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Old February 14, 2013, 10:55 PM   #1
CurlyQ.Howard
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My wife and I had a discussion which she initiated by stating that with the scarcity of ammunition that it could come to ammunition trucks being hijacked. Your thoughts?
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Old February 14, 2013, 10:58 PM   #2
ScottRiqui
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If the shortage lasted long enough (or even if the shortage ended but prices remained very high), I don't see why it couldn't happen. It's happened with alcohol and cigarettes. I don't know if the market for black-market stolen ammo would be big enough to make it work on the same scale as stolen tobacco or alcohol, though.
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Old February 14, 2013, 11:01 PM   #3
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You do know exactly how hard it could be to set up the logistics to find, stalk and hijack an unmarked truck?

Never in my life have i seen a truck marked as that of an ammo manufacturer and the placard they must fly isn't ammo specific...

Brent
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Old February 14, 2013, 11:04 PM   #4
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I think the only way to do it was directly from the factory. There is almost no way to know if the 50 million Walmart trucks are carrying ammo. Besides, I tend to believe that the vast majority of us on TFL are law abiding citizens. For any of us to turn to crime, things would have to be VERY DIRE. Now if zombies appeared, all bets are off!
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Old February 15, 2013, 12:20 AM   #5
Newton24b
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weapons and ammunition were stolen in america during the vietnam war. ive seen accounts of us troops opening up doors in a jungle bunker and finding entire pallets of american made ammunition, in the original packageing that left the factory. soemtimes the original factory invoces were still attached.

same with guns. lots of stolen guns were found in the jungle.

it happened then, it can happen now. do you really think the government is going to let "semi loaded with 90,000 pounds of ammunition stolen" hit the front page or 10 pm news?
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Old February 15, 2013, 12:23 AM   #6
hogdogs
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Quote:
"semi loaded with 90,000 pounds of ammunition stolen"
Just for accuracy... That would be 40,000# of ammo... Max gross in the USA is 80,000 or 40 tons with an average tare of 40,000...

Granted there are axle spread exceptions/variances and overweight permits but...

Brent
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Old February 15, 2013, 12:35 AM   #7
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It seems like a sort Mad Max kind of thing, but stuff like that does happen. Last November someone stole 120 rifles from a train in Atlanta. I don’t remember hearing any more about it, so not sure if they recovered them. Also, never heard if they thought it was a planned thing or just a random incident.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local...a-train/nTJ2k/
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Old February 15, 2013, 12:47 AM   #8
hogdogs
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I expect driver stolen freight would be more the threat than hijacked freight...

I know a driver who backed an empty trailer up to a dock at an Anheiser Busch plant and loaded a trailer full of new palletized cans...

had the scrap yard he was in ka-hoots with had done their part and got them hid in time... he would have never been caught...

Brent
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Old February 15, 2013, 07:27 AM   #9
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Would be difficult to "fence" stolen ammo with traceable lot numbers....every dealer & gun shop would be alerted to keep an eye out. Suppose the creative thief could repackaged it.
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Old February 15, 2013, 07:31 AM   #10
mitchntx
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I ordered several cases of 12g target loads from Palmetto in December.

According to their website, the invoice was completed and my card was charged. The tracking info was hosed up though.

I called and said I never got the ammo. They were awesome and offered to resend.

I bet that the shipment was indeed "hijacked".
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Old February 15, 2013, 07:34 AM   #11
hardworker
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Could it happen? Sure. Lots of things "could" happen. I could wake up tomorrow morning to find a supermodel in my kitchen holding a half gallon of george dickel and a winning lottery ticket. Won't know until it happens.
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Old February 15, 2013, 07:47 AM   #12
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The chances would be better to bribe the driver into selling you a few cases, LOL
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Old February 15, 2013, 07:50 AM   #13
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Quote:
Just for accuracy... That would be 40,000# of ammo... Max gross in the USA is 80,000 or 40 tons with an average tare of 40,000...
thats how they knew which trailer it was Hoggy...

