ammo prices - The Firearms Forum

old semperfi · 01-01-2010, 09:48 PM

can anyone tell me why ammo prices have skyrocketed,i friend of mine just purchased a 380 ruger,ammo was like 25-30.00 a box and that was cheap stuff i reload all i shoot so i havent bought anything other than 22s for years.i have even seen signs that stated no ammo for 9mm and 380.what gives old semperfi

Alpo · 01-01-2010, 10:24 PM

Back last November a notoriously anti-gun politician was elected to the White House. You may remember that?

Anyway, that set off panic buying. Everyone was afraid that the first thing he would do, when he took office, was break his oath to uphold the Consitution, and start banning guns. There was a huge run on guns, all around the country. Gun and ammunition prices went through the roof. The ammo makers could not keep up with demand, which allowed anyone that had any to charge outragiously scalper's prices for it. I saw 380 ball going for more than a dollar a round (55 dollars a box). It was crazy.

Things have started to settle down, some, and prices are dropping. Slightly. Very slightly. Sellers have realized that people were willing to pay 50 dollars a box for 15 dollar ammo, so if they lower the price to 40, they still make a killing, and the public thanks them for selling it so cheaply.

312shooter · 01-01-2010, 11:53 PM

I have noticed availability return and prices start to deflate a bit. Thank god for reloading!

Terry_P · 01-02-2010, 08:57 AM

The initial excuse for ammo prices was the commodity increases, when those prices came back to earth it was because we can.

graehaven · 01-02-2010, 09:17 AM

There is likely no scarcity in resources.

The more likely reason is, they're going to make all the money they can while they can....because they know what's coming.

rocklinskier · 01-02-2010, 09:26 AM

Same as fuel prices....apply the same logic.

Up for vote at this years Firearms Sales Convention.

SALEMAN OF THE YEAR..

And the nominees are:

B.H. Obummer
Joe Biden
Nancy Pelasticface

And the winner is..........

RandyP · 01-02-2010, 09:35 AM

I agree with the other posters and also add the fact that a number of manufacturers have recently come out with some very fine small handguns in .380. This caused an increase in the number of first buyer purchases of this "new" caliber.

EVERYTHING firearms related has been moving off the gun shoppe shelves like never before. That there is "change you can believe in" - LOL

My LGS had only one 50 round box of target load .380 selling for $19.95!!! Totally nutz, but like a lot of things with a price....they do it cuz they can do it. In most parts of the world .380 is known as 9mm short or 9mm Kurtz, same diameter case as 9mm, just shorter OAL.

medalguy · 01-02-2010, 11:33 PM

Not only are there MORE guns available in .380, but there have been a huge number of folks getting CCW permits this year, and many of them opted for .380 guns. New shooters always need to buy at least a box or two of ammo to test their gun, so that resulted in high sales of .380 ammo.

The other point that I don't think has been raised is that the manufacturers, I have been told, only run .380 ammo once a year or so, and there has simply not been enough ammo produced to meet the demand.

Lastly, let's not forget the unpleasantries in the middle east which are using up enormous amounts of ammo, and the manufacturers are producing all they possibly can for that little operation.

Sandman · 01-04-2010, 04:06 PM

I have seen prices come down somewhat here, but not nearly to pre-Barack prices. Availability is better, but certain calibers are virtually non-existent. The main ones that come to mind are .357 magnum and .380. I have not been able to buy a box of .357 shells in months.

topper · 01-06-2010, 06:24 AM

I recently bought a 100 pk of .22CB shorts from the local store. They went up $1 from when I bought them last in November. Whatzup with that? Is .22CB shorts going to price spike now? Or is there a shortage? Sure seems strange to go up a dollar in about 1 month time.

RandyP · 01-06-2010, 08:34 AM

On a 'positive' note, having gun hating, gun grabbing politicians in office has dramatically increased the number of first time gun owners. That gives us all a larger voting block to try our best to preserve the 2nd Amendment and vote the rascals out, plus more potential members to the NRA and your local State firearms organization, you do belong to both don't you?

