latest round of rationing ammo sales

[BDG]

Ok, so I had heard that my local Wally World received deliveries of ammunition on Tuesdays. I waited till evening to head over there and planned on picking up a few hundred rounds of 9, 40, 45, 22, and maybe some 223 in the mix. Well, it was nearly as bare as it has been the prior 3 weeks. The availability of this Wally World for ammo was as follows:

2x Winchester 44mag
5x 32
lots of 17
some of the high end 22LR in 50 packs
6x Remington 55gr 50 packs ($24.47) [They usually have 45gr in Remington)
14x Federal bulk pack 22LR
1x 308
several 30-30
2x Winchester 7.62x39

No 9mm, 40, 45, Winchester/Remington 22, or the more "common" calibers in handgun. Hrm.

Ok, so I bought 10 bulk packs of the Federal. I probably should have bought the remaining 4 packs, but the 10 were heavy enough to carry.

Now, right about the time I was shopping for ammo, my brother texts me to tell me that the Wally World in his area the next city over has a sign up that they will be rationing ammo. Interesting...

[MeanStreaker]

My WalMart has a sign that limits purchases to 4 boxes per customer. 

[Nickle]

Well, it doesn't take much thinking to figure out why they're doing it.

The local Wal-mart got 5 cases of Federal 550 round bulk packs last Friday. 5 CASES, not 5 boxes.

They sold out by Monday or Tuesday, probably happened on Saturday.

I picked up 4 boxes on Friday, should have bought more of them, but didn't.

Frankly speaking, if they let buyers clean them out in one purchase, they will lose ammo customers over time, as most folks won't be able to get ammo at all.

So, they limit sales to 4 boxes, in hope of retaining some ammo for other customers. SMART BUSINESS, IMNSHO!

This is the tail end of the hoarding craze.

People have been starting to hoard for a while, in fear of not being able to buy any ammo in the future.

Just another iceberg sighting, from what I see.

[MeanStreaker]

...Just another iceberg sighting, from what I see.

Yep, I agree. 

However, until it becomes plentiful again, it's a good idea for Appleseeders to buy it when they can to loan out at events.

[sardoodledom]

I was reading about this on another board how dealers are hitting every walmart, academy, and cabellas they come across just to mark up their wares and resell them at gunshows. A few months back i remember coming across the 100 pack of Federal 223 that walmart carries religiously at a show marked up from to 80 from 40. Thats just criminal.

This is the same thing that happened with primers and caused the rationing.

/still needs primers

[Nickle]

...Just another iceberg sighting, from what I see.

Yep, I agree. 

However, until it becomes plentiful again, it's a good idea for Appleseeders to buy it when they can to loan out at events.

Absolutely. It something to watch.

When I bring ammo with me, I hand it over for a hair over what I paid for it, mostly rounded up to the next dollar or so. If I pay $13.97 for it, I take $15.00, and so forth. Cover the ammo and the tax, and make change making easy.

[Double D]

...Just another iceberg sighting, from what I see.

Yep, I agree. 

However, until it becomes plentiful again, it's a good idea for Appleseeders to buy it when they can to loan out at events.

I've started doing this, especially for the next appleseed in Fresno, Ca at the end of May (30-31).  I know, shameless promotion .  Seriously though, I picked up a case of federal 333 packs and will be offering it for appleseeders, should any of them need some.

[red headed stranger]

I wish that the Wal-marts near me would do this.  There is a guy in my city who is at Wal-Mart early every morning and always buys all of what they get in and then lists it on gunbroker.  He even includes the wal-mart receipts with the auctions. 

[biathlon]

Patience my friends. It will end.  <

[Mark D]

If you live in a state that allows it I'd recommend just mail ordering it.  That's what I've been doing with great success.  For the most part I've used Midway or Graf & Sons.  I haven't had to wait more than two weeks for anything, that includes some of hard-to-find calibers like 6.8 SPC.

Backordering may seem like a pain but it beats the heck out of calling/driving around to different stores trying to find a box of 22 rimfire.

[Fred]

...A few months back i remember coming across the 100 pack of Federal 223 that walmart carries religiously at a show marked up from to 80 from 40. Thats just criminal.

    Not criminal. Simply free enterprise and intiative in action.

    Be careful how you deal with issues like "hoarding" and "gouging" - they're prime liberal concepts.

     As long as you're not forced to pay the price, you have the freedom not too.

     It's classic American free enterprise.

     Yes, I know we've all been pickled in the liberal brine so long, it's easy to start talking liberal, when you don't mean too...

     

[WY_Not]

Yep. It is their property. They may do with it as THEY see fit. If people want to start putting restrictions on what others can do with their private property, they those people had better expect and accept limits on what they can do with their private property. Maybe it is just me but I'll take the freedom over the tyranny any day.

...A few months back i remember coming across the 100 pack of Federal 223 that walmart carries religiously at a show marked up from to 80 from 40. Thats just criminal.

    Not criminal. Simply free enterprise and intiative in action.

    Be careful how you deal with issues like "hoarding" and "gouging" - they're prime liberal concepts.

     As long as you're not forced to pay the price, you have the freedom not too.

     It's classic American free enterprise.

     Yes, I know we've all been pickled in the liberal brine so long, it's easy to start talking liberal, when you don't mean too...

