The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > Hogan's Alley > Handguns: General Handgun Forum

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old April 18, 2013, 04:25 PM   #26
Garycw
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 27, 2011
Location: Ohio-Kentucky - florida
Posts: 1,221
Has Having Guns of Different Calibers Made it Any Easier.......

Well I started out trying to stick to a couple of calibers but over time has not worked. I now have about 15. I can usually find ammo for some of them. I'd have to say though I've always bought more than I have time to shoot
Garycw is offline  
Old April 18, 2013, 04:30 PM   #27
Eppie
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 7, 2010
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 802
One thing I've learned is that regardless of what you shoot you gootta plan for a rainy day. And when the rains come keep your powder dry.



Attached Images
File Type: jpg Ammo 1.jpg (182.4 KB, 160 views)
File Type: jpg Ammo 2.jpg (229.1 KB, 157 views)
__________________
"Socialized Medicine is the Keystone to the Arch of the Socialist State.” -Vladimir Lenin
"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them." - Thomas Jefferson (An early warning to Obama care)
Eppie is offline  
Old April 18, 2013, 07:13 PM   #28
Sharpsdressed Man
Junior member
 
Join Date: June 21, 2009
Location: NE Ohio
Posts: 1,176
Today's observation at the outdoor range I go to was the regular shooters appear to have almost stopped shooting 9mm. There was no brass on the ground, and no empty boxes in the trash, either. If they are able to get ammo, they are apparently not shooting it because they are unsure when they can replace it. One guy showed up with two boxes of .380 that he found in a high end shop that would not attract Walmart shoppers. He could not find nines, so he was glad to be able to shoot his .380 CZ.
Sharpsdressed Man is offline  
Old April 18, 2013, 07:55 PM   #29
Eppie
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 7, 2010
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 802
At my range the traffic is way down. Mostly the reloaders are still shooting but they also cut back because nobody wants to run out and no one knows when things will get back to normal.
__________________
"Socialized Medicine is the Keystone to the Arch of the Socialist State.” -Vladimir Lenin
"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them." - Thomas Jefferson (An early warning to Obama care)
Eppie is offline  
Old April 18, 2013, 09:38 PM   #30
Deaf Smith
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 31, 2000
Location: Texican!
Posts: 4,453
Quote:
Has Having Guns of Different Calibers Made it Any Easier to get ammo and be at the shooting range?
Yep.

I have my Lee turret reloader set up for .380 acp, .38 spl, .357 magnum, .40 S&W, 9mm, .44 Magnum, .30 Carbine, .45 ACP, and soon even .38 S&W. I even have alot of 9x18 Hornday Makrov slugs, brass, and dies!

Yes I have slugs, powder, and primers for all of these and I do find .44 magnum and .38 S&W in stores when everything else is gone! I even see a fair amount of .38 Super to!

I used to compete alot in IPSC and IDPA and thus I have buckets of brass and alot of slugs to.

Even with this shortage I shoot at least 100 rounds a week practice.

Deaf
__________________
“To you who call yourselves ‘men of peace,’ I say, you are not safe without men of action by your side” Thucydides
Deaf Smith is offline  
Old April 20, 2013, 12:30 PM   #31
biganimal
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 5, 2001
Location: south carolina
Posts: 435
no problems here as i bought a lot of powder and primers a while back.
I load and cast for all my handguns
__________________
Other than That, Mrs Lincoln, How was the play?
biganimal is offline  
Old April 22, 2013, 07:22 AM   #32
rodfac
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 22, 2005
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 3,619
Not at all, from .22 lr to .44 Magnum, the shelves have been bare for the most part. My big problem has been and will continue to be primers. I was lucky enough to get 5000 Lg Pistol caps at a gun show for $36 per thousand, but Small Pistol was going for $70 per brick. After I finished venting on the leach trying to sell them for that, he informed me that he'd get his price by the end of the day...and he was right.

On another part of the panic, I just ordered bullet lube from a long time supplier on the net. They said they'd been swamped as well and that orders were being filled as fast as possible. I'd have thought most guys weren't into casting with all the equipment and expertise that goes along with it, but again, I was wrong.

