others.
I hope it’s not quite over, I just laid out 10th cent a round for 2 Remington Golden bulk packs. It would be a shame if I walk into Walmart next week and find out
I could have saved $60.
I bemoaned the fact my store can’t or won’t get any .22 bricks but a certain LGS which shall remain nameless has plenty of Federal 525rd bricks on their shelf for a mere $125….each. Careful what you wish for, huh?
A local gun store recently announced on their FB page that they were selling 500 round boxes of .22LR for the nowadays reasonable price of .06 a round. They had 10 boxes and they evaporated. I didn’t even try. Besides, I lucked into a 1000 round box of M22 for less than $50 a few weeks ago.
As far as rifles and magazines, things are starting to open up in most of the places I look for things. Glock mags, M&P mags, AR mags are starting to show up with more frequency and staying in stock for longer. There are even ARs showing up on the racks.
As far as ammo though, Central FL is a barren wasteland. The local Wal-Marts stopped selling ammo overnight and now restock the shelves between 7:00 and 7:30AM. People are showing up at 5:30-5:45 (grabbing fold-out camp chairs from the camping section to sit on while they wait) and the ammo is gone in minutes when they start selling it. Those of us that are occupied with work from 7AM until 4PM or later are plain SOL. MidwayUSA is still going OOS with .22LR in seconds and have disabled the “Notify Me” feature on a lot of stuff. And whether it’s Wal-Mart, Bass Pro, Gander, or he LGS when there is something in the rack, it’s mostly shotgun ammo and rifle calibers like .300 Win Mag, .25-06, .22-250 and 7mm Remington Ultra Special Loudenboomer Super Duper Extra Short Magnum. The places I can find .223/5.56, 9mm, .45 or the like, I won’t pay the 50-75% premium. So I wait.
On the upside, .50 BMG reloading components are available . . . so maybe that’s an excuse to buy a new rifle and reloading setup.
L.E Dealer out in IL still low on inventory
Southern Wisconsin is still dry as a bone. Black rifles, and all semi-autos for that matter, are again appearing on shelves. Good luck trying to feed it, if you buy one. Fortunately, we have the internet.
The panic buying might be over, but now we’re dealing with artificial shortages and raised prices. AmmunitionToGo freely admits on their Facebook page that they look at gunbot when they set their prices on product. It has nothing to do with their suppliers costs. Most online shops are still trying to get every cent they can out of the “shortage” and, in my opinion, are willing to prolong it as long as possible to earn as much as possible. We need to stop paying the high prices in order for them to stop being high.
One of my friends mentioned that Walmart workers are letting their buddies know when they are restocking. The buddies then show up, buy 3 boxes each, and then resell them for a profit.
I’m tired of being unable to find .22 Short or .380 JHP online. I can’t find .22 Short locally (western Washington State) either. For other calibers that I need, prices are still high.
Cabelas in grand rapids MI on Friday brought out pallets full of ammo, 9mm nd .223.
All sorts of mags, 10/22 bx25s, pmags…everything
Oddly, NO 7.62×39(which has recently ben readily available) or .22lr, which is still missing everywhere and only coming at a trickle
Most other places it is hard to find anything common except 12ga, but everything except .22 is coming back in predictable supply
my wal mart still dry as a desert but they have a few ar15’s, but no ammo for it lol.
my wal mart still dry as a desert but they have a few ar15’s, but no ammo for it lol.
…are you seeing the same in your neck of the woods?
In the San Francisco south bay area, it’s not just “no”, but “hell no!”.
On a trip back from Sacramento last weekend, I stopped at 5 Walmart stores – only one of which I was able to pick up some .308 (limit 3 20-rnd boxes) for $19 each.
The other ammo (if any) available were odd calibers, and .22LR was nowhere to be found.
Oregon, tri-county area, empty shelves.
Yes the panic buying is over… until next time.
Plenty of normal priced ARs and Pistols in NW Georgia. Thats the good news I guess and should be a precursor to ammo supply catching up to demand. But, strange times bring unusual circumstances. Aside from the occasional find there is no end in sight. The nightmare continues through 2014 in my opinion.
Flashback to 2008. I bought a pallet of cases of bricks of Federal .22lr bulk packs. “You’ll never shoot all that! It’ll always be around!”
I paid $13/brick. I haven’t bought .22lr since. What shortage?
All empty shelves here in north Virginia. Went to a Dick’s this morning and there was 16 folk waiting in line before the stored opened. Last night a Dick’s rep claimed they were receiving a huge shipment but it was far from that. There was a good amount of .22 and .45 but hardly any 9mm and no .223/5.56.
NY – Orange Cty last weekend, the local shop had 100 rd boxes of .223 (just a few of em). A few boxes of .40, no .45, no 9mm or 22 lr to be seen anywhere. Better selection of pistols than last month but no Sigs or Glocks to be seen.
