Ammo Production in Jeopardy?

[JoeSixPack(ing)]

Is in ammo production in some kind of jeopardy? I'm looking for a reason behind the obvious price gouging that is going at my ALL of my local gun shops and retailers. I understand supply side economics (a little) and supply and demand controls market forces...but this is CRAZY! Are we being gouged? This is starting to remind me of gas, generators, and bottled water here in Florida when the Hurricanes are coming.

I looked at counter help after he gave me a price on simple everyday .38 specials and I was shocked. I asked him why they were charging so much and his reply was "because we can get it". The whole thing smells of nothing but greed.

The sad part is my 15 year old son has become interested in the gun sport in the last couple of years. He has built himself a nice buba SKS, a Ruger 10/22 and he loves to shoot the .357. We gave him a family membership for the local range for Christmas but now find ourselves not able to really afford to go that much. The very gun range that we have the membership at is making it impossible to enjoy the facilities due to their ammo prices. Am I missing something? It's this just the latest casualty of Obama's war on guns? Am I paranoid or could part of the master plan be to stamp out gun enthusiasts at the youth level?

Scary times for sure. NoBama.

[capo2186]

I do feel we are being ripped off. However, supply and demand. They know they can get it, so they do it. I know I have curbed my shooting habbits. I don't go nearly as much as I used to simply because its getting harder and harder to afford the hobby. Personally, with the economy going so badly, I don't think they are going to be able to keep the prices this high for much longer. People eventually will get enough stocked and stop buying as much. Until then who knows. Thats just my thoughts. What goes up must come down.

[IRSPOW]

Does anyone else think that the manufacturers have something to do with this also? I agree that it feels like they're gouging us like they did with "the gas shortage" of the 70's while tankers SAT in the harbors waiting to unload! Ok, i understand supply & demand, but why isnt there an increase in production? It seems to me that they should build new plants and expand production to keep up with demand( and make a fortune doing it!) as opposed to gouging prices on their current production- unless the manufacturers are afraid that big brother is going to shut them down or make life miserable. French Creek Outfitters was completely out of ammo for a week and a half. Now you can only buy 4 boxes per day

[Scarecrow]

I do feel we are being ripped off. However, supply and demand. They know they can get it, so they do it. I know I have curbed my shooting habbits. I don't go nearly as much as I used to simply because its getting harder and harder to afford the hobby. Personally, with the economy going so badly, I don't think they are going to be able to keep the prices this high for much longer. People eventually will get enough stocked and stop buying as much. Until then who knows. Thats just my thoughts. What goes up must come down.

let's hope that will be the case... somehow I see this administration pushing for more bans and what not. it's kind of hard to imagine the prices going back down again. but I hope I am wrong with this.

[endorphine44]

Yeah, talk about a rip off....I can't find a 500 rnd brick of copper-plated 22LR for less than $30-40, if I can even find one in stock. My Mk 3 doesn't like to cycle the solid lead rounds. A friend of mine just paid $40 for a box of 7mm Rem Mag ammo too. I'm about to start learning to reload my own, should have done it a long time ago.
I would think Remington, Winchester, and some others would increase production as well...they didn't ask for my professional opinion though so...

[KimberPB]

Does anyone else think that the manufacturers have something to do with this also? I agree that it feels like they're gouging us like they did with "the gas shortage" of the 70's while tankers SAT in the harbors waiting to unload! Ok, i understand supply & demand, but why isnt there an increase in production? It seems to me that they should build new plants and expand production to keep up with demand( and make a fortune doing it!) as opposed to gouging prices on their current production- unless the manufacturers are afraid that big brother is going to shut them down or make life miserable. French Creek Outfitters was completely out of ammo for a week and a half. Now you can only buy 4 boxes per day

Here is what I know but I'm no expert. But Winchester, Remington, ect have machines that can produce so many rounds an hour. There is no way to increase the output because they are already running at max output. Now before they may run there plant 10 - 12 hours to meet there orders but have recently started running the operation 24 hours a day. From what I've heard they are producing around one million rounds of handgun, rifle, and shotgun shells a day. They fill military contracts first then fill the other orders. So the only way for them to produce more is to buy more reloading equipment and operators. This isn't cheap. So if they buy extra equipment and either new laws are put in place or things finally slow down would they have made enough money to have paid for that equipment and now what do they do with it? Let it collect dust? So i don't think its anything the manufactures are doing. They are just trying to fill orders as fast as possible and make sound business decisions.

I think the big thing is everyone is just buying and stock pilling. Eventually things will calm back down and prices will return to normal. I hope!