In this latest "panic buy," did you over pay? If 'yes,' why?

Yeah I bought some 9mm 147gr ranger because I got my suppressor out of jail and was caught short.

I’ve bought a lot of guns but mostly bargains in the vein of “I’ll snap this up at a pre-pandemic price and at the very least break even if I don’t like it.” Most I think I “overpaid” was $330 for a NIB Ruger Mk 2. I think before the panic I might have found one for an even $300. But this one is also literally unfired, so, hard to say.

I did buy a box of .32acp for $40 recently, half-inadvertently. Price wasn’t marked and at checkout along with a bunch of other things, I had to make a snap decision as to whether it was worth opening my mouth to pass on it when I saw the price appear. I figured ammo is ammo and I’ll have more than $40 of fun shooting a couple of those guns I mentioned, so…. May as well just buy it.

Nope. I paid exactly what I was willing to pay or less.

I have recently started buying ammo again. Did I over pay? Yes and no. I overpaid compared to what I was paying 18 months ago when I last bought ammo, but I didn't actually pay over MSRP.

Based on previous experience, I have tried to maintain a 6 month supply of ammo for my hog control operation. I far exceeded that and still have plenty left, but with prices down significantly, some maintenance purchasing seems like good idea. I don't think we are out of the woods yet on this. This just may be the eye of the storm.

I overpaid about 20% (compared to pre-pandemic) on bullets for reloading, but it’s only a few bucks extra for 1,000 bullets so no big deal.

I bought a Ruger LCP MAX earlier this month. I paid under MSRP, but I don't know what the gun would have gone for in "easier times."

I bought a NAA "Sheriff" .22WMR revolver in February of 2020, when the hype was still escalating. I paid $350 for it, including shipping and transfer. In "easier times", it would likely have been available for $50-80 less. I just wanted one.

I did not purchase, or feel the need to purchase, any ammunition, though my shooting frequency is down (partly due to other demands, not just on ammo conservation.)

Yeah. Bought 5K LPP on GB several weeks back for 2x what I should've.

Bought 2 boxes of 44 mag online for $54 ea. Why? Because I picked up a 44 mag pistol and had no ammo for it. 44mag ammo is unobtainium around here...
Everything else I had stockpiled for when it was cheap. I just can't see paying like $399 for the same 1k rounds of 9mm I paid $189 for just over a year ago...

George Dickel said:

I paid $150 for 1,000 primers that cost less than $50 previously. No primers, no shoot. Not a difficult decision, costly but didn't require much thought.

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Same here. As bad as I hated it, I felt like it was "now or never" at the time. I wound up paying about $45/lb for powder around the same time, too. Again, I felt like I needed it. Probably should've waited, but hindsight is always 20-20. But maybe the worst, I paid $50 for a brick of Remington Thunderbolts a couple weeks ago. That's about 2x the normal price for them, but they were the first 22lr ammo I'd seen around for less than $10 per 50 round box. I was so happy, in fact, that I bought two bricks....

It's my hope that ammo and components are coming back. I've been seeing more things available at the big retailers lately; the prices aren't bad either, but the shipping and taxes will eat you alive if you aren't careful. There are a few things that I'd like to have, and a few things I'm getting low on, but I think I'll wait 'til fall and see how it looks. Then I'll replenish what I absolutely have to have, and hold out for better times on the rest.

Mac

I almost overpaid. My wife wanted a new gun after getting her carry permit renewed. She sent me to the store to trade her old carry she didn't like for something she would, easier said than done. I was looking at something for her in 380 until I saw the price of ammo. Hollowpoints were going for $3 a round and in small bags. I got her something else that I already had ammo for.

Howland937 said:

I paid more than I wanted to for a rifle I wasn't even looking for. Ran across it in a small shop that I didn't realize even sold guns. It was there, I had the money so I asked...we settled on a price that was less than they wanted but still higher than I would have liked. I bought it anyway because I thought it was cool and been years since I'd seen one.

I really blew the budget when I bought 4 different ring configurations before I found a set that would allow my scope to fit.

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Ha, I am the same way about scope mounts... I usually get the highest rings I can find and they seem to work fine for me. I like a high mount so I don't have to tilt my neck as much and keep it more straight.