The trailer alone was 100ft long
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Old February 15, 2013, 09:04 AM   #14
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Several years ago, but post 9-11, I was in a law enforcement supply company's new warehouse (very large warehouse) containing both ammo and firearms. Place was built like Fort Knox. Trucks were always unmarked.
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Old February 15, 2013, 09:12 AM   #15
tynman
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I don't see that happening. I think people already have the ammo they need (unless they are like me and bought a few new guns and need it for them) but they are just over buying just to make sure they have enough. Cause you can never have enough!!!
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Old February 15, 2013, 09:13 AM   #16
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According to this logic, the shortage of money is due to banks being robbed. I mean, I'm short of money, at least. But I do have all the ammo I need and then some.
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Old February 15, 2013, 09:29 AM   #17
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I can't imagine that in the slightest.

If it is actually a worry, then I guess we gun owners really ARE violent nuts about to crack and should turn our guns in.

Seriously, I can't imagine any law abiding gun owner even beginning to think that hijacking a freight truck for ammo being anywhere close to something that sounds like a good idea.

And that's even before thinking over the feasibility of the plan itself. The drought will end. Maybe not as soon as we'd like, but it ended before.
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Old February 15, 2013, 09:54 AM   #18
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I don't think it would happen because of the reasons stated in posts above. No one in their right mind would mark a semi truck with "ammunition" written on the side. In all the years that gasoline and diesel prices have shot up I have only heard of one gasoline tanker being stolen for the cargo here in Texas and it's damn near impossible to camoflauge a gasoline tanker!
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Old February 15, 2013, 09:58 AM   #19
ScottRiqui
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Seriously, I can't imagine any law abiding gun owner even beginning to think that hijacking a freight truck for ammo being anywhere close to something that sounds like a good idea.
I don't think the OP is talking about "regular Joes" suddenly hijacking ammo trucks.

But if the shortages/high prices were to continue for a few years, I bet there would be some otherwise law-abiding gun owners who might be interested in buying some "discounted" factory ammo from the shady fellow who hangs out at the range sometimes.
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Old February 15, 2013, 10:08 AM   #20
thallub
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Quote:
My wife and I had a discussion which she initiated by stating that with the scarcity of ammunition that it could come to ammunition trucks being hijacked.

Well first: The prospective hijackers would have to find an ammunition truck. What does an ammunition truck look like?
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Old February 15, 2013, 10:24 AM   #21
MWalsh
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A ludicrous notion borne by too many viewings of Fast and Furious.

Let's think this through. Here is what one needs to successfully do it:

1) Know where and when the truck will be
2) Hijack it
3) Drive said, very conspicuous vehicle, to some warehouse somewhere

At any point a whole multitude of things can go wrong. It's a totally absurd notion, even if somebody tried it the chances of getting away with it are very close to 0%. This idea is nonsense.
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Old February 15, 2013, 10:29 AM   #22
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Most hijacked trucks are the result of teamwork between warehouse people and driver. Sometimes the driver is left out of the loop. But as a rule, the hijackers know exactly what is on the truck and where the desired item is located inside.

WalMart guns are brought by UPS, and must be signed for. Not the WalMart truck.

Random hijacking of a WalMart truck would be hilarious. Going through the Bycycles, Diapers, Bottled water, Charcoal, Ice Melt, Motor oil, etc to try to find the ammo.
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Old February 15, 2013, 11:06 AM   #23
CurlyQ.Howard
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Just to be clear, I'm talking about what criminals and not law abiding citizens would do.
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Old February 15, 2013, 11:07 AM   #24
BigD_in_FL
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Quote:
very conspicuous vehicle,
What is so conspicuous about another 18 wheeler going down the road? Most folks have NO idea what the placards mean. THAT would be the easiest part to do...hijacking the truck and possibly doing away with the driver would be the Murphy Law part.

I was driving in Wyoming one time following a semi that had a certain placard. this was before cell phones and when Cb radios were a must. Got the driver on the radio and asked about her placard....turns out she was carrying spent nuclear fuel rods to a dump somewhere..........just a plain truck going down the road. Ammo trucks today would be as non-descript
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Old February 15, 2013, 02:21 PM   #25
horatioo
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Quote:
Let's think this through. Here is what one needs to successfully do it:

1) Know where and when the truck will be
2) Hijack it
3) Drive said, very conspicuous vehicle, to some warehouse somewhere

At any point a whole multitude of things can go wrong
I often read about crimes that I wouldnt have a clue on how to pull off or even get the information I would need to make a plan. But someone does figure out how to do the crime and some get away with it.
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