The "Where is everything?" thread -- guns, ammo, primers, powder, etc.

[Machineguntony]

Here's my report from central Texas.

I just started shooting and reloading again. I am also buying lots of NFA items, reloading items, and guns.

Locally, everything is getting a little bit better. At Cebelas in Buda, you can find a wall of AR15 complete guns. Unfortunately, Cabelas does not have uppers. They only sell complete guns. Also, Cabelas does not sell parts like threaded barrels.

On Monday at Cabelas, I saw a large amount of powder available. No primers. It seems that the powder situation is getting better.

Powder is available, call around. I found some, but cleared it out. I saw lots of trail boss available. Unfortunately, I can't use trail boss.

At no place in central Texas could I find the bigger 8 pound containers of ammo. I am getting into the machine gun hobby (I have an m16a1, m16a2, both complete and original, and an mp5a3 on the way, waiting for BATFE approval), so I have to reload in order to keep costs down.

Primers nowhere to be seen, except for one place. I won't disclose where because my greedy little hands bought all 30,000+ (actual high number kept anonymous to protect cashier), after bribing the cashier. I'm not hording, I'm an actual end user, as I will shoot them through my machine guns.

As for ammo here is a tip. Cabelas on weekdays will restock the ammo shelf. They randomly restock in order to prevent hoarders. But I've discovered that they restock between 11:30am-12pm. And 3:30-4:00pm. They have a limit of 5 boxes per person, regardless of the caliber. It takes the ammo about 15 minutes to sell out.

After a day of running around central Texas, I was able to buy 30,000+ primers, 21 pounds of powder (all in one pound canisters), 500 9mm projectiles at Cabellas (very overpriced, but the last available), and 2000 .223 projectiles. It's out there, you must be willing to make calls and run around Austin and San Antonio.

[thallub]

Yesterday the Lawton Wal-Mart on 67th St. had lots of 9mm and .40 caliber ammo.

[kozak6]

I inquired about a brick of .22 at a local shop.

The response: "They still make those?"

There was an easy half dozen AR's on the shelf, though. Prices looked fair.

[gaseousclay]

Stopped by a LGS on my way to the in-laws and they had no 22LR ammo in stock. A shame too cuz they had a nice looking used Browning BL-22 for sale. Wonder if they'll ever sell it?

[gaseousclay]

Primers nowhere to be seen, except for one place. I won't disclose where because my greedy little hands bought all 30,000+ (actual high number kept anonymous to protect cashier), after bribing the cashier. I'm not hording, I'm an actual end user, as I will shoot them through my machine guns.

Actually, I think this is the very definition of hoarding

[Redbeardsong]

Originally Posted by gaseousclay

Actually, I think this is the very definition of hoarding

No. Hoarding would be stockpiling for the future without actually needing to use it. 30k rounds goes quickly when you are running machine guns.

[gaseousclay]

No. Hoarding would be stockpiling for the future without actually needing to use it. 30k rounds goes quickly when you are running machine guns.

All semantics. Machineguntony stated "Primers nowhere to be seen, except for one place. I won't disclose where because my greedy little hands bought all 30,000+ (actual high number kept anonymous to protect cashier), after bribing the cashier." He buys 30k primers, doesn't disclose where he bought them, calls himself greedy & bribes a cashier. Hoarding has nothing to do with whether or not someone uses ammo - it's making it unavailable for the other guy. It's like the guy who says he's not a racist and then makes a racist comment.

[BombthePeasants]

Well said Gaseous Clay.

[Jo6pak]

My local shop has dozens of ARs, and plenty of 5.56mm ammo. Still have a 5 box limit on ammo, but they have a lot in stock.
Silver Bear and Brown Bear ammo is $8 per box. Brass cased fodder is still ~$.50 per round.

.40 is plentiful, 9mm is still low but they have some.

But still only a few boxes of .22

[SgtLumpy]

On Hoarding...

It always seems to come down to "My hoarding is more ethical/realistic/fair than your hoarding".

If I feel like having 100 rounds is what I need, but you feel like 100k rounds is what you need, that doesn't make you wrong. It just makes me less prepared.

CCI says they manufacture 4 million 22 cartridges every day. If I had 10,000 in my safe, would that make me a hoarder? I say no. If I had ZERO rounds in the safe, that wouldn't make those 22s any more available to someone else.

Personally, I don't have any trouble finding ammo for anything I shoot. I don't do the Wally World camp out in line thing, nor do I buy one box just before I go to the range.

