The Ammo Shortage: Technical specs

[The War Wagon]

Some interesting thoughts, on the technical reasons for the shortage.

19 Jul 2020
Explaining The Ammunition ShortagePolitical climate.logistics chain.When you tell workers to go home, production stops. The next thing we learn in this same article is what happened when the manufacturers eventually did open back up.

[JackEllis]

Will this return to normal? That remains to be seen. I’m not a prophet.

I am, and it will. Eventually.

[dmo171]

Anyone shoot maxtech ammo???? I've been seeing a lot of that

[Rakso]

Anyone shoot maxtech ammo???? I've been seeing a lot of that

I have.

[elk hunter]

I think pretty much all of that has been talked about in the forum at one time or another several times but a nice piece to post. Yep, if you need a box of something and you see it maybe you ought to buy it now rather than trying later. It's going to be awhile until this is fixed. Thanks for the post and good luck.

[The War Wagon]

If you weren't around for the great O'bummer 5.56 shortage of '08 - '09, a LOTTA interesting stuff started coming into the country, to make up the loss of the "standards" (Winchester Q3131, Lake City M193, M855, et.al.).

Centurion (M193) from Greece, Igman M855 from Bosnia, LOTS more Privi from Serbia, & S&B from the Czech Republic - and Barnaul's whole "Bear" line sprang into being, to make up the shortages stateside.

SOME of that HASN'T been coming in the last several years, because it was cheaper to get Wolf Gold, Bear steelcase, and domestic ammo - importers would've lost money. NOW I would count on seeing those channels open UP again - maybe even before the end of the year.

I bought lots of the brass-cased stuff - Centurion & Igman especially. WHEN it gets here, jump on it hard with both feet. It might disappear for a while again, if everything goes RIGHT in November.

[elk hunter]

Ahhhh ya I've been around for about 71 years now so I've seen all that and quiet a bit more. I would agree that there will be little spurts of things being available for very short amounts of time and there will be very little of it. I would call it more of a bump in the road more than a big hill. The Chinese bug is also in other countries as well as some of the Floyd BLM BS unrest so it's not just the U.S. that's having problems, there's plenty to go around. More newly created money on the way to drive the buss deeper into the ditch so look for more financial BS and with the elections it's going to be more than interesting. Keep in mind your dealing with well organized and funded Anarchist brown shirts who should be left on the streets as a grease spot. If Trump wins there will be riots on a scale you or I have never seen in this country, if he loses it will go full moron. Hang onto you @ss cause it's going to be a wild ride. Those that want bullets for their pop guns better not hesitate buying them when they find them same for guns or reloading components. I've already sold off all I'm selling and it was done to help a friend in his gun store I still have enough to help out family and other friends but I'm not going to do much more. I need to keep enough to take care of myself and immediate family.

[wpod]

I learned my lesson several shortages ago.
I have ammo to last the rest of my life.
Getting old makes that ratio easier to maintain.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[AGGRO]

I am, and it will. Eventually.

It's been more bad than good for the last ten years. The Obama years started it off. Mass shootings and speeches about AW bans then the States took over and did the same. Now the chaos.

[hunterb]

If you weren't around for the great O'bummer 5.56 shortage of '08 - '09, a LOTTA interesting stuff started coming into the country, to make up the loss of the "standards" (Winchester Q3131, Lake City M193, M855, et.al.).

Centurion (M193) from Greece, Igman M855 from Bosnia, LOTS more Privi from Serbia, & S&B from the Czech Republic - and Barnaul's whole "Bear" line sprang into being, to make up the shortages stateside.

SOME of that HASN'T been coming in the last several years, because it was cheaper to get Wolf Gold, Bear steelcase, and domestic ammo - importers would've lost money. NOW I would count on seeing those channels open UP again - maybe even before the end of the year.

I bought lots of the brass-cased stuff - Centurion & Igman especially. WHEN it gets here, jump on it hard with both feet. It might disappear for a while again, if everything goes RIGHT in November.

Love Prvi and S&B ammo. I thought Wolf Gold was made in Taiwan? I hope that should be picking up in supply since Taiwan wasn't hit from the China Virus too hard...
Thanks for sharing the article OP, interesting read.

[sirgrumps]

Remember the great .22lr ammo shortage a few years back?
Aguila was able to enter the market.

But the technical issues listed above are part of the problem.

You have several problems right now.
A shortage of ammo due to
1.) the pandemic induced panic buying
2.) then add rioting and no police Induced panic buying
3.) new gun buyer induced panic buying
4.) stopped production of ammo due to the pandemic
5.) stopped mining of raw materials
6.) presidential election year.

I think pretty much all of that has been talked about in the forum at one time or another several times but a nice piece to post. Yep, if you need a box of something and you see it maybe you ought to buy it now rather than trying later. It's going to be awhile until this is fixed. Thanks for the post and good luck.

Right now, if one need s some SD ammo, especially in 9mm, this might be the right idea. I suspect it will take 2 years and a Trump Re-election before it gets back to "normal." With a Biden win, a whole lot longer, maybe 5 years

[The War Wagon]

Going back further... when KLIN - TON I outlawed Norinco in early '94, that's when S&B and Wolf started coming into the country in 7.62x39.

Having shot $.99/box o' 20 7.62 from Norinco for years, I was stunned at a gun show in February '94, seeing this NEW S&B ammo at... $3/box!!!

I thought, "WHO'S gonna fork over $3 a box for 7.62 Russkie?!?!?"

[elk hunter]

People would pee all over themselves with glee to get that at that price today, slick willie was not our friend just ask some of the dead and missing.

[Cowboy T]

Love Prvi and S&B ammo. I thought Wolf Gold was made in Taiwan? I hope that should be picking up in supply since Taiwan wasn't hit from the China Virus too hard...
Thanks for sharing the article OP, interesting read.

Actually, I think Wolf Gold is made by Prvi. Either way, it's good stuff; I've shot and reloaded some of it.

As we've noted in other threads on this subject, the key is to stock up when there's a glut. I learned my lesson in 2009 after Pres. Obama's election and the subsequent ammo (and primer, for reloaders) shortage. Fortunately, I've been reloading since 2009 and I have no ammo problems at this point, and yes, I also cast my own bullets.

For those who can get set up to cast--and, in California, powder-coat--that seems like a Very Good Idea, indeed. That includes rifle bullets, folks. No, you won't be shooting "way out there" with them, but marksmanship practice with cast bullets is also a good thing.

[The War Wagon]

Actually, I think Wolf Gold is made by Prvi. Either way, it's good stuff; I've shot and reloaded some of it.

Agreed.

I HAVE some Taiwanese 5.56 - it's part of my stash that I acquired back during the '08 shortage. I wanna say it dates to the late '80's/early '90's. For the LIFE of me, I can't remember who that was subcontracted by!

Speaking of O-L-D stash, I loaded up a couple of new PMags with some Lake City the other night. Headstamped, 1993.