Didn't Have a Clue There Was Another Ammo & Gun Shortage!

[MrTwentyTwo]

Went into my local Cabela's for fun today and could not believe my eyes!

The ammo shelves were empty, as well as a lot of the gun cases and racks!

Again... didn't have a clue! Guess I've been locked up too long! Gawd... here we go again!!



Looks like the toilet paper roll aisle did, a few weeks ago in Albertsons!

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[TTSX]

Been going on for a few months now.

 

[flashpan]

There is lots of ammo around in other stores and on the i-net...except for 9mm. Not sure why folks pound Cabelas so much? I rarely buy ammo there...just too high. Lots of ammo for sale right here on good ole NWFA's too.

 

[Alexx1401]

Went into my local Cabela's for fun today and could not believe my eyes!

The ammo shelves were empty, as well as a lot of the gun cases and racks!

Again... didn't have a clue! Guess I've been locked up too long! Gawd... here we go again!!

View attachment 702657

Looks like the toilet paper roll aisle did, a few weeks ago in Albertsons!

Sadly again, people and their very short memories and paying little to no attention. Ranges are starting to open, the sun is coming out, people are heading out. All it takes is the first few to see some empty spots on the shelf when they walk in to buy a couple boxes. So instead of buying a couple they buy 10 times that. Then the next guy see's that................................... Next they tell everyone there is none to be had and off to the races we go, again.

 

[Alexx1401]

There is lots of ammo around in other stores and on the i-net...except for 9mm. Not sure why folks pound Cabelas so much? I rarely buy ammo there...just too high. Lots of ammo for sale right here on good ole NWFA's too.

It will roll through others too. This is how it starts every time. People who refuse to learn from the past repeat it over and over again. Remember not being able to buy toilet paper? People already forgot that too. When the shelves started to go empty in a few stores it was soon gone at all stores. This too will roll along, and follow the same only path.

 

[slimmer13]

Went into a LGS the other day. Nothing but bolt actions and shotguns and a few pistols.I asked him if he stopped selling semi autos because of 1639. He said no, he was just sold out. I didn't know it was that bad. I guess that means I'm good.

 

[The Heretic]

Shortage?

No. No shortage.

Panic buying?

Abso-friggin-lutely - yes.

 

[notazombie]

No, that's just springtime in Idaho.

 

[Tacos4me]

I went by Sportsman's Warehouse in Hillsboro today. Powder and primers were gone. Some reloading bullets were available. Buckshot and slugs were gone. A lot of handgun ammo was gone. There was a good selection of rifle ammo.

 

[Ura-Ki]

Bi-Mart had plenty of ammo and reloading stuff this evening, no shortages at all!

 

[awshoot]

I went by Sportsman's Warehouse in Hillsboro today. Powder and primers were gone. Some reloading bullets were available. Buckshot and slugs were gone. A lot of handgun ammo was gone. There was a good selection of rifle ammo.

I've never bought powder by the 8# jug before, but I've done that for my most used powders at this point. Also stocked up on primers. I figure between the virus and the election, choice is going to get thin and I have some well honed loads I don't want to have to redo because of component unavailability.

 

[GWS]

Orchards BiMart yesterday was pretty bare in the ammo department, except for birdshot and 22LR.

 

[MrTwentyTwo]

Orchards BiMart yesterday was pretty bare in the ammo department, except for birdshot and 22LR.

Yes. Cabela's rifle ammo was full, except for the military calibers. That was all of the handgun shelves that were empty. Not a .22 round in sight. Employee told me they are still getting daily shipments and everything is selling out that day, usually before noon! Total and utter BS (to put it mildly).

 

[The Heretic]

I don't see any shortage of ammo on my shelves :

 

[The Heretic]

Yes. Cabela's rifle ammo was full, except for the military calibers.

Yeah - I vacillate back and forth about ammo availability during SHTF.

On the one hand, the popular calibers like 5.56x45 will fly off the shelf

OTOH, everybody and their dogs will have some on hand at home

On the other other hand (everybody has three hands, right?), the military and LEOs will have 5.56x45 in plentiful supply.

On the other foot (ran out of hands), military/police ammo is usually the first to be banned.

What have we learned?

1) Stock up on ammo - deep.
2) What is on the shelves will fly off, whether it is ammo or TP or hand sanitizer.
3) It pays to have guns and ammo that can be shared with your neighbors, and vice versa.
4) It doesn't hurt to have guns and ammo that isn't military/LEO ammo. Just don't let that affect your stock of common military ammo like 5.56x45, 9mm, 7.62x39 and 7.62x51

 

[Member 52301]

Long post so if you don't like to read a long post - you have been warned. FEEL free to ignore or skim on by.

