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| ...and when she got there, the cupboard was bare... |
Yow.
There was one lonely box of Remington .32ACP FMJ in the store and that was it as far as handgun ammo goes, save for a couple boxes of zillion-dollar .45 Colt down next to the .410 Judge loads.
There was hunting ammo and some .308 match, but all the 5.56 and 7.62x39 was gone with the wind.
12ga slugs and birdshot were okay, but 12ga buckshot was next to nonexistent: I picked up two 5-rd boxes of 2¾" 00B and two ten-round boxes of that silly new Winchester PDX1 buck-and-ball load. There was a three-box/customer limit, but the nice lady apparently remembered me and threw an extra box of the PDX1 on my stack and I just paid for it without saying anything. It felt like I was getting allowed to buy an extra pair of cardboard-soled shoes without a ration coupon at the People's Market in Cold War Bucharest because I knew the commissar or something.
Even at that, my meager purchase represented about a fifth of the 12ga buckshot on the shelves.
41 comments:
We live in tents and buy guns to kill each other...
...and we've eaten all the birds.
Also all the ammo. ;)
Looks like the Wal Marts in my area.
Madness. We need that ammo so we can eat the birds
I scored the last 100 rds of .45 and 1 big box of .22lr. People lined up an hr before the doors opened and were running back to Sporting Goods. Nuts.
Prices were normal though.
You actually have more in stock than mine does. I picked up a new .308 a little while back, and have managed to obtain a single box of .308 since then.
It looks just like the last time I was in Wamalart except they also had a lone box of 25-06. I'm thinking if I want to do any rifle shooting I'm going to have to stick to the oddball surplus guns like Grandpa's old 6.5JAP.
Yeah...I don't even bother to look anymore.
Up here in Minnesota and Wisconsin there is a chain of stores called "Mills Fleet/Farm". For the past 5 years, every time I've gone in there to get something, I've stopped by the fun area and thrown a brick of .22LR into my cart or basket.
Wow, am I glad I've done that. Prices for a brick of Remington Golden .22 (HP, 525 rounds) usually ran from $15 (on sale) to $18 or $19 bucks (for the past year). The Winchester 555-round packs were just a little higher. Buying it faster than I was shooting it allowed me to build up a pretty good stock in the house, stored in steel surplus 50-cal ammo cans.
Now, just like your Wally-World, there was NOTHING in .22LR on the shelf when we went in last week, except for some .22-birdshot shells. And the surplus ammo cans I used to get for $4.99 are now selling for almost 20 bucks!
"Be sure to thank your president, kids."
"THANK YOU, President Obama."
BLACK POWDER ANY ONE ?
ALSO CAST LEAD ROUNDS OVER A CAMP FIRE
Just wait until all that ammo starts going the other way......
Navigator, I'm getting into muzzleloading for just that reason.
Our local WMs have some ammo. We're flush with 300WM. I noticed this and picked up an Encore in 300. I had been planning to buy one for a while, but hadn't decided on a caliber. Next purchase is a 209x50 barrel for that frame.
Chris
Mills Fleet/Farm has their own store brand piston AR. I think it is called "Huldra". I have no idea if they are any good. Last time I was in there they were just putting out a meager shipment of .22lr. It didn't look like it would last long, but I didn't buy any. That is one caliber I'm pretty well supplied on.
A friend of mine's Aunt WAS the commissar in Zagreb... The family of goat-herds lived pretty well on frozen air-coffee because of that.
I should probably start working on my rock-and-stick-throwing skills...
Before all the good rocks and sticks are taken.
Whoa, your Wally World had 12ga buck and .308? LUCKY!
Ours (all three) are pretty much cleaned out of everything but .17 Hornet, 7mm Rem, 30-06 SPRG, and birdshot. And the occasional token box of .357 SIG.
A neighbor casually revealed the ammo delivery schedule at a big box sporting goods store near us. Nutty the kind of intel everyday folks are acquiring these days just for a chance to score a box of .22LR.
Wally World, cabelas et all pretty much look like that around here, but the local fun store has ammo in stock, and the prices aren't bad; however they are limiting customers to 100 rounds TOTAL per day. Mix and match as you see fit, but when you have 100 bullets you're done shopping.
They also have a wall of AR's at reasonable prices, but are limiting sales of those as well. Guess without a cardboard chit "commissar" attitude they would be empty like the others.
Looks better stocked than most stores in my area. My local Bass Pro Shop has had bare powder shelves since January.
Fortunately since I plan to try and stick with CDP in IDPA for awhile I stocked up on .45 components right as the panic started. A friend wound up pooling resources and labor so we could crank out a crap ton. Since Presidents' Day we've run over 3k rounds and are just now reaching the end of components. He stashes his. I just dump most of mine loose in ammo cans since I consume about 400 a month at least.
I just wish I'd have bought more .22 lr before the panic and that trade of 420 .308 reloads for a stainless taper barrel Mark II I made a couple weeks before Sandy Hook carries a bit more buyers' remorse now.
I need to scrounge more casting lead though. Getting a bit low for comfort.
I commented on this at Kevin Baker's site the other day but the Cabela's in Glendale, AZ has more ammo than you can shake a stick at, minus 9mm. Nothing is out of stock. I can even get my .303 British on there for 15-16 dollars a box (sometimes 12-13 depending on the sale). I can't believe the ammo problems you guys are dealing with on the other side of the Mississippi.
Smith,
" I can't believe the ammo problems you guys are dealing with on the other side of the Mississippi."
Maybe people in Glendale don't buy ammo?
People in Las Vegas, SLC, Phoenix, Dallas, Portland, Seattle, and all over California who can't buy ammo would be surprised to find that the Mississippi had moved. Maybe they should drive to Cabela's in Glendale?
