What is going on?

E

ehkempf

Guest
I just have to ask, what in heck is going on with buying ammo and reloading supplies. The entire county seems to be out of everything, this includes: .22 LR ammo, primers and power, not to mention bullets and cases. How is it that possible? Why are the suppliers/manufacturers not keeping up with demand? Does this seem to sound like a conspiracy?

Ed
 
Logistics

The dance of supply and demand is a delicate one. Factories gear their output for a normal range of demand. They can deal with seasonality, such as people starting to buy more deer hunting ammo in the early fall, because they've see it before and can predict it. Nobody was sure until the day after the election whether Obama would win (huge sales increase) or Romney (no sales increase). If they geared up production early and put more in the pipeline in anticipation of an Obama win, they would be a long time working down that inventory if Romney won. Inventory is money. You want to hold the least amount that still gives your customers good service. It's expensive to order extra raw materials, which may not be available, and add workers and shifts. In today's economy, where shooting-related companies are having a hard time getting bank financing, an excess of unsold inventory could put your company under. The smart thing is to deal with the plentitude of orders when and if it happens, and beg forgiveness of your customers. Then there was the double-whammy of the Newtown shootings and resultant politician and media hysteria which drove up demand even further. Please be forgiving of the suppliers and retailers. They are doing the best they can in a tough situation.
 
Yup, a whole lot of companies in the shooting industry including gun makers and ammunition/component manufacturers have gotten burned and badly over the years by cranking up production for a demand that never came to pass, or not foreseeing that a war would end. Remington nearly went under after WW I because they expanded to produce military firearms like the war was going to last forever, and when it didn't they were left holding the bag. Fortunately for them someone remembered and they planned much smarter during WW II.

There was no shortage of components or ammunition here until after the whackjobs started shooting up "gun free zones" and the politicians who were just looking for a good excuse began screeching about how we needed more laws to keep criminals from doing what criminals do which is break the law. I visited a local store this past week and found that they had some bullets, mostly for live varmint rifles, a small whiteboard listing the few powders they had available, some cases for unpopular calibers, and not much else in the line of components. The time before that they had a sign up saying that customers were limited to 1000 primers. Hopefully it will improve over time, but it'll take a while this time I think.
 
KNOCK KNOCK any one home ?? i guess not....for almost three months ..and now he asks a question...and wants to make it a conspiracy ???
have you been under a rock ???



mike in co


ehkempf said:
I just have to ask, what in heck is going on with buying ammo and reloading supplies. The entire county seems to be out of everything, this includes: .22 LR ammo, primers and power, not to mention bullets and cases. How is it that possible? Why are the suppliers/manufacturers not keeping up with demand? Does this seem to sound like a conspiracy?

Ed
Click to expand...
 
It is called hoarding, a natural tendency to grab and store every bit of some commodity when a perceived shortage occurs. An example that I saw two weeks ago and even participated to an extent was being with a few shooters when it was discovered that a local store had 10 or so thousand Fed 205's. Despite that every one of us is sitting on about a 2.5X lifetime supply of primers, we drove over to the store and cleaned them out. In normal times, that 10K of primers would be there until some guy who really needed some bought 1K or 2K of them.
 
tom...
the primer is one of four components of a load.
PRIMERS CHANGE FROM LOT TO LOT...
i never buy less than 5000 at a time of anyone primer...and often multiples of 5000....
a store having 10k is nothing in my opinion....
yes i know some people still buy 1k at a time....
mike in co

TomD said:
It is called hoarding, a natural tendency to grab and store every bit of some commodity when a perceived shortage occurs. An example that I saw two weeks ago and even participated to an extent was being with a few shooters when it was discovered that a local store had 10 or so thousand Fed 205's. Despite that every one of us is sitting on about a 2.5X lifetime supply of primers, we drove over to the store and cleaned them out. In normal times, that 10K of primers would be there until some guy who really needed some bought 1K or 2K of them.
Click to expand...
 
mike in co said:
tom...
the primer is one of four components of a load.
PRIMERS CHANGE FROM LOT TO LOT...
i never buy less than 5000 at a time of anyone primer...and often multiples of 5000....
a store having 10k is nothing in my opinion....
yes i know some people still buy 1k at a time....
mike in co
Click to expand...

