So where do prices go from here?

[Queen_of_Thunder]

Queen of Thunder,

If you have not been shooting the last view months because of shortage of reloading components I respectfully submit you have not been looking in the right places and using the right search techniques. I have purchased more reloading supplies since the first of the year than probably the last 2 or 3 previous ones at pre-Banic prices. In fact I totally added shooting black powder revolver and have acquired plenty of everything (caps, wads, real BP, bullet mold) to keep me shooting it for a long time.

The reloading supply and ammo situation is improving. This weekend I found new 9mm brass in stock at pre-Banic prices. I have not made a effort to buy any 22 LR ammo since the Banic started but I also found a reputable Internet companies that are now accepting backorders for 22 LR at reasonable prices.

The key for me is flexibility and using the Internet for product searches instead of whining about the shortage and prices.

You were lucky. The only reliable source of ammo I found was from Academy and they had limits. When one can only get 1 box per caliber with a max of 3 calibers per day its hard to maintain the shooting schedule I had before the December incident. Of course that is if they had any ammo to sell. After 8 months of self imposed limits I can now return to a schedule of 1 match and 1 practice session a month as thats about the extent of my ability to replace what I shoot. Ammo supply while improving is still somewhat spotty and overly expensive.

As far as reloading goes I had just started assembling the items when it hit the fan and as we all know reloading supplies right down to dies and presses disappeared overnight and they too were on backorder and commanding huge prices in the secondary market.

Where many people haven't been able to find 22lr I've been able to purchase some 30,000 rounds over these past 8 months. Now 9mm and 45acp along with 40 S&W were nowhere to be found and are finally showing up. I traded 22lr for the 40 cal ammo that I needed and traded another portion as part of the price on a S&W 586. The remaining amount is for shooting and a small portion set aside for trade possibilities.

 

[BSA1]

A small amount of luck but mostly just being persistent.

I was lucky in that I found a small local sporting goods that not only manages to get powder in at bulk but sells it at pre-banic prices.

Flexible by willing to buy powder that I normally have not used in the past for a particular caliber.

Persistent by regularly checking with dealers on the Internet and getting on as many notify me and back order lists as possible. As a reloader I have actually recieved more notifications for supplies than having enough money to buy everything.

You certainly did fine on 22LR. Broaden your search using the Internet, check dealers web sites regularly, be flexible and buy supplies when they become available even though you may not be in real need of it (for example brass) and get on as many notify me and back order lists as possible.

 

[justice06rr]

Every post here so far is pure speculation, no one knows for a fact what the future will bring.

Further if supply & demand was the soul factor regarding pricing, companies like Wal Mart or Harbor Freight would never exist.

I will disagree with the first statement and say that prices will only remain the same and go up; it will never be below pre-panic/2012 again. This is for ammo of course, not guns, and only for the popular calibers like 9mm, 22lr, and 5.56.

What I mean is that a 50rd box of 9mm brass will never be below $10 again as it was in 2012, or 5.56/223 brass below $7/20rds etc. Prices can only go up due to demand and inflation. Of course you can expect some normal "dips" in pricing, but in reality prices always go up due to the state of the economy and depreciating value of the dollar.

The future always brings change, and normally its always an increase in price of a commodity--never a decrease.

 

[larryh1108]

I see the .22LR shortage going on into the new year. Why? Well, once the prices settle down and you start to see some inventory I believe that all who were caught short this go around will build their own stashes for the next one. Everyone who wanted it but couldn't find it for 9 months will buy thousands instead of hundreds, like they used to buy before. The days of going out for a brick on the way to the range are gone for a while. People will see some ammo and instead of buying 1 brick, they will buy all their pocketbook will allow. This will continue until these people have enough to be content for a while. This will perpetuate the shortage for the .22LR longer than any CF ammo, which is slowly getting back to the stores. However, the new "normal" prices will be higher than the old "normal prices" due to the cost of the components to make as well as fuel to move it.

 

[MagnunJoe]

Up, specially if Republicans lose the House in next year elections. Way up when Hillary gets to the White House.