Monday, December 17, 2012

The market reacts...

Sunday morning, when Bobbi's TeeWee cut on at 0MyGod30 by way of an alarm clock, I went into her room and flopped down on the bed amongst still-groggy roomie and a pile of electric-blanket-seeking cats, awaiting Chris Matthews and the weekly pressure-testing of my cerebral arteries.

As feared, 48 hours into the 24 hour news cycle, the media were still in full cry, driven into a feeding frenzy by all the blood in the water. It was all gun control, all the time.

Thinking of the completed AR lower I've had lying around for a year or so, I muttered aloud that I should probably go ahead and get an upper for it, just in case.

"You probably should," agreed Bobbi, and so I Googled up Bravo Company and started browsing. It was already a "beggars can't be choosers" situation with their in-stock uppers, but I got an order in on one that was more-or-less what I was looking for and claimed to be in stock, added a charging handle and... no bolt carrier groups. Nor were there any available at Daniel Defense. Nor Brownells. Nor Palmetto State Armory. Brother, can you spare a BCG?

Later in the day, after the noon range trip, Bobbi and I headed to lunch and then I peeled off to go check the ammo situation at the local Wally World. I bought the last 1000rd brick of the Winchester M-22 deuce-deuce in the place. There was no other bulk-pack .22 on the shelf other than a couple lonely-looking 225rd boxes of Remington Golden Bullets: No 333rd boxes of Winchester, no 525rd bricks of Federal...

They were all out of the 100rd boxes of 9mm WWB and had a perilous few 50rd boxes left, of which I grabbed a couple, just because. The cheap 5.56 and 7.62x39 looked a little picked-over, too.

Still some 100rd boxes of .380, .38 Spl, and .40, as well as a pretty good situation in Prvi and TulAmmo. This is a fairly urban Wally World which doesn't carry firearms and only recently started carrying any ammunition other than shotgun shells, and so is something of a 'Secret Fishing Hole' whenever there's an ammo run.

25 comments:

Frank W. James said...

I think up till now we've all been operating under condition 'Orange' and now it's gone to 'Red'.

When Congress reconvenes next year I look for the situation to go to condition 'Black'. (No pun intended!)...

All The Best,
Frank W. James

Firehand said...

Friend works at a Dick's sporting goods store; says the Lodge(their firearms & ammo area) has been packed and selling damn-near everything.

Unknown said...

The sad thing about the brouhaha is that guns are not the problem. The real problem is the abysmal condition of dealing with mental ill-health conditions.

A good example is provided by this soccer mom:

http://anarchistsoccermom.blogspot.com/2012/12/thinking-unthinkable.html

Al T. said...

LGS as of Saturday afternoon was reporting that NICS was a 30 minute hold and an automatic "Delay". They were 6 for 6 as of 1600 or so. BCGs have been short for awhile.

Anonymous said...

Where is the Wally World with 100 round packs of .380?
Alath
Carmel IN

Tam said...

Alath,

Email me.

Ed Foster said...


Al T., Riverview Sales Gun Shop was running 2 hours behind on NICS checks Saturday afternoon.


Tam: Bolt carrier group? You want a 5.56mm bolt with that, or a 6.8mm?

I lost your address when my Hotmail account got hacked. E-mail me with it, and Merry Christmas.

Ed Foster said...

And remind me to tell you the TulAmmo horror story. The Polish guys I work with all say Russians rent their mothers to Gypsies. I'm beginning to believe it.

That Guy said...

Went to a gunshow this weekend. It was PACKED. Overflow parking lot was full.

Tam said...

Ed,

I'd be much obliged. I don't have your current email add'y accessible. Can you ping me?

I'll tell you my own TulAmmo horror story. :D

LCB said...

I've been putting off buying an AR because of finances...including spending money on an AR for my son's graduation gift earlier this year. Now...I think I'm going to have to do it whether I can afford it or not. Been saving for a CMP Garand...but think I best get the AR...just in case.

Brad K. said...

What if . .

Instead of the sale of ammo being a reaction to the fear of future restrictions . .

What if the sale of ammo, and interest in weapons, is merely because the noise is about weapons and ammo. What if the sale of ammo is directly tied to the media attention.

What if the people buying ammo are hearing calibers and ammo in the news. What about the people hearing national attention, and social impact, and how many people's lives were touched -- and have a twisted need to be noticed, to harm, or to punish?

What if the sale of ammo for some people is the same response that have focused others on violence, prevention, safety and response to violence? What if all of this response to the propaganda, intentional or not, completely and in a major way reinforces the advice from the experts, that playing this story for air time, personal and political agendas, and grue -- generates the next copycats?

John Richardson said...

I've noticed bolt carrier groups have been in short supply for a while now. It took me about 4-5 months before I could find one in 6.8 SPC. Now that is a bit esoteric but still....

ben said...

Buy from Bison Armory, we'll hook you up. Be sure that if you order something from us, you'll get something better than what you ordered.

We can do a .223 16" if you don't want a 6.8 as well.

Jay G said...

Tam,

A source that wishes to remain anonymous tells me that NICS will not be taking any customer service-related calls until after Christmas due to the high call volume.

IOW, if you get a false positive, good luck to you and the Red Sox.

E-mail me for some info on parts if you're interested.

Anonymous said...

The Goddess of Snark uses TulAmmo? (shudder)

You're no longer atop the pedestal on which I put you. ;-)

Tam said...

Anon 12:48,

There's a story...

Chad said...

Colorado NICS checks are taking over 22 hours at last check. It's simply insane over here.

Went with my wife to a Girls with Guns dinner last night... the room was packed.

Sigivald said...

I bought a barrel group on Friday (coincidentally - Christmas bonus came in), without much trouble.

I saw plenty of BCGs in stock in the afternoon, but not the one I wanted. Must have sold out later, I guess, since I swear I was looking at Brownell's and they had some.

(But since it's a chrome slick-side, that didn't surprise me; they're not a big stock item.)

Mr Evilwrench said...

Got 7 cases of various calibers still sitting on the living room floor. No, none of it's for sale. Looking for one more upper to finish my lowers, and yeah, BCGs have been scarce on the ground.

Mr. FUBAR said...

Quality .22 ammo has been scarce on the otherside of the hoosier state for about 2months now.

jed said...

Just checked Adco -- bupkis on the BCG there either. PKFirearams, nada. Ranier, nope.

Back in March, I finally put an LPK in, and told myself that this year, I'd really finish it. And then one thing and another came up. Have to see what the Xmas bonus looks like this, and maybe get a buttstock assembly. At the rate I'm going, I'll finish it in 2016 at best.

Jeffersonian said...

CDNN still has the Israeli BCG and charging handle. I ordered mine Thursday and got them in snailmail Saturday. -Carrier not as pictured, short tail like USGI, no extra mass on the rear.

Still waiting for my mid-length upper from Palmetto State Armory's Black Friday sale, which I just barely caught the end of. They've taken my money and the account page says "Processing".

The local shows are packed to overflowing.

Anonymous said...

These comment read like the beginning of a James Wesley Rawles book. Pre '64 silver anyone?

Anonymous said...

PSA now has 8620 BCGs in stock for $150. FYI in case you're still looking.