Let's all try to remember this when the elections come around again...and it''s not just who's in the big house in DC, it's local as well. Best Regards, Rod
__________________
Cherish our flag, honor it, defend it in word and deed, or get the hell out. Our Bill of Rights has been paid for by heros in uniform and shall not be diluted by misguided governmental social experiments. We owe this to our children, anything less is cowardice. USAF FAC, 5th Spl Forces, Vietnam Vet '69-'73.
rodfac is offline  
Old April 22, 2013, 09:14 PM   #33
dewcrew8
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 7, 2009
Posts: 214
With everything hard to find in these times. The one type of ammo that's everyone is over looking and is all over the stores here is 12 g or any other shootgun sizes. You can't go wrong when you have a double barrel shootgun in hands for those zombies
dewcrew8 is offline  
Old April 22, 2013, 09:55 PM   #34
Eppie
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 7, 2010
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 802
Plenty of 12 gauge ammo here. It's the only thing in stock.
__________________
"Socialized Medicine is the Keystone to the Arch of the Socialist State.” -Vladimir Lenin
"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them." - Thomas Jefferson (An early warning to Obama care)
Eppie is offline  
Old April 22, 2013, 10:10 PM   #35
johnwilliamson062
Junior member
 
Join Date: May 16, 2008
Posts: 9,995
I've long considered a 357 SIG as it seems it is always on the shelf. In 2008 Wal-Mart had a single lonely box on the shelf for a solid month while all else was bare.

As others said, it makes more sense just to buy some ammo and put it away. After 2008 I started keeping a minimum 5,000 rounds of 22lr on hand. When things are tight I can stretch that over a year pretty easily.
johnwilliamson062 is offline  
Old April 22, 2013, 10:16 PM   #36
Deja vu
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 14, 2010
Location: Border of Idaho & Montana
Posts: 2,584
All of my guns are one of 4 rounds. 45-70 Govt, 357 magnum, 22lr or 12ga.

I have a good stock of each saved up but have been shooting mostly 12ga because thats what I can find.

p.s. I reload all of those (other than 22lr )
__________________
Shot placement is everything! I would rather take a round of 50BMG to the foot than a 22short to the base of the skull.

all 26 of my guns are 45/70 govt, 357 mag, 22 or 12 ga... I believe in keeping it simple. Wish my wife did as well...
Deja vu is offline  
Old April 22, 2013, 10:25 PM   #37
kilimanjaro
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 23, 2009
Posts: 3,963
Fortunately, I have ample supplies of .455 Webley and .30 Mauser, to tide me over until the .45 ACP and 9mm Luger come back in stock. I have some stashed away, but it's stashed away and not for shortage easement.
kilimanjaro is offline  
Old April 22, 2013, 11:32 PM   #38
Justice06RR
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 21, 2010
Location: Central FL
Posts: 1,360
Having multiple guns in different caliber is definitely an advantage in during this shortage. If I can't shoot 9mm, 22lr, or 5.56, I shoot my Mosin 7.62 or my 12ga Mossberg.
Justice06RR is offline  
Old April 23, 2013, 07:27 AM   #39
444
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 20, 2000
Location: Ohio
Posts: 3,968
It has made it easier for me.

Although I have been able to get ammo in more common calibers. It's hit or miss, and the quantities are limited but I have been able to locate 9mm, .38 Special, and .45 ACP here and there.

Back to the original topic: I went to Cabellas and their shelves are always stripped bare other than obscure calibers such as .38 S&W and 7.62x25. It just so happens that I own handguns chambered for those cartridges which I hadn't shot for years. So, I bought a few boxes of each and the next time I went to the range those are what I took. Same thing with .30 Carbine. They had that, so I bought it and took out my Ruger Blackhawk in .30 Carbine. Shotgun shells are plentiful around here. I don't get much enjoyment out of shotguns but the ammo is there if you do.
__________________
You know the rest. In the books you have read
How the British Regulars fired and fled,
How the farmers gave them ball for ball,
From behind each fence and farmyard wall,
Chasing the redcoats down the lane,
Then crossing the fields to emerge again
Under the trees at the turn of the road,
And only pausing to fire and load.
444 is offline  
Old April 23, 2013, 08:37 PM   #40
pilot141
Member
 
Join Date: February 17, 2013
Location: Way south Tejas
Posts: 21
Yes, it has.