Funny thing checking out – they were asking everyone if they wanted to throw a 50 box of 9mm on top of your order. Of course I said yes – $29.99.
OP is exaggerating what his local area has. Pmags can be found everywhere now, and I don’t know who buys and uses 33 round handgun mags but they are around as well. Although regualr 10, 13, 15, 17 round mags for any gun is near impossible to find offline, or on in some cases. But as far as ammo the only handgun ammo in stock in WI is .357m and .45 and that is very sparse and spendy. 9mm is nowhere, .44mag is non-existent, some .22 with private stocks but nothing in stores. As for .223 crappy low grain is back in small quantities but I shoot single 80-90 grain which I reload so that’s never been an issue. 7.62×39 is everywhere but still over-priced. .308 premium can be found for ridiculous prices.
Yes some things are back but the prices are so high it makes one wonder why it’s back and who’s buying it.
I believe the weak comeback of ammo will just keep prices high and the panic buying will continue. The gungrabbers may have not gotten their way, but they got the next best thing for them, pushing out many financially of the hobby they love.
Online if you know where to go it’s there some of the time at the right times but price is and will be an issue for a longtime coming. I’d be amazed if they didn’t go after ammo again. If not restricting it taxing it more. I think panic buying is here to stay for at least another year or so. Until and if the ammo manufactures severely limit ammo sales to companies and government and LE for stockpiling there will not be more ammo on the shelves for civilians anytime soon.
The ammo inventory appears to be getting slightly better in Portland Oregon. However, it seems that it is often a game of three steps forward and two steps back. Yesterday, I was able to find 1,500 rounds of Federal 22LR. Prior to that the previous two and a half weeks of searching for ammo had bone dry results though some of that was a bad luck run for me. Friends and contacts were finding ammo at Walmart, Sportsmen’s Warehouse, and elsewhere.
I will check those stores? Hillsboro/Beaverton Oregon stores seem to be completely out.
At the Lufkin, Tx Academy store, .308 is getting easier to find. Still no .223 or .22. Boxes of .45ACP, 9mm, and .357 mag are still non-existent.
At the Wal-Mart, they had 2 Colt ARs, carbine length, for about $1200 each. Had about 5 boxes of Tula .223 steel case ammo. NO .308. Plenty of .30-06 though.
At both places I had a hard time finding 12G 00-buck. At Academy, the only 12G they had was target and bird loads and few boxes of slug. At Wal-Mart, all they had was that “gimmick” ammo from Winchester, those PDX defenders (1 rifled slug and 3 pellets of 00Buck in each shell).
“So my question to you is this: are you seeing the same in your neck of the woods?”
Seeing ammunition on the shelves here in Central Illinois is about as rare as seeing http://www.nataliegal.com/ in the flesh in these parts.
Someone at the inaugural Guns Save Life meeting in Peoria, IL said that the Cabela’s there had .22s in stock. It was damn near a stampede following the meeting.
We got there and it was a one-box limit.
We dutifully all (about a dozen or so made the short trip) stood in line for our box of 375 cartridges.
Hey, it’s enough for someone to shoot an Appleseed.
But no, ammo is neither available or affordably priced in these parts.
John
In Tulsa, it seems to be getting a little better. Went to Academy at lunch yesterday and no handgun calibers, nor .22lr. Only some .308 and some 7.62 x 39.
But I went by my LGS and they had a decent selection. Still kinda high, but boxes of 9MM for $20 or so. They also had .223, yet it was $650/1000rds.
Still very high, but at least they have some. Hopefully, the next step is prices slowly getting back to a reasonable range.
No ammo to be found in my neck of the woods (Cocoa, FL) unless it’s waaaay overpriced.
I live in central Tennessee. No ammo as of this past weekend. Since you seem to have extra, send some to Tennessee…
I was in Walmart today here in Northern California. They had 4 50rd boxes of 22lr and 4 100rd boxes of 22short. All solid shot, no hollowpoint. Oh, and a 3 box limit. I picked up 2 lr, but decided not to push it. I’ve still got a Federal 22lr bargain box I bought before all this went wild. When all you have is a single shot rifle, you tend to go through ammo slower. Plus school, new job, etc.
People aren’t in a panic any more, but they are quietly hoarding. Expect this continuous slow bleeding for ammo until next year or longer. Hell who wouldn’t want to have 5k rounds of 22LR? And those with 5k already are bumping up to 10k! Now multiply all those bulk boxes by millions upon millions of future hoarders. Get the pretty picture?
As for the Cabelas ammo stock in the picture, it’s 60 cents per round of 556 before taxes. I’d pass…..apparently so is everyone else.
Puyallup WA (south of Seattle) Gun Show:
223/5.56 = .70 cents -1$ / Round depending on vendor. Everyone has a little bit of ammo for sale on their table. I was there two hours and nobody is buying at this price.
.22lr = $15-20 / box of CCI Mini Mags. Starting to see other bulk product in at panic prices
.308 = .75 cents / round or higher.