I've got motor oil to last for the next 12 years on three vehicles. I've got food for my horses that will last one year. If the earth closes tomorrow, I hope I can live on canned peas and dried apples. I have a lot of those. All of that was simply cheaper to buy at the time and volume that I bought them. I don't think I'm keeping the world from having their canned peas.


Sgt Lumpy

[bshefa]

I was actually able to buy a box of CCI mini mags at the Waco Academy yesterday. No gouge either, paid around $7. They had a shipment of 2 display cases earlier that day but there were only 3 left. They were stocked pretty well with .40, .223, . 9MM and had a bunch of .308. Hopefully, it is easing up around here.

[Punisher_1]

Six months later and ammo is available but at twice the price it used to be. I'm not going to pay these prices. I don't see how the shooting sports are going to attract young new shooters unless they are wealthy. So give it another 20 years and we'll have less shooters and less say in legislation and we will have done it to ourselves.

[gaseousclay]

Six months later and ammo is available but at twice the price it used to be. I'm not going to pay these prices. I don't see how the shooting sports are going to attract young new shooters unless they are wealthy. So give it another 20 years and we'll have less shooters and less say in legislation and we will have done it to ourselves.

Makes me wonder how much of an impact this will also have on the hunting community. No ammo means, fewer hunters, exploding deer populations and less money going into conservation efforts. Not to mention the cost if raw materials for ammo continuing to go up in price to meet demand. I hate to say it but gun owners are digging their own graves with this one. I've wanted to buy another gun to add to my meager collection but now I figure what's the point?

[Machineguntony]

I am not hoarding. I am just buying enough so that I don't have to drive 200 miles and make 50 phone calls throughout central Texas, just to buy stupid components. But I get your point.

Waiting for components to go down is like waiting for gasoline to go down. I remember when gas was expensive if it hit $1.50/gallon. It hit $2 a gallon and people went bonkers. I know a few people back then who said they were going to delay buying a new car until gas went back to $1.50 or so a gallon. They're still waiting, I suppose.

Waiting for prices to come down on components or ammo is futile. Just take out a mortgage, buy some ammo, and enjoy the sport.

[Garycw]

Im afraid the elevated ammo prices is the new norm. I've never seen the value/cost of firearms or ammo go down. It's interesting to find old ammo boxes 10+ years old and note the prices. The same with firearms.

[StukaJU87]

I don't buy ammo just to buy ammo, I shop for the price I want to pay. I can find any ammo I want, the trick is finding it at a price I'm willing to pay.

Prices will be whatever people are willing to pay. If people are dumb enough to pay 3 times what they know it's worth, then they're the reason the prices won't come back down, not the sellers. I know if I was price gouging and I still had a line of idiots throwing money at me I wouldn't lower my prices either. I like the people that complain about prices but still buy. If you don't like the price, walk away. If enough people walk, sellers will catch on and prices will start to fall. Buying at inflated prices and then saying "gee, I think these high prices are going to be the new norm" or "I don't think we'll ever see low prices again", is just stupid.

Funny how when Cabellas had 2100rds of .22lr for $70 they couldn't give them away. Now you have people lined up to pay 3 - 4 times that. Think about it, if you were selling 525 packs of .22lr for $15 and then raised them to $60 and people were still lining up to buy them, would you lower the price? I mean, what's your incentive to go back to $15 when people are lining up to pay $60?

I'm not saying people need to quit buying or stop shouting, just be smart about it. Stop and think about what your buying and what your paying because if your paying inflated prices, you're the problem not the solution.

And FYI, the following are not "deals":
$8/20rds of 7.62x39
$350/1000rds of 7.62x39
$1000/1000rds of .308
$1000/1000rds of .223
$60/525rds of .22lr

And the list goes on....

[gaseousclay]

Prices will be whatever people are willing to pay. If people are dumb enough to pay 3 times what they know it's worth, then they're the reason the prices won't come back down, not the sellers. I know if I was price gouging and I still had a line of idiots throwing money at me I wouldn't lower my prices either. I like the people that complain about prices but still buy. If you don't like the price, walk away. If enough people walk, sellers will catch on and prices will start to fall. Buying at inflated prices and then saying "gee, I think these high prices are going to be the new norm" or "I don't think we'll ever see low prices again", is just stupid.

Funny how when Cabellas had 2100rds of .22lr for $70 they couldn't give them away. Now you have people lined up to pay 3 - 4 times that. Think about it, if you were selling 525 packs of .22lr for $15 and then raised them to $60 and people were still lining up to buy them, would you lower the price? I mean, what's your incentive to go back to $15 when people are lining up to pay $60?

