Some of the boards I sometimes frequent have been reporting continued shortages of various calibers of ammunition. .380ACP seems to be one. People are having trouble getting .45ACP, or it has been very expensive to purchase. .223 has become extremely pricey as well. Primers now seem to be unavailable, which was born out by my trip to the gun show last weekend. I have heard that Wolf primers are available in some markets, and that these are as reliable as Winchester.
The cooler heads seem to think the shortage is related to:
1. Military contracts, which come first before civilian usage. Frankly, I do not know the state of the military's ammunition stock, but unless they are replenishing after letting it fall, their usage shouldn't be above what it has been since the Iraq War started.
2. An abundance of new shooters, or previously asleep gun owners who suddenly woke up November 4 of last year and discovered they needed ammunition...you know, just in case.
3. Hoarders and "scalpers." The former represent panic buyers, see 2 above. I really don't think there are too many such folks, but I could be wrong. The latter are the usual entrepreneurs taking advantage of the hoarders, hoping to make a killing. I don't condone such behavior, but there is no law against it either. Sigh.
In some markets, Wal Mart has put a limit of 6 boxes per customer, to help eliminate the scalpers, and save some for the rest of us. Good for Wal Mart, the more so because they have resisted the urge to raise their prices during this shortage.
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