More buyers at some point translates to better prices and availability as manufacturers gear up for a potentially larger marketplace. At least that's my hope.

vulcrider · 01-06-2010, 10:58 PM

Pretty much supply and demand. The current administration and majority party in Congress have floated the "Assault Weapon Ban" reinstatement, ammo serialization, microstamping, talk of ammo registration (see California), etc. Two wars demanding large amounts of ammo, big increase in CCW permits and handgun purchases putting a strain on manufacturers, who while ramping up production to their maximums, are concerned that this big increase in demand will not continue. Therefore, reluctant to increase capacity for when the tide starts to recede and be stuck with a big investment and a much longer time to recover it. Hoarders who buy all that they can for fear of some of the above mentioned reasons. Same issues with reloading components, primers almost always on back-order or quantity restricted.
There is some light at the end of the tunnel. I just hope its not the train coming the other way!

graehaven · 01-07-2010, 10:29 AM

And none of that will matter when the dollar comes crashing down and the economy completely goes offline. At that point, everything that you'd wished you had bought will look surprisingly cheap, by comparison.

By all you can now, no matter what the price. It's cheap.

01-01-2010, 09:48 PM	#1
old semperfi Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: i live in southern indiana,old country boy at heart Posts: 1,506	ammo prices can anyone tell me why ammo prices have skyrocketed,i friend of mine just purchased a 380 ruger,ammo was like 25-30.00 a box and that was cheap stuff i reload all i shoot so i havent bought anything other than 22s for years.i have even seen signs that stated no ammo for 9mm and 380.what gives old semperfi -->

01-01-2010, 10:24 PM	#2
Alpo Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: NW Florida Posts: 8,662	Re: ammo prices Back last November a notoriously anti-gun politician was elected to the White House. You may remember that? Anyway, that set off panic buying. Everyone was afraid that the first thing he would do, when he took office, was break his oath to uphold the Consitution, and start banning guns. There was a huge run on guns, all around the country. Gun and ammunition prices went through the roof. The ammo makers could not keep up with demand, which allowed anyone that had any to charge outragiously scalper's prices for it. I saw 380 ball going for more than a dollar a round (55 dollars a box). It was crazy. Things have started to settle down, some, and prices are dropping. Slightly. Very slightly. Sellers have realized that people were willing to pay 50 dollars a box for 15 dollar ammo, so if they lower the price to 40, they still make a killing, and the public thanks them for selling it so cheaply. __________________ Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy, and taste good with catsup - George of Lod, Year of Our Lord 297 I always take precautions. Beware the Evil Bullet Fairies.

01-01-2010, 11:53 PM	#3
312shooter Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Las Vegas NV Posts: 1,148	Re: ammo prices I have noticed availability return and prices start to deflate a bit. Thank god for reloading! __________________ "Democracy is based on citizenship- perhaps the greatest gift the United States has given to the world- Power is vested in the people themselves, and government flows from the people" James M Henslin

01-02-2010, 08:57 AM	#4
Terry_P Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: NH Posts: 2,513	Re: ammo prices The initial excuse for ammo prices was the commodity increases, when those prices came back to earth it was because we can. __________________ NRA and NAHC Life "Both oligarch and tyrant mistrust the people, and therefore deprive them of their arms." -Aristotle

01-02-2010, 09:17 AM	#5
graehaven Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 2,853	Re: ammo prices There is likely no scarcity in resources. The more likely reason is, they're going to make all the money they can while they can....because they know what's coming. __________________ The beauty of the second amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it." - Thomas Jefferson RESISTANCE IS FEUDAL... PREPARE TO SERVE.

01-02-2010, 09:26 AM	#6
rocklinskier V.I.P. Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 295	Re: ammo prices Same as fuel prices....apply the same logic. Up for vote at this years Firearms Sales Convention. SALEMAN OF THE YEAR.. And the nominees are: B.H. Obummer Joe Biden Nancy Pelasticface And the winner is.......... __________________ Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free ~Ronald Reagan.

