Will ammo prices return to normal?

[JeremyS]

Obama has said previously if you ban or heavily regulate ammunition, you effectively ban guns.

...then he's wrong. What you effectively do is create incentive for a black market. We'll see Mexican drug cartels bringing ammo into the country hidden inside their bales of marijuana. You'll have criminals with just as much ammo as they've always had, and the law-abiding not able to afford enough to enjoy the shooting sports...

And/Or reloading will become the norm until that is regulated.

Still has to pass Constitutional checks... bans on ammunition = infringement on 2nd Amendment and it would get overturned if it could even pass in the first place...

[k1dude]

In the Sac area I haven't seen a sharp jump in ammo prices. What I have seen is supply shortages. For the most part, the small business gun stores haven't been gouging or trying to take advantage of the increased demand. At the Ammo Depot I was able to get Rem. .40 FMJ for about $18.00 a box of 50. But all of the bulk deals are gone because of supply.

In the Sacramento area I've seen prices rise dramatically. Maybe not at Walmart, but good luck finding any ammo there. They are sold out of almost everything.

Places like Sportmans Whorehouse have always been high, but even their prices have been creeping up.

But most of the mom and pop shops have increased dramatically. I'm seeing Tula and MPA 7.62x39 for $400/1,000. You used to be able to buy it for $180/1,000. I'm seeing American Eagle .223 for 42 cents a round. It used to go for 29 cents per round. I'm seeing .45 WWB for 50 cents per round when it used to be 35 cents. I'm seeing Federal 9mm for 32 cents per round when it used to go for 20.

And you'd be lucky to even find inventory at those prices.

It's going up most everywhere and it's still sold out at those high prices.

[GuillermoAntonio]

In the Sacramento area I've seen prices rise dramatically. Maybe not at Walmart, but good luck finding any ammo there. They are sold out of almost everything.

Places like Sportmans Whorehouse have always been high, but even their prices have been creeping up.

But most of the mom and pop shops have increased dramatically. I'm seeing Tula and MPA 7.62x39 for $400/1,000. You used to be able to buy it for $180/1,000. I'm seeing American Eagle .223 for 42 cents a round. It used to go for 29 cents per round. I'm seeing .45 WWB for 50 cents per round when it used to be 35 cents. I'm seeing Federal 9mm for 32 cents per round when it used to go for 20.

And you'd be lucky to even find inventory at those prices.

It's going up most everywhere and it's still sold out at those high prices.

WHERE?
thats cheap! (by todays going prices)

[markw]

unless you are way stocked up on primers, like 10k
you won't be happy much longer

Doesn't everyone have at least 10k of primers for everything they reload? No wonder the ranges have been vacant lately.. While my BiL was stocking up on silver I was stocking up on reloading supplies. Now he's panicking (4 boxes of .223 left) and I'm thinking I know how to turn lead in to silver.

[Rickrock1]

I say we say inventory in next 6 Momths start to fill shelves with higher costs crazy taxes etc and my biggest fear Internet sales !!

[9mmlove]

My buddy and i knew this day would come. We have two reloaders, about enough brass and primers to make 35,000 9mm, 55,000 45acp and 25,000 .223 each and a lot of powders, not enough primers for how much powder.

I do shoot a lot of 9mm, I been even making my own HD jhp in 9 and 45

[SmallShark]

i have no ****ing idea why people hoarding 22lr.

[Falcon One]

If mail order is banned, this may be the new normal.

[Sakiri]

In the Sac area I haven't seen a sharp jump in ammo prices. What I have seen is supply shortages. For the most part, the small business gun stores haven't been gouging or trying to take advantage of the increased demand. At the Ammo Depot I was able to get Rem. .40 FMJ for about $18.00 a box of 50. But all of the bulk deals are gone because of supply.

Only place I've seen .40 FMJ was Walmart and they were charging 40 bucks for 100.

Only other .40 there was HP, $25 for 20.

[RonnieP]

i have no ****ing idea why people hoarding 22lr.

.22LR pistol + .22LR rifle + 1 brick of .22LR = Great day at the range

[Sac-AR15]

i have no ****ing idea why people hoarding 22lr.

Because everything else is costing wayyy too much money to shoot. I stocked up on 22lr so I don't have to use up my normal supplies until hopefully things go back to normal.

[k1dude]

I do shoot a lot of 9mm, I been even making my own HD jhp in 9 and 45

How do you make your own? I know about casting, but how do you put a copper jacket on? Or are you plating?

[paul0660]

Normal?

If I though surplus x 54 @ five cents were going to available again I would have kept my Mosins.

[limitdown]

Prices will drop, just like they did after the panic of 2008. This is a cyclical industry, and like every other cyclical industry, we'll go through periods of over and under-investment. When prices are high, people will invest in more equipment and produce more ammoo.
If prices stay high, my buddies and I would seriously considering entering the ammo business. Costs are starting to come down, especially copper prices. The Chinese have been investing heavily since 2008 in domestic copper mines and refining capacity. Demand growth has also been stagnant there (lower investment in power plants, less real estate construction).
Gross profit margins are very attractive for ammo producers. Even if prices drop down to 2010-2011's lows, we can probably make good gross margins and operating margins.

[dandingo13]

i have no ****ing idea why people hoarding 22lr.

Because .22 isn't reloadable.