It seems that any more there is always a reason for the panic buying of ammunition/components - Covid-19 Panic, Pre-Election Panic, Post-Election Panic if the results are unfavorable. Were we always this enlightened and well-prepared? Were shelves instantly swept clean due to events (real and potential) in years past, say during the last half of the twentieth century?

No it wasn’t like this before credit cards. People still don’t have the cash but they have cards. That’s also why all the restaurants are full . Kinda sad really. Edk

I also blame the Internet for instant disinformation access and the media's constant need to overhype everything into the worst disaster of all time.

I'm not young, but younger than many here and I can remember 2 previous reloading shortages. 1st was in the wake of the 1994 assault weapons ban. 2nd was in the wake of O'blammy's election.

It has been like this since the Libtards have been trying to take guns and ammo away from the unwashed masses.

That started in America before the Rev. War when the British were trying to disarm the colonists. It's what got us the 2d Amendment 10 years later.

I wasn't looking at gun prices much until 1974. But then, & a few more years, most S&W's for instance, were very hard to get with prices of many models at double retail. I don't know if that was left over from the gun control act if '68, or elections at the time. Both?

The Clinton years were crazy for many items, but one distinct memory was primers. They nearly dried up over night. Hi cap mags, if you could find them were double to 4 times retail.

Everybody here should know of the events during Obama.

This time around has multiple causes for stocking up. Not just an election, or riots, or pandemics but Theo Gallis pretty much nailed it. More/faster info, excessive doom & gloom coupled with misinformation.

I'll preach it again. Fake news & even the media in general is the root of most fears, panics, disorientation & just plain screwed up attitudes of so many.

And yet, even those who realize this and know better buy into the panic and fears.

You think this is bad....read up on the Tulip craze of the 1920's.

Things should be caught up by the end of the world.

I look for it to level off by Dec.

I thought that was in the 1620s?

EXACTLY....

You're right...I had a brain fart. Seems like it reached its peak later though, around 1640. I can't figure out what I was thinking about in the 1920's that was connected in my mind to the tulip craze. Some other commodity that was frivolous and pointless.

I seem to recall people freaking out about Y2K and people providing "tech support" to ensure your computer wouldn't crash.

I once had a "Y2K" edition AR from Bushmaster. It was obviously all the worst leftover parts from their parts bins. Fixed stock, A1 carry handle, 11.5" barrel with 5" welded-on AK brake. What a turd. I learned quickly....

Suspect that in addition to the born-panic’d &hoarding personalities out there, there are also added a considerable number who are in the i-got-screwed-last-time camp and, fair enough, go out and buy “a little more” as a precautionary measure over the past few months. Not guys trying to fill a Conex buried in the backyard with primers and 22lr, but guys who’d normally pick up a few boxes of w209’s when on sale, wisely pick up double that, triple that. Powder, etc, same same. Guy might buy two boxes of ammo for deer season, instead buys half dozen knowing he dam sure wants to hunt next year, etc. Multiplied across the board.

I think the ones that know better are NOT buying into the panic, they are in the game. They are in the game of hunting, shooting, competing, etc. & simply have to buy to have supplies for their use. They know the ones that panic are going to strip the shelves. The ones that panic don't really know what they're buying for, they just feel the need. OTH, the hunter/sportsman, buys not because the "feel" the need, they have the need.

We don't ever learn, now small pistol primers in the Indy area are selling for $80/K with the scalpers asking as much as $150/K !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 9mm ammo when it can be found regularly sells for $35/box with scalpers asking $50/box. Most area gunshops will only sell one box of 9mm per customer only if you purchase a 9mm handgun.

We need to institute the good ole' communist model. That way we all get bread. At least most of us. Well, the ones getting the bread are still alive, anyway, and the ones that aren't are dead, so they don't count. Sounds like a solution.

I keep wondering why the "free" market isn't solving this problem.

Someone needs to send Sycamore a link to this thread.....

gunzo,

"The Clinton years were crazy for many items, but one distinct memory was primers. They nearly dried up over night. Hi cap mags, if you could find them were double to 4 times retail."

The Clinton years were also when the Internet started coming into more common use, and rumors started floating faster. One was that somehow the anti-gunners had arranged for primers to "go dud" within six months, so it didn't do any good to hoard newer primers. Which if course turned out to be utter BS.

The Clinton panic, however, did not last nearly as long as the Obama panic. I am hoping this one won't last very long either, but have my doubts. I think a lot of people have learned what some of us learned during earlier panics, to keep more stuff on hand.

Internet / social media drives it.

Years past that wasn’t the case. It would have been contained to smaller areas. And spread a lot slower, if at all.

Who else woulda run out and bought the TP without seeing something on FB?

I think that maybe the big deal in the 20's was "land" in Florida.

I didn't know could not live without an AR15 until I read it here.

I'm apparently not alive!

Yes sir, but now if you do that you’re labeled a hoarder by the ones caught flat footed and out of luck.

And, if you are, and always have been, well-supplied, and you point out the panic, you will be labeled as being one of the foolish virgins who failed to have a supply of oil for their lamps.

Panics are free? Why buy one?