     

[jacques]

I had been thinking of getting into reloading for several years. The opportunity arose 3-mos ago. Glad I got my 10k primers, bullets and powder when I did. Can't find primers anywhere now. All the local shops are cleaned out and so is the internet.

But like Nickle says, it looks like the tail end. I am only afraid there will be a lot of people stuck with stuff they payed way to much for.

And it is free enterprise. My choice is not to buy anything until it subsides.

[FiremanBill]

I had been thinking of getting into reloading for several years. The opportunity arose 3-mos ago. Glad I got my 10k primers, bullets and powder when I did. Can't find primers anywhere now. All the local shops are cleaned out and so is the internet.

But like Nickle says, it looks like the tail end. I am only afraid there will be a lot of people stuck with stuff they payed way to much for.

And it is free enterprise. My choice is not to buy anything until it subsides.

Indeed, free market prevails!!!  Sooner or later the buying spree will slow, and prices may ease.  Am betting we'll see lots of "panic buyers' remorse"  and garage sale specials from folks who never intended to shoot up all they bought anyway. 

FB

[eaglescouter]

Am betting we'll see lots of "panic buyers' remorse"  and garage sale specials from folks who never intended to shoot up all they bought anyway. 

FB

If I work hard, and Appleseed is able to help fix the country, I hope to have the following:
1.  More ammo than I will ever 'need'. 
2.  More money than I need.
3.  Exactly the minimum amount of Government that is needed for a civil society.

It is my strongest desire that none of us should ever run out of funds nor ammunition, but I realize that this is my responsibility and not a role for Government.

[gunville]

I think maybe it will get better, but I'm a foolish optimist.

One thing I noticed - I stopped  by an FFL today and he had 8 AK47's in stock.

At the AK47 barometer goes - that's the most AK's I've seen in one place (outside of my gun locker) in a long time.

[Mark D]

One thing I noticed - I stopped  by an FFL today and he had 8 AK47's in stock.

At the AK47 barometer goes - that's the most AK's I've seen in one place (outside of my gun locker) in a long time.

My understanding is that one of the major importers of Russian Ammo was recently arrested and his business was shut down so the supply of AK's favorite food has been greatly diminished.  Hence, the demand for AKs has dropped.  Btw, has anyone else heard this?  This was explained to me by my local gun shop about a week ago. I've been searching the web for info but haven't found anything about it.

[BDG]

I have also heard the Russian importer arrested story anecdotally, but have yet to read anything in print, so cannot verify it. I'd like to know either way.

[Mikep]

I am glad to read Fred's comments on free enterprise. This is the true Classical Liberal point of view though. Our people of Lexington and Concord were libertarian (classical liberals). In my view. And so chose a path to liberate themselves of the authoritarian philosophy of the King and his sympathetic elites. And did so in order to conserve their ideas of liberty established in Magna Carta and the English Revolution.

It's too bad the terms Liberal and Conservative have been appropriated and come into misuse in our day.

I ask, Liberal for what? Human Liberty or Freedom for the State to do what it wishes to the People here and abroad?

One way is moral and good the other is the essence of evil in our world.

I also ask, Conservative to conserve what? Human Liberty or expanding the authoritarian State over the People here and abroad? That grand colonial imperialism, that same State behavior that precipitated the actions of April 19, 1775.

Americans should read: Ludwig Von Mises, Hayek, Ron Paul, Peter Schiff, Thomas Woods, et al of the Austrian School of Economics and then the American mind can become unwashed of the vestiges of the Progressive movement's collectivized educational system. A system that has most worshiping the State and accepting an English style Mercantilism here in America. An economic bend favoring protectionism, government franchise monopolies, a state-run bank and interventionism.

Learning about free markets and spreading the Appleseed. Nothing could be better!

Thanks Fred.

[vic303]

I have also heard the Russian importer arrested story anecdotally, but have yet to read anything in print, so cannot verify it. I'd like to know either way.

The only thing like that story I have read in actual news articles was the relatives of the Botach folks who got busted for selling bad ammo to the Gov for use in the Sandbox.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/JF27Ak01.html
That article pretty much covers it.

[Fred]

     From your article link above:

...stockpiles [of small arms ammo] in Albania and other former Warsaw Pact countries. These countries have surplus ammunition they are trying to give away or destroy. We learned during the investigation that the president of Albania flew to Iraq in 2007 and offered to donate Albanian stockpiles to General [David] Petraeus. It appears that the army agreed to pay $300 million for ammunition it could have gotten for free.

     So the surplus ammo is out there. It's no doubt newly-enforced UN commercial restrictions on trafficking in small arms ammo that's responsible for the sudden drying up of the supply of military surplus ammo.

[Nickle]

Fred, a lot depends on the caliber.

That Albanian ammo is likely 7.62x54R or 7.62x39. Neither of which are tha thard to find, though steel core bullet 7.62x39 is banned from import. It's considered a pistol cartridge ,and therefore "Armor Piercing". Blame Olympic Arms for it, they made the 7.62x39 pistols.

[fepowered]

When Klinton banned Chinese arms and ammunition imports, he struck a major blow to the availability of 7.62x39.   The hypocrisy of every President afterward with no excuse except for catering to the anti-gun lobby for not overturning this has continued to hurt us.