Point being that people buy everything they can get their hands on just because it is there. Not saying it's immoral, just human. I do it too. If I were in a local Walmart and noticed them putting the 525 round packs of Federal .22 rimfire (or similar) on the shelves, I'd buy as much as I could despite the fact that I already have a supply that exceeds my probable lifetime usage.
 
TomD said:
It is called hoarding, a natural tendency to grab and store every bit of some commodity when a perceived shortage occurs. An example that I saw two weeks ago and even participated to an extent was being with a few shooters when it was discovered that a local store had 10 or so thousand Fed 205's. Despite that every one of us is sitting on about a 2.5X lifetime supply of primers, we drove over to the store and cleaned them out.
Click to expand...

TomD said:
Point being that people buy everything they can get their hands on just because it is there. Not saying it's immoral, just human. I do it too. If I were in a local Walmart and noticed them putting the 525 round packs of Federal .22 rimfire (or similar) on the shelves, I'd buy as much as I could despite the fact that I already have a supply that exceeds my probable lifetime usage.
Click to expand...

This reminds me of the discussion several weeks ago about situational ethics (guy bought multiple raffle tickets and won multiple prizes--did his acceptance of all those prizes show a lack of class or character?). :confused:
 
Surely, none of you were so young 4 years ago when Obadman got elected the first time that you don't recall what happened?

I'm here to remind you that the severest duration of the shortages lasted one year, and shelves did not return to normal inventory stock until 1 1/2 years later......remember? It's No different this time, so GET USED TO IT!

.......unless of course Obadman and his national socialist party of Democrats keep talking about a ban every other month of the year. In that case, unlike last time, the shortages will never end and the panic will proceed into the next presidency 4 years from now.
 
It's not rocket science

What is going on? Irrational fear and unfounded rumors that lead to hoarding. Remember 2008 when rumors about a 500% excise tax on handloading components resulted in severe primer shortages? It then extended to factory loaded ammunition, brass, bullets and powder. Supplies in stores did not get back to normal where I live until 2011. As long as we have some folks whipping up conspiracy theory fears that scare the gullible types, we'll have these scarcity episodes for all sorts of firearm related products.
 
The ammo suppliers should take a lesson from egg producers. They handle Easter every year without a bump. Eggs would seem more perishable than ammo / components.

Wonder how they do it? Call a meeting with their chickens and give 'em a production bonus.
 
vicvanb said:
What is going on? Irrational fear and unfounded rumors that lead to hoarding. Remember 2008 when rumors about a 500% excise tax on handloading components resulted in severe primer shortages? It then extended to factory loaded ammunition, brass, bullets and powder. Supplies in stores did not get back to normal where I live until 2011. As long as we have some folks whipping up conspiracy theory fears that scare the gullible types, we'll have these scarcity episodes for all sorts of firearm related products.
Click to expand...


"irrational fear"

"unfounded rumours"

"conspiracy...gullible types"

Nice try vic...... If we were all retarded we might believe nice uncle vic, BUT, unfortunately, we remember. And we SEE...... For your information, New York is a "may-issue" state. And it regulates ammunition sales. I know, I know, even if you do understand the implications of this it doesn't bother you :) but it bothers many Americans.

This isn't theory. Nor is it irrational fear. I've a much better memory than yours. I've lived through bans and regulations that I disagree with. I've watched then grow, develop and fade away but THEORY it ain't. Proof of this is that I have plenty of ammunition and reloading components, my shooting isn't affected at all. I can shoot every day.