01-02-2010, 09:35 AM	#7
RandyP V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 430	Re: ammo prices I agree with the other posters and also add the fact that a number of manufacturers have recently come out with some very fine small handguns in .380. This caused an increase in the number of first buyer purchases of this "new" caliber. EVERYTHING firearms related has been moving off the gun shoppe shelves like never before. That there is "change you can believe in" - LOL My LGS had only one 50 round box of target load .380 selling for $19.95!!! Totally nutz, but like a lot of things with a price....they do it cuz they can do it. In most parts of the world .380 is known as 9mm short or 9mm Kurtz, same diameter case as 9mm, just shorter OAL. __________________ Lee Anniversary and Lee Classic 4-Hole Turret, presently reloading .380, 7.62 Nagant (32-20), 9mm and 45ACP

01-02-2010, 11:33 PM	#8
medalguy Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 585	Re: ammo prices Not only are there MORE guns available in .380, but there have been a huge number of folks getting CCW permits this year, and many of them opted for .380 guns. New shooters always need to buy at least a box or two of ammo to test their gun, so that resulted in high sales of .380 ammo. The other point that I don't think has been raised is that the manufacturers, I have been told, only run .380 ammo once a year or so, and there has simply not been enough ammo produced to meet the demand. Lastly, let's not forget the unpleasantries in the middle east which are using up enormous amounts of ammo, and the manufacturers are producing all they possibly can for that little operation.

01-04-2010, 04:06 PM	#9
Sandman Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Louisiana Posts: 552	Re: ammo prices I have seen prices come down somewhat here, but not nearly to pre-Barack prices. Availability is better, but certain calibers are virtually non-existent. The main ones that come to mind are .357 magnum and .380. I have not been able to buy a box of .357 shells in months.

01-06-2010, 06:24 AM	#10
topper Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: deep in the woods Posts: 748	Re: ammo prices I recently bought a 100 pk of .22CB shorts from the local store. They went up $1 from when I bought them last in November. Whatzup with that? Is .22CB shorts going to price spike now? Or is there a shortage? Sure seems strange to go up a dollar in about 1 month time.

01-06-2010, 08:34 AM	#11
RandyP V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 430	Re: ammo prices On a 'positive' note, having gun hating, gun grabbing politicians in office has dramatically increased the number of first time gun owners. That gives us all a larger voting block to try our best to preserve the 2nd Amendment and vote the rascals out, plus more potential members to the NRA and your local State firearms organization, you do belong to both don't you? More buyers at some point translates to better prices and availability as manufacturers gear up for a potentially larger marketplace. At least that's my hope. __________________ Lee Anniversary and Lee Classic 4-Hole Turret, presently reloading .380, 7.62 Nagant (32-20), 9mm and 45ACP

01-06-2010, 10:58 PM	#12
vulcrider V.I.P. Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 72	Re: ammo prices Pretty much supply and demand. The current administration and majority party in Congress have floated the "Assault Weapon Ban" reinstatement, ammo serialization, microstamping, talk of ammo registration (see California), etc. Two wars demanding large amounts of ammo, big increase in CCW permits and handgun purchases putting a strain on manufacturers, who while ramping up production to their maximums, are concerned that this big increase in demand will not continue. Therefore, reluctant to increase capacity for when the tide starts to recede and be stuck with a big investment and a much longer time to recover it. Hoarders who buy all that they can for fear of some of the above mentioned reasons. Same issues with reloading components, primers almost always on back-order or quantity restricted. There is some light at the end of the tunnel. I just hope its not the train coming the other way!

01-07-2010, 10:29 AM	#13
graehaven Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 2,853	Re: ammo prices And none of that will matter when the dollar comes crashing down and the economy completely goes offline. At that point, everything that you'd wished you had bought will look surprisingly cheap, by comparison. By all you can now, no matter what the price. It's cheap. __________________ The beauty of the second amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it." - Thomas Jefferson RESISTANCE IS FEUDAL... PREPARE TO SERVE.