I had been sticking with .40 S&W and .45 ACP for the last few years. Just before the panic I added a 9mm. Hmm.

For the first couple of months I was shooting my .40s almost exclusively. I had plenty of ammo and I could still find ammo on the shelves. About mid-Feb the .40 down here dried up completely.

So I switched to my .45 and 9mm. I have been able to shoot both consistently while also being able to replace anything I shoot from the shelves. In fact I have increased my .45 stock, and built up a 9mm reserve from basically nothing. For some reason .40 is scarce down here even now. When it comes back the .40s will go back into the rotation.

So yes, having different calibers has allowed me to stay in my comfort zone.
pilot141 is offline  
Old April 23, 2013, 08:49 PM   #41
Cheapshooter
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 2, 2007
Location: Missouri
Posts: 8,306
Having numerious C&R milsurps in calibers that were cheap, and plentiful a few years ago has allowed me a lot of shooting time. I still have several K rounds of 7.62X25 for my TT-33's and CZ52.
Stockpiling commercial ammo has helped, but those stocks are getting low.
I really need to get my reloading bench set up again though. Been out of reloading for a few years, but saving a lot of brass for when I get back to It.
__________________
Cheapshooter's rules of gun ownership #1: NEVER SELL OR TRADE ANYTHING!
Cheapshooter is offline  
Old April 24, 2013, 01:33 AM   #42
JimmyR
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 4, 2012
Posts: 1,273
I don't reload (yet- it's on my list of things to get into), but I do own a variety of calibers, and continue to branch off into different areas. Right now, I have .22 short, .32 ACP, .32 Long, 9x19 Mak, 9x19 Luger, and .357 Mag. Between them all, I can generally find something to shoot when I go to the range. It helps that I have a few hundred rounds of 9mm left, since that seems to be what I go through fastest. I am glad of the variety I have, since it gives me different guns for different situations.
JimmyR is offline  
Old April 25, 2013, 10:10 PM   #43
jben
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 31, 2006
Posts: 216
It's been good to have a 41 mag in the arsenal. There was a fair amount of ammo for it on the shelves at Sportman's Warehouse, at least in our area. jben
jben is offline  
Old April 26, 2013, 06:41 PM   #44
Rick F
Member
 
Join Date: October 2, 2012
Posts: 71
I recently got a .357 SIG, and that is the most plentiful ammo near me. Glad I did.
__________________
Sig P220 Elite Stainless .45 /// H&K P30L 9mm /// Kimber Eclipse Target II .45 /// S&W 686+ 5" Pro /// Walther PPS 9mm /// SA MC Operator .45 /// LMT MRP w/ACOG TA11HG /// Ruger Scout w/Nikon /// Benelli Nova Tactical 12g /// EVO X & S2000
Rick F is offline  
Old April 26, 2013, 08:10 PM   #45
BubbaBlades
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 22, 2013
Location: South Florida
Posts: 121


Another option to having guns of different calibers is having one gun that shoots multiple calibers. This Phillips and Rogers Medusa chambers and shoots over 20 different caliber rounds (rimmed and rimless) with bullet diameters in the .355 to .358 range. In my experience, it is as accurate and dependable shooting 9mm (9x18 thru 9x21) as it is shooting the various .38s.

Mark
BubbaBlades is offline  
Old April 27, 2013, 11:53 PM   #46
Blue Duck
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 15, 2006
Posts: 402
We are in new country here, and while I think it's great to have large quantities of a few common calibers stored up, it also helps to have a gun capable of shooting whatever ammo is available and sometimes that's the odd stuff that left on the shelves.

I mean what is more common then .22 or 9mm and they are the hardest ones to find right now. It's strange but 40 cal is also popular and more available, locally.
38's and 357's are here and there, same with 45 and 44 caliber stuff.

I was sort of for stream linning, but not anymore. It might come down to finding an odd box of shells and hoping you had something to make them go bang.

And being a reloader, I am looking more at my revolvers, lately, because it's easier to save the spent hulls when I am out and about in the grass on the farm, as I will often loose 50% or more of my brass when shooting an auto.
Blue Duck is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:16 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.08937 seconds with 9 queries