cougar1717
Member
If I was the OP, I would purchase what I needed - I wouldn't necessarily fill the shelves.
This stuff can be timed and forecasted. It's not that difficult. When people experience prosperity, a level of economic certainty, and a stable political climate, gun and ammo manufacturers hate this period of time because their sales are down. People are too busy spending money on vacations, sports tickets, entertainment, dining, etc. - because times are good and income streams are somewhat known.
However, when there is uncertainty - be it economical, political, biological, or otherwise (this time all three) - discretionary spending doesn't go away, but it is reduced and redirected. TP, staples such as bulk and frozen food, camping and survival gear, RV's, cleaning products, guns, ammo, knifes - sales of these are through the roof. When people aren't sure if something will be "banned" or at least in short supply, we as Americans hoard and binge buy in an attempt to feel secure in uncertain times.
Guns and ammo is no different. At this point in time, prices are rising. Manufacturers used the increased demand to raise prices and it isn't evil of them to do so. That's just economics. Who knows what their supply chain is like? If it is a red November, things settle back down for three years. If it is a blue November, things will cost more and be in shorter supply as demand continues to increase. If you've lived long enough, a person can observe the cycle.
However, this also depends on the type of guns and ammo. Right now, it is nothing like 2008-2016. I shot at ton of hunting rifles and large rifle ammo in the BHO years. Nobody cared about that and there was plenty available. Similarly, nobody cared about revolvers. The biggest ammo demands were handgun ammo, 223/556, and 22LR. The biggest firearm demands were AR's and polymer striker fired handguns over 10 round capacity. I remember spending over $1/cartridge on SD handgun ammo just because it was available and hadn't seen it on store shelves in actual years.
Remember, today some 22LR for $.05-.06/rd is still available. For comparison, I was overjoyed to find and pay $40/brick for CCI SV at the end of 2016.
So, cheap 9mm, cheap 223, and 22LR are always the first to go. Those calibers are just too common. However, lack of ammo availability is typically what gets people into reloading.
This stuff can be timed and forecasted. It's not that difficult. When people experience prosperity, a level of economic certainty, and a stable political climate, gun and ammo manufacturers hate this period of time because their sales are down. People are too busy spending money on vacations, sports tickets, entertainment, dining, etc. - because times are good and income streams are somewhat known.
However, when there is uncertainty - be it economical, political, biological, or otherwise (this time all three) - discretionary spending doesn't go away, but it is reduced and redirected. TP, staples such as bulk and frozen food, camping and survival gear, RV's, cleaning products, guns, ammo, knifes - sales of these are through the roof. When people aren't sure if something will be "banned" or at least in short supply, we as Americans hoard and binge buy in an attempt to feel secure in uncertain times.
Guns and ammo is no different. At this point in time, prices are rising. Manufacturers used the increased demand to raise prices and it isn't evil of them to do so. That's just economics. Who knows what their supply chain is like? If it is a red November, things settle back down for three years. If it is a blue November, things will cost more and be in shorter supply as demand continues to increase. If you've lived long enough, a person can observe the cycle.
However, this also depends on the type of guns and ammo. Right now, it is nothing like 2008-2016. I shot at ton of hunting rifles and large rifle ammo in the BHO years. Nobody cared about that and there was plenty available. Similarly, nobody cared about revolvers. The biggest ammo demands were handgun ammo, 223/556, and 22LR. The biggest firearm demands were AR's and polymer striker fired handguns over 10 round capacity. I remember spending over $1/cartridge on SD handgun ammo just because it was available and hadn't seen it on store shelves in actual years.
Remember, today some 22LR for $.05-.06/rd is still available. For comparison, I was overjoyed to find and pay $40/brick for CCI SV at the end of 2016.
So, cheap 9mm, cheap 223, and 22LR are always the first to go. Those calibers are just too common. However, lack of ammo availability is typically what gets people into reloading.
