Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Jim Shephard on gun & ammo supply

Before the holidays, both firearm and ammunition makers told anyone who would listen that they were doing all they could to keep up with burgeoning demand. One ammo CEO said “If I had an extra plant hiding around here somewhere I might get caught up.”

Jason Hornady of Hornady Manufacturing was equally succinct when he released a video that said “if we make it today, it ships tomorrow.”

Ammo makers aren’t sitting on product. Neither are gunmakers. But the capacities of both are still being strained by demand.

For the past few days, we’ve been running one of our decidedly unscientific surveys of independent gun dealers around the country.

Here’s the gist of what we’ve found: their supplies aren’t exhausted, they’re decidedly limited. For some frustrated customers, not having what they want means they don’t have anything. That’s not the case in any of the locations surveyed.

In Birmingham, Alabama, one independent store owner noted a record day on Saturday -$85,000 worth of sales. That’s a lot of sales, even for a large independent store.

But he’s not the exception.

Up the street, Mark’s Outdoor Sports customers crowded the aisles throughout the store.

It’s peak deer season, so hunters were prowling for all manner of supplies. But customers again congregated most heavily in two areas: firearms and accessories, and ammunition.

Both stores had new guns on hand, although with far more limited than normal selections.

Both shops were similar in the absence of two things: ammunition in “common” calibers and used guns.

Marks had “some” 2.23/.308 and pistol ammo -in limited quantities and selections, but quantities of ammo for less “common” calibers (think 6.8 PRC and big-bore, dangerous-game calibers).

Traditional hunting calibers were either severely limited or out.

Across town, a third retailer had a “regular customer” come in while our shopper was there. He handed the manager some money and the manager went into the back and got a small box.

He handed it to the beaming customer who promptly turned on his heel and left.

What was in the box?

Ammo. More specifically, .270 caliber premium hunting ammo.

It had gotten so scarce in Birmingham that with Alabama’s deer season peaking, this gun shop was holding premium hunting ammunition for their best customers.

Prices didn’t appear to have been increased much on ammo in any of the three locations, despite the high demand. But all three stores enjoy longstanding reputations for treating customers fairly.

That’s decidedly not the case with all gun shops across the country.

Across the midwest, we’re getting frequent complaints from readers that hunting ammo either isn’t readily available, or is available at prices significantly higher than only a few months ago.

Unfortunately, some price increases are inevitable. Raw material prices have remained fairly stable, but shipping is one little-discussed cost that has risen during the pandemic. Manufacturers are approaching the point where those costs are more than they’re willing - or able- to absorb.

We’ve already received (but have yet to confirm) an informational sheet from one ammo manufacturer notifying distributors and retailers that increased costs will mean their ammo prices will be go up next month. Those increases ranged from 5-12 percent, depending on the raw material used in the ammunition.

In a time when manufacturers are working to obtain as much raw material as is available, it’s not unreasonable to expect some price increases.

The shrinking supply of used firearms, however, is more puzzling.

From the conversations we’ve had with retailers, there may be two possible explanations.

First, a significant number of buyers aren’t looking to “trade up” for newer models or different variants of their preferred brands. Instead, they’re adding new models and hanging onto their old ones.

A second possibility, although less common, seems to be holding true across the country.

Some looking to sell or trade guns have unreasonable expectations for their trade-in value.

As one dealer told me, “the fact I don’t have a case full of a certain model pistol doesn’t mean I’m willing to pay a premium for a used one. They’re in demand, but they’re still available.”

Today is a high-demand marketplace, not a panicked one.

Prices rise to unreasonable levels when consumers fear they won’t be able to buy anything.

Thankfully, we’re not to that point- yet. But we’re all nervous about the future.j

Partly because of commies like you......

All the anti gun NAZi's like you cause Americans to be concerned for their and their family' safety and they have a legitimate right to be.

IF the plants are actually running at capacity, all they are churning out is ammo for the military and cops. Not much winds up in LGS.

I suspect that is exactly what is going on.

I have a hard time believing they aren't maintaining stock to serve their major long term customers. If I regularly bought truckloads of ammo from a manufacturer and they left me hanging, I'd take them off my list and buy elsewhere ASAP.

It ain’t high demand buying.

It IS panic buying.
Period.

Like,,,,where ?

Where is all the foreign ammo?

Sellier and Bellot, Fiochi, Privi Partazan (sic), Aguila, Tula, and so on...

I remember back when ARs were in high demand and near impossible to get. Since I have a one man manufacturing shop I thought about getting into make the lower receivers and a few other parts. That's a poor time to get in the game though, I think. You're always under the gun and in a hurry. The AR run it's course and is most likely back there again. Now here we are in another ammo shortage. I find myself with that same thoughts.

A few years ago I took a full tour of the Sierra bullet manufacturing plant in Sedalia, Mo. A normal tour was about 30 miuntes. Mine last about 2 1/2 hours, especially after Rich found out what my business was, machining and manufacturing. He took us from beginning to end of making bullets and it was impressive. They no longer give tours, shame. Anyway I often wonder when someone else will come along and do what they do, and others. The future is pretty shaky for a venture like that as laws will no doubt be put into place to stop just that. Still I think if some people with the right skills and money could find themselves very busy.

I don’t see how investing in a new manufacturing facility would be a poor move.

There are more and more smaller bullet manufacturers. And just like the big names we know today, Like Sierra, Nosler, Speer, and Hornady, they got started because there was a hole in the market that needed filling. The big names started small, making a single type or caliber of bullet at the outset, and then expanding. I can see it happening with several companies right now.

It wouldn't be. Yet there is an impetus NOT to do so. Can you possibly imagine where that impetus comes from???

Fill us in.

LGS had maybe 50BX of S&B 300 Blackout on the shelf Saturday.
2 bx limit
Just scanning I saw more S&B than just about any other brand.
Of course I needed 6.5 Grendel of which there was none but son was happy to know I picked up the 300BO

It takes up to 3 years to get anew facility on line.

There will still be an ammo shortage by then, unless ammo sales are shut down by the Marxists by then.

He wants you to forget that.....

Who has voiced repeatedly an interest in disarming Americans?

Well then you're pretty dumb.