Russian calibers are in stock not sure what the price was but people where buying it.
9MM = available at multiple tables for , wait for it, $50/box! Bulk ammo available at panic prices. Vendors “make it available” to you for purchase with a straight face.
40 S&W, 45ACP, 357, – all available but at obnoxious prices. I bought 3 boxes of 44 Special at $36/box and moped home.
High Cap AR mags are available, Seeing PMAGS gen2 and 20 round Gen3 for around $25 each.
No glock 17,19, 21, 22, 23 mags seen since November.
No Powder but there was,brass and primers and bullets for sale. I don’t reload so I didn’t check the prices.
Lots of black rifles for sale getting down to $1000-1300 range. Prices coming down to November levels.
What I don’t see: 10/22’s new or used, Gently used Marlins, Glocks in desireable calibers, HK pistols, .300 Blackout Ammo, HXP 30-06 ammo, 7.62 battle backs.
Have not been to the Cabelas in Lacy but will check soon.
There is still NOTHING available here just a rumor that DHS is tracking all home delivery of ammo
They are? That’s scary but not surprising. But then I have so many watch list hits on me in the current climate that one more hardly matters.
I’m a Vietnam vet NRA life member who voted for Nixon & Reagan and I frequent this site. I was deployed in 2003 at age 55. That’s just for starters. Was that a siren I just heard?
have faith broher don,t shoot the basterds yet
I went to Wally World this past sunday and they had roughly ~50 50rd boxes of 9mm; Federal Champion and PPU. Nothing else though. It looks like some calibers in some states are popping up in bulk but not others. It’s funny, I have more than enough 9mm FMJ but not duty/defense. As for .40 I have more than enough duty/defense but not as much FMJ.
MD — guns back. No ammo or pricey.
The ammo is beginning to trickle into New Mexico. One gun store in north Albuquerque even sells it at non-gouging prices when it does come in. It’s been weeks since I’ve seen a box of 9mm, though it’s easier to get the 40 and 45. 10mm is everywhere, for some odd reason.
Firearms are showing up too; 1911s are plentiful, though magazines are not as easy to find. It will probably be a while for shelves to fill up. And some time after that for prices to become sane.
Local Cabelas? There is no Cabelas San Antonio…
Buda is an hour up the road.
Store Address:
15570 IH 35
Buda, TX 78610
GPS Coordinates:
30.082559, -97.825608
Not much seems to last here in southwestern Ohio. Gun dealers are saying thst there is no .22 LR ammo being made and they also say noe has been made in the US since 11/2012. Slim pickings here.
The only ammo I’ve seen in Arkansas is a few boxes of 30-06, 7mm, and/or 243. Missing the good ole days 🙁
Not much here in Wyoming at local gun shops and Wally World. As most of us buy online we still can’t find any bulk cases and crates of 9×18, 9×19, .45 acp, .223/5.56, 7.62×39, 7.62×51, etc. for anything near “normal” prices. Even 5.45×39 and 7.62x54R cases have nearly doubled (when you can find them). Unless Russian, Ukranian and Serbian sources can fill the gap I suspect this shortage on popular “fun gun” ammo will continue for some time yet.
Just got back from my LGS (Franktown Firearms).
Plenty of ammo on the shelves, but not much at prices I’d want to pay (e.g. $44 for a box of 50 .223 Rem, in a brand I didn’t recognize). I did pick up a box of bulk 180gr .40S&W – 250 rounds for $135. Not cheap, but not as horrid as it was a couple of months ago (when I could find it).
Plenty of AR-15/M4 magazines, PMAG and MSAR.
In South Central Alaska (Anchorage – Wasilla) we haven’t seen rifle and pistol powders in stores since January. Ditto for primers. Darn little brass; mostly odd stuff. Bullets are spotty. Ammo: Shelves are mostly empty; Zero .22 LR except a little at gun shows that goes for $75 – $100 per brick; no .223, 9mm, .45 ACP; rarely .308, .30-06, & .300 Win Mag, but that disappears in hours. Ditto .38 Special, .357 mag, & .44 mag.
Gun safes are pretty well sold out, too…maybe to store private ammo supplies that have now become more valuable than gold.
Here is MS we had a shipment of every common ammo come in early this month. Something like 30,000 rounds of .40, 40,000 of .45, 10,000 of 9mm and we’ve been getting .40 and .45 pretty regularly now. 9mm is only available as Tula steel cased and its still 9.97 per 50. Generally sells out in 3 days, so I go every other day.
Was also able to get some HP slugs for .56 per shell.
I saw where budsguns online was starting to get in stock of the higher end rifles like Rock River and Daniel Defense, though they sell out in hours.
I use gunbot and ammoseek to find plinking ammo in bulk, as I can’t get enough local.
in vermont the cheap 9mm $26 per 50rds and there isnt ammo in any gun store or walmart…
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