My husband told me that he sees 'shortages' or LOW stock in many items in this town. It depends on what you are looking for too. This has been going on for several months now.

(We do not need any specific item. In fact, even though he has been shooting a lot and often, he is still downsizing a bit more.)

Remember that one small town or large city within the same state but miles apart can differ widely on what they keep in stock, what they can purchase and actually RECEIVE, how many people shop there, etc.

Two stores in the same town can vary greatly too!

IT was like this after the CT murders and continued on for YEARS around here. I do gather that in some states and in some specific cities with HIGHER populations that the problem was not as bad.

By the way, if something IS in stock and if there is NO limit or so called 'shortages' going on when it comes to buying a Specific Item, what is the difference if a person buys 6 or 4 items of X if they do NOT shop online compared to the person who buys 1 CASE or 2 CASES of the same exact item via an online source?

There is NO difference and, in fact, a person who has always bought a little bit of X product on a regular basis (Paycheck or pension time.) or bought 1 case of X product even if it was NOT bought online and IN their local gun store since they planned their shooting supplies on an annual basis should not be 'shamed' for lack of a better word. It is called planning ahead for what you shoot within a year or for your retirement unless some disability kicks in down the road.

This subject matter does not only apply to GUN stuff and it applies to ALL things that one individual or a couple or a family uses on a regular basis.

Throw in inflation to the situation (True!) or fires at reloading powder plants (Actual news in the past.) or shipping things from overseas (Actual news.) or raw material shortages (Actual news.) or for any other reason.

Some of us do TRY to support our local stores - small and large ones because we want them to stay in business.

Many people BUY online and I am NOT knocking people who choose to do this - we have done that with 2 specific companies only we ordered through a customer service department and spoke to a human being.

One small company is one that my husband bought from for years on end. He would still buy from them only he does not need any item now. Good service even during so called fake/real shortages.

The other company is one that he QUIT since they no longer support a telephone order - customer service department and ONLY wanted to do everything VIA a computer. By the time that the owner/manager told me that he would NOT take an order from ME as in talking to a human being for CUSTOMER SERVICE - he was on the telephone with me for almost 30 minutes complaining.

He could have TAKEN a whole bunch of orders in that time frame! And I actually had a card in hand that was good and VALID for a telephone order via a HUMAN BEING.

So I asked the owner/manager who actually turned out to be a PAIN about a paper MAIL order with a USPS money order or a check that they used to take since my husband used to buy TONS of products from them in the past and the owner said that he would NOT even do that any longer because a few people screwed him. So I said that because a FEW people screwed you - you refuse to SELL to LONG time COMPETITION SHOOTERS - high volume customers who BUILT YOUR BUSINESS and supported you in times where you really NEEDED the business plus those customers spread the word about your products? WHY don't you have the check CLEAR first and mail the product as you always did in the past? And I am talking about LARGE ORDERS for more than one man but shipped to one man. Nope - he complained there. So my husband QUIT THEM.

I did the talking and my husband was NEXT TO ME since I had the speaker on so we could hear and discuss an order that we were ACTUALLY INTERESTED in buying. But after the man was such a PAIN - my husband said that he would not urinate on the man if he was on fire. LOL He did NOT tell the man that. I told the man that it was a shame about how he would ONLY do business with a person if you did an online computer order and NO other way. Thanks for the memories and I was polite. MANY competition and high volume shooters around here basically told the OWNER/MANAGER man that he could STUFF his online only orders where the sun does not shine too!

Since this brings back some memories now... sigh... here goes.

There are 2 other companies that were SMALL and men like my husband helped build their business and spread the word about their products.

Now, one of them mainly wants NO human interaction. Almost all computer orders and only cards which can get hacked or have a card processor get hacked. Been there - done that even with a Visa gift card bought at a bank and waited for them to reimburse the amount from that company.

The other one mainly caters to ORDERS for the police and military but you can buy their products in the store. But you can't go down there and buy a large BULK ORDER - pay CASH (They have NO fee for a card or wait for a check to clear!) and have enough for yourself AND your shooting buddies because all of a sudden the average JOE or JANE does not rate there! Bye, bye to them too! I do not think that it ever went back to the old way there either.

Some companies get too BIG FOR THEIR BRITCHES and when they WANT your business when times are tough - you support them. But when things are going GREAT - they may tinkle on you.