I'm not saying people need to quit buying or stop shouting, just be smart about it. Stop and think about what your buying and what your paying because if your paying inflated prices, you're the problem not the solution.

I don't think stores are engaging in some nefarious scheme to bilk consumers. I'm sure the ammo manufacturers increase prices when raw materials become harder to obtain....it's just passed onto gun owners. As long as hoarding continues there will be no end in sight to the shortage

[gaseousclay]

On Hoarding...

It always seems to come down to "My hoarding is more ethical/realistic/fair than your hoarding".

If I feel like having 100 rounds is what I need, but you feel like 100k rounds is what you need, that doesn't make you wrong. It just makes me less prepared.

CCI says they manufacture 4 million 22 cartridges every day. If I had 10,000 in my safe, would that make me a hoarder? I say no. If I had ZERO rounds in the safe, that wouldn't make those 22s any more available to someone else.

Personally, I don't have any trouble finding ammo for anything I shoot. I don't do the Wally World camp out in line thing, nor do I buy one box just before I go to the range.

I've got motor oil to last for the next 12 years on three vehicles. I've got food for my horses that will last one year. If the earth closes tomorrow, I hope I can live on canned peas and dried apples. I have a lot of those. All of that was simply cheaper to buy at the time and volume that I bought them. I don't think I'm keeping the world from having their canned peas.

But now we're talking about need versus want. Do you need oil and food for your horses? Of course you do. Does someone need 5000 rounds of 22LR ammo? Unless their livelihoods depend on it, no.

[SgtLumpy]

But now we're talking about need versus want. Do you need oil and food for your horses? Of course you do. Does someone need 5000 rounds of 22LR ammo? Unless their livelihoods depend on it, no.

Like I said "My version of hoarding is more important than your version" seems to always be the bottom line.


Sgt Lumpy

[Garycw]

Originally Posted by StukaJU87

I don't buy ammo just to buy ammo, I shop for the price I want to pay. I can find any ammo I want, the trick is finding it at a price I'm willing to pay.

Prices will be whatever people are willing to pay. Buying at inflated prices and then saying "gee, I think these high prices are going to be the new norm" or "I don't think we'll ever see low prices again", is just stupid



And FYI, the following are not "deals":
$8/20rds of 7.62x39
$350/1000rds of 7.62x39
$1000/1000rds of .308
$1000/1000rds of .223
$60/525rds of .22lr

And the list goes on....

Those sound like gunbroker prices. People bid up that stuff because they just want it and the money is not a problem and the least of there concern. It has a domino effect. Some see that and run out buy all the cheap Walmart ammo they can , then list on gunbroker. Some of those selling prices are laughable, but started out at $1.00 opening bid.
I would never pay those prices you listed. Well I shouldn't say never, if that's all you could get I might, but may not go target shooting with it. Someday those prices you listed may be a real bargan. I hope not though.
The last 500 bricks of 22 I bought was $30( not Walmart). Before that was $20. I am guessing they'll settle back in around $25.
The last 7.62x39 1000rnd cases I bought was $189, then $219, now it's around $249.
9mm was $ 10@ box of 50. Now it's $15.
The price of everything has many contributing factors. Wages, fuel cost for delivery and more. Crazy inflated price gouging is just that. Crazy! And yes , if people keep paying those crazy prices they're adding to the problem.
I can remember the days of 500 22lr for $5.
I'm glad I've seen this coming years ago so I can assure you I'm not part of the problem.

[Garycw]

This arrival is a good read on the current ammo shortage.

http://www.alloutdoor.com/2013/06/12...kly+Newsletter

[Punisher_1]

Good article. The government created the motivation and we created the problem. We stand as much chance of getting shooters to quit buying ammo as we do getting an obese person to quit eating. I'll just dust off my bowling ball for the next year or so and hold what I have for an emergency.

[9miller]

Hey guys, I just checked midsouthshooterssupply.com and they have 29 different selections of .224 bullets, even their xtreme bullets in 55gr hollow point in 500 and 5000 count boxes, yes, 3 zeros, you read that correctly. Hurry along now before the hoarders swallow it up. Happy reloading!!!!

[9miller]

They also have remington 5 1/2 small mag pistol primers and limited powder selection.

[Old 454]

Wen to a small out of the way gun club that was open to the public.

Picked up :

8LB jug of 2400 $123.00 + tax

1k Federal SRM Primers 34.99+ Tax

1k Winchester LPP 34.99 +tax

not to bad