Now just imagine the food shelves looking the same way. Welcome to the new soviet socialist republic of Amerika, comrade. If King Barry the Waster does for food what he has done for ammo, our obesity problem will be solved.
Bruce S.,
"If King Barry the Waster does for food what he has done for ammo, our obesity problem will be solved."
Because people will be stacking their basements to the ceiling with the stuff? I don't get it...
In my part of Nebraska I haven't seen .22 on a shelf since November. A friend I had keeping an eye out found some plain Remington .22, but it was $21 for a box of 100. I even thought of bribing the Wally Mart clerk for a heads up when they get ammo in.
That's remarkably well stocked compared to my local Wally World, which is usually well stocked. They had given up all pretense of ammo sales and had stocked the glass cabinet with random, normal merchandise. I looked closely, and spotted three boxes of .270.
Oh theres PLENTY of ammo. You just have to be willing to shell out 2$+ a round to get it. I know folks who bought every round they could find in any CAL. when this started. They'll sell it to you at a 200% mark up over CURRENT retail. The same guys scan every gun store and gun show buying everything anyone will sell them. Right now WW2 3006 ball is 125$ for 60 re-sale on AP ammo 3$ a round.40 cal?.45? FUGGETABODIT. Its GREED folks. The only reason for the ammo shortage is GREED.
Anonymous,
I hate commies.
@ Tam
Glendale and Phoenix are only separated by a "Welcome To..." sign if the people on Phoenix proper are having problems finding ammo then they are just being lazy. A major Phoenix metro highway runs one block past the Cabela's.
I'm probably just being biased but the majority of Soviet Era Re-Stocking Day! photos I see posted seem to be from places that are all back East.
"I'm probably just being biased..."
Yup. :)
(Incidentally, all the big internet outlets are out, too...)
SGAmmo e-mailed me yesterday afternoon to tell me that a particular type of quality self defense .40 S&W JHP ammo was back in stock at under $0.75 per round (a product that sold for under $0.60 a round a few months ago) with a ten unit purchase limit. I decided that I did not want to purchase that particular ammo, but logged on to their site anyways. I was curious. SGAmmo does a pretty good job of letting online customers know how much is in stock of any item. I watched in amazement as more than a hundred of the 500 round cases sold out within 45 minutes while several hundreds of the 50 round boxes at a penny more per round sold out within 60 minutes.
WOW!
SGAmmo also had a notice that they would be closed next week. Might as well, as they do not have much to sell now.
I'll bet it was the same brown box Winchester military 00 Buck I bought at my local Wally World a couple weeks ago. 3 boxes per person, so I had wife and brother-in-law buy some, too...
I have a fun show this weekend. I had to load almost 10,000 rounds just to replace what I sold at the last one. I'll probably sell out of 9 and 45 before Saturday is over. I've got a feeling it's going to be a long weekend.
As noted on Cmdr. Zero's and TSLRF, the ammo shelves at the local WallyMarts hereabouts in Southern Califrutopia are absolutely full.
Unfortuntaely, not full of ammo.
Seems they've stripped the price tags, and re-purposed the locking space across the aisles from scopes, pellets, and holsters as the new designated display storage for row after row of shiny Krylon and Rustoleum products, on the theory that shoppers can't tell the difference between paintcans and really, REALLY large bullets.
I'm still throwing the "fail" flag though.
And I got nothing but light primer hits on the two cans of lavender and seafoam green I managed to jam into my side-by-side coach gun.
But the knockdown targets seem more...restful looking...somehow.
G98,
"I'll bet it was the same brown box Winchester military 00 Buck I bought at my local Wally World a couple weeks ago."
Actually, no! Regular silver box Winchester Super-X buckshot.
Well, I'm doing the local Fun Show this Weekend, and my Buddy's and I are SELLING, yes SELLING Ammo.
Now, it's mostly Cheap Ball (Blazer Brass, Winchester White Box, Tula, etc), but with the going rate of 50 cent a round for Pistol and $1+ for Rifle in the Cleveland, Ohio area, the stuff I got a few years ago at 25 cents a round "for a Rainy Day" just might be enough to buy a Tank of Gasoline or two.
Or Food. Or Health Insurance.
Who knows? If I sell enough, I MIGHT, repeat MIGHT have enough to buy a used 4 inch K or L-Frame Smith in .357 for my Nephew to use when he comes back from Afghanistan and returns to his Base in Kalifornia.
Maybe.
Here in NV about as described. I frequent a very high volume ammo store. They periodically get shipments of one caliber or another and then it is gone. 9mm ball seems to be the hardest to come by though defensive ammo is available at a price. Last time I was in they were stacked to the ceiling with that and 40 FMJ and slugs but no 223, 45, 7.62x39 or buckshot. All of the latter have been in stock at various times over the past several months but not consistently. 22LR has completely disappeared except for a small store that charges a lot and rations.
Glad to hear the 'zonies are still finding some 'mo. Northwards it's still tough. Even components are scarce. Swapping 6.5 Swede for .30 WCF brass and bullets in limited quantities to "cross-level" with a friend.
Even 12 ga 7 1/2 and 8's are scarce at our Wallys'
"zillion-dollar .45 Colt..." Aw, hell, the only working piece I have left eats that, and I'm as poor as a church mouse.
I'm finding I'm going through more 12 ga buck since I started firing two rounds into the air when I hear a noise outside.
Fortunately Home Depot has a good stock of exterior doors...
I saw what you did there, Matthew.
Who cares about Maryland anyway? I mean, when Bobby Lee and his men went there and offered them the opportunity to join up, they mostly refused. Can you blame them? They had the best of both worlds in Maryland. They got to be slaveholders, and unionists too!
P.s. Of the two States named after famous women, I am partial to Virginia. That Roman Mariolatry just creeps me out.
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