Call me ant

al
 
as usual vic has no clue...

there were no rumors in colorado about a 50% tax.....

what did happen was very easy to see....
1) people bought guns
2) people shot those guns..so they bought ammo
it was the end of a yr...supplier and retailers let inventories go low to avoid inventory tax.
3) people bought what was left of the ammo
4)no ammo, buy components..and primers was the item that ran short...

no conspiracy...
no plan....
just shopping in a dumb democrat enviroment...sort of like now...
 
vicvanb said:
What is going on? Irrational fear and unfounded rumors that lead to hoarding. Remember 2008 when rumors about a 500% excise tax on handloading components resulted in severe primer shortages? It then extended to factory loaded ammunition, brass, bullets and powder. Supplies in stores did not get back to normal where I live until 2011. As long as we have some folks whipping up conspiracy theory fears that scare the gullible types, we'll have these scarcity episodes for all sorts of firearm related products.
Click to expand...

The libs are busting a gut to take our rights away and they still don't get it.
 
alinwa said:
...I have plenty of ammunition and reloading components, my shooting isn't affected at all. I can shoot every day.
Click to expand...

Me too, uncle Al! But it's not because I believed the false rumor (based on irrational fear) about the 500% excise tax on handloading components and hoarded three or four lifetime supplies of primers (like a lot of guys I know did).

Maybe you and those you know ignore the fear mongering that leads to hoarding but I see it alive and well every day here where I live. Now go ahead and tell me you know more than I do about what goes on here. C'mon--don't hold back like you usually do.
 
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vicvanb said:
Me too, uncle Al! But it's not because I believed the false rumor (based on irrational fear) about the 500% excise tax on handloading components and hoarded three or four lifetime supplies of primers (like a lot of guys I know did).

Maybe you and those you know ignore the fear mongering that leads to hoarding but I see it alive and well every day here where I live. Now go ahead and tell me you know more than I do about what goes on here. C'mon--don't hold back.
Click to expand...

vinvanb........this is too easy.....google "2013 ammo bills".....your people are sponsoring bills non-stop out of an emotional reaction to an incident(s) perpetrated by wackos who have no intention of following any laws. I find it amusing that the proposed remedies you people set forth result in people arming themselves with even more guns and several lifetime supplies of ammo. Your boy in the big house is in a conundrum.....he needs these sales desperately to keep the economy from tanking. Who said " Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results"?........Vin......here's yer sign.
 
Good one, smythe

LHSmith said:
vinvanb... Your boy in the big house is in a conundrum.....he needs these sales desperately to keep the economy from tanking.
Click to expand...

You can call me "Vin" if I can call you "Smythe."

You are right--we can pay off the national debt if only we scare enough people into buying and hoarding ammo. Excuse me--I need to recover from uncontrolled laughing.

Smythe old boy, there are all sorts of crazy bills that will never ever get out of committees let alone get to the floor for a vote. As I have said here before--both ends of the spectrum are equally extreme (and should be equally ignored).
 
And in vicvanb's considered opinion the Second Amendment as written is "extreme" and therefore "should be ignored."

I spent some of my life as a liberal (I was young, and raised conservative)

I then spent some of my life as a "moderate" (no excuses)

Alla'sudden I find myself old......and responsible for many people and things. My opinions matter. My opinions effect policy change on a regular basis, when I'm wrong people get hurt. And I can now see, you're either with Piers Morgan or with Ted Nugent.

Or you're just a voice in the crowd.

al
 
Truth or consequences?

alinwa said:
1) And in vicvanb's considered opinion the Second Amendment as written is "extreme" and therefore "should be ignored."

2) ...when I'm wrong people get hurt.

3) And I can now see, you're either with Piers Morgan or with Ted Nugent.
Click to expand...

1) Another extreme, exagerated falsehood. Why can't we stick to the truth?

2) Like a bunch of little kids, perhaps?

3) What a choice! I repeat--the extreme ends of the spectrum deserve to be ignored. I continue to have faith that the majority of gunowners in the USA are like me--they strongly believe that Morgan and Nugent don't speak for them. In fact, both are equally harming us.
 
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