NOT all companies are ones like I mentioned here since this reminded me of some things that my husband and I discussed again when it came to the shooting sports industry.

I am NOT talking about CTD because we NEVER bought from CTD and never will when we found out what they did to their customers in the past.

I find that the people who tend to order online in bulk tend to not be as supportive as the people who actually BUY from a brick/mortar store. When they see stores bare or empty especially in GUN stuff in person or online - they go on about those crazy shoppers or 'hoarders'. When you actually USE or shoot what you own unless a disability changed your life - you are not a crazy shopper or hoarder.

The people who DO support local stores (NOT only gun stores!) in their area tend to support people who SHOP either way from what I have seen. We do understand that a STRONG local economy on MAIN STREET is very important to towns and cities across this nation. It helps support the tax base so the BURDEN is not always directed to the property owner and higher and higher RE Taxes.

(I do UNDERSTAND living in super rural areas too. I lived like that for most of my life. I do understand that many people in rural areas do not make a weekly or monthly trip to their stores because they LOVE online shopping.)

Are there SOME stores that I do not shop at or buy from? Yes, even in my local area because I do NOT like their products, their customer service, the store's cleanliness, etc.

Cate
Typos: sell to

 

[Member 52301]

PS: Thank you for your reports from what you have seen in your local small and large stores.

There is a NICE business man HERE on this forum who does have ammunition in stock in calibers that some of you are looking for. I can't think of the NAME of his business now and maybe he will pipe in and give it out. He does have what some of you gals and guys are looking for when it comes to ready made ammunition since some of you do not hand load - reload. ADDED more.

Cate

 

[Camelfilter]

Yeah - I vacillate back and forth about ammo availability during SHTF.

On the one hand, the popular calibers like 5.56x45 will fly off the shelf

OTOH, everybody and their dogs will have some on hand at home

On the other other hand (everybody has three hands, right?), the military and LEOs will have 5.56x45 in plentiful supply.

On the other foot (ran out of hands), military/police ammo is usually the first to be banned.

What have we learned?

1) Stock up on ammo - deep.
2) What is on the shelves will fly off, whether it is ammo or TP or hand sanitizer.
3) It pays to have guns and ammo that can be shared with your neighbors, and vice versa.
4) It doesn't hurt to have guns and ammo that isn't military/LEO ammo. Just don't let that affect your stock of common military ammo like 5.56x45, 9mm, 7.62x39 and 7.62x51

Adding to your list, when times are "good":

Stock up on reloading components, particularly components for "range" ammunition, if you enjoy shooting.

Do this stocking up when good deals come about, either on special (sales/free hazmat shipping etc) & via classifieds/"yard" sales etc.

Allows for continuing to do what you enjoy, put simply.

Components hardly "go bad", are easy to stow, don't take up much space, plus also allow for flexibility in what you want to use. ie sub sonic "blaster"/range stuff, on up towards precision stuff.

Some folks do not see the merit of reloading from a price/time "cost" perspective.

Especially when "times are good".

However, in times like now, having the ABILITY to reload allows for continued enjoyment of the sport. Without interruption, & minimal concern over "price"...just time.

Folks whom have seen the merit of reloading from a price/time perspective are unaffected, just about. Folks whom reload "off-season" and/or via progressive/bulk etc.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Skagit Arms ( Burlington Wa. ) seems to be stocked up...

Some of the .22 ammo selection is limited in type or brand if you buy in individual boxes...
Brick selection seemed have more of a variety.

No signage for limits on ammo purchases.

Shelves had rifles and shotguns...both of the "classic" wood and steel types as well as many AR15 type of rifles.
Handgun selection was mostly semi automatic , polymer frame type of pistols...
Not many 1911 type or revolvers.

Prices seemed within the expected range for today's world...
Long gone are the days of a brick of .22 going for $10-$12 ....but $30 on up for a brick depending on brand and type...
Firearm arm prices for the new items seemed reasonable ....some of the consignment guns seemed a bit high....but that may be due to the gun's owner , not the store.....

Would have a more detailed report...but just was poking around before work and wanted some .22 ammo...
Andy

 

[Member 52301]

Since reloading was mentioned above by CF...

The only way that my MT husband could have shot as much as he did in competition shooting and going to the range as often as he did was by reloading his ammunition. He saved a lot of money by reloading since the early 70's and that meant that he could shoot more at one outing and more often.

He could afford to shoot more expensive caliber firearms more often because if he had to buy factory loaded ammunition for some of them, well, it was just too expensive to do as a younger man with more responsibilities.

He is still shooting 4 to 5 days a week since he retired too.

Cate