Ammunition Shortages - I mean really!!!

[thunderlounge]

Originally Posted by FN1910

Why don't they expand? Does anyone really want to invest in expanding anything in this economy? They build a new plant to keep up with demand, all of a sudden the demand is fullfilled and then the supply exceeds the demand. The company is left with an idle plant. Anyone here olde enought to remember Cabbage Patch Dolls or even Duncan Yo-Yo's. Both companies built plants to supply the sudden demand and wound up bankrupt when the supply exceeded the demand.

Well at least I found my "Let's start a business" remark funny.

All joking aside though, both those companies went overboard. Plus the CP's were changed and went to the plastic faces as well.

I wouldn't think that a small, reasonable expansion would be completely out of the question entirely. By reasonable, I mean adding in a new line at an existing plant vice an entire new plant. Which some may or may not be considering or have underway.

[sixtracksfn]

Originally Posted by thunderlounge

I wouldn't think that a small, reasonable expansion would be completely out of the question entirely. By reasonable, I mean adding in a new line at an existing plant vice an entire new plant. Which some may or may not be considering or have underway.

In the long run that would help I think, but not anytime soon. Plant expansions take a lot of capital and time to do. I know we just rebuilt a boiler where I work. Took nearly a month to finish. While it was being rebuilt, we could not run one of our machines. Not running the machine means not making product, which means not making money. Now it was good for us cause it allowed it us to take some product off the market, which would help drive demand up. But with the expansion of the plants, I don't see it making much effect in the short term, it might actually cause there to be less ammunition than there is now. But that's just how I see it.

[thunderlounge]

Originally Posted by sixtracksfn

In the long run that would help I think, but not anytime soon. Plant expansions take a lot of capital and time to do. I know we just rebuilt a boiler where I work. Took nearly a month to finish. While it was being rebuilt, we could not run one of our machines. Not running the machine means not making product, which means not making money. Now it was good for us cause it allowed it us to take some product off the market, which would help drive demand up. But with the expansion of the plants, I don't see it making much effect in the short term, it might actually cause there to be less ammunition than there is now. But that's just how I see it.

I agree, that is a very real possibility. Of course I'm not an ammo manufacturing expert either, and I'm sure anyone who manufacturers ammo has put these through the wringer 1000 times already.

It's interesting forum fodder for a nice discussion through.

Military supply isn't the issue, I would think, but it's the consumer demand that is. Whether or not that will decrease to previous levels I don't know, however it would appear that the consumer demand has increased from not only an addition of new shooters but also from the rest of us stocking up as well.

I've been on the "buy it if you find it" mode of operation for about 18 months or so now. I don't go overboard, but I'll buy a couple hundred if I find them. (Keyword there: "if")

Around here (mid-Missouri) it's pretty much your handgun calibers which are in short supply. I haven't really dug into other areas to see if they're similar. Rifle rounds are still in supply for the most part, as are shotgun rounds. They're a bit higher on average, but I don't know if that's from a weaker dollar, price increase anticipation, other factors or a combination thereof.

Looks like I finally need to get off my but and get some new dies, no matter how you slice it.