I think a set of dies was all I bought. Paid about 25% over normal retail. I actually sold a few guns in the last year so someone could have at least on pistol. I did my part.

I stocked up pretty respectably, but stocking up a massive stockpile isn't something you do over night, often it's spread out over many trips to the LGS or taking advantage internet deals over time, the shortage has basically halted my normal shooting related purchases for over a year.

I did buy a few things that I probably overpaid for. Paid almost $400 for a case of 9mm, paid close to $700 for an 870TB that from what I can tell, we're selling closer to $300-$400 in years prior (maybe not directly related to covid or 2020 election, more likely Remington shutting down).

I overpaid because I typically shoot my 9mm's the most and it's what I usually have the least of, especially during the shortage and the price was considerably lower than could be found anywhere else, but considerably more than it was pre covid. Had to make a choice, choke a lil on price or not shoot.

The 870TB? I paid what I thought was fair and knowing that nothing like that will ever be coming out of any Remington or RemArms plant in the future, I decided it probably best to jump while they are still sub $1K guns. I've learned the hard way in the past, sometimes there is a gun or something you want that's priced a little out of your comfort zone, you wait just to find out later you were a fool and the price you could of paid was a bargain......

I've bought a few boxes of ammo (.22 mag and 12ga game loads) at Cabela's. Both were "normal price", but since Bass Pro has taken over Cabela's normal price seems to be about 50% more than it used to be. So I guess I overpaid, because if I could have found either at Walmart or online I'd have done so. I'm really kicking myself for not buying a few of those 100 round packs of Winchester shotgun ammo when I was in Walmart in the spring of 2020 and it was in stock. My hands were full and I was too lazy to get a cart, and after having gone through a couple "panic buys" I hadn't seen shotgun shells disappear.

I'm running low on powder for .223, so eventually I might considering overpaying on H335 or RL15 if I can find some. I think what I have I can make last another years still though.

theotherwaldo said:

I just bought a Carcano.
Some would say that I over paid, whatever the cost... .

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I picked up a Swedish Mauser in 6.5x55 for $600 early this year in very good (bore is mint) condition and thought I stole it at that price lol.

Never purchased any ammo. However in February I did get a second Glock 19 with factory night sights for 579.00.

I don't think anything was overly expensive. Didn't need anything until I found a Tisa 1911 45 for $450. Even with a FFL I had to get the gun from my friends Gun Shop. My distributors push me aside because I'm small. Luckily, Bob had just gotten a shipment of ammo and I got 3 boxes of 50 for $27@. All my other guns are well fed.

The opposite, actually.

I sold several guns and lots of ammo, did very well.

Still have everything I need.

I overpaid a bit for a Smith and Wesson J frame but it was the long-discontinued Model 38-2. It's "like new" and I doubt was ever shot outside of factory testing. I think I got it for around $500.00 if I recall correctly. Price was up a bit due to scamdemic.

I recently overpaid for Crimson Trace Master Series for a roundbutt 1911 but I think that's been discontinued too. I paid just over $400.00 but that will go on a carry gun soon.

I bought 1000 rounds of my chosen defensive loads just as the panic set in. I came so soon there was no price increase but the order took like an hour to place online, the websites were that slow.

Some guns I bid on sure went for a lot more than I thought they would, so they went home with someone else. Those buyers sure wanted them more than I, I wish them well with their purchases.

Stay safe.

Riomouse911 said:

Some guns I bid on sure went for a lot more than I thought they would, so they went home with someone else. Those buyers sure wanted them more than I, I wish them well with their purchases.

Stay safe.

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Same here. Money is tight and will get tighter. Years ago I changed how I thought about losing an auction. Instead of being downcast I would be happy for the guy that won. As my girl says "life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you react."

I went through the primer shortage during the Clinton Administration. I've always maintained a supply of everything since then.

Not really. Now, did pay m ore than I could have buying to early into the SIG 365 supply cycle--they've come down near $200 since I bought my 365X. But, I bought the first one my LGS got in, and it helped out my LGS, and it was "stimulus" money, so I was stimulating my LGS--all good in my book

I hadn't realized I was way too low on .30-06 and .30-30 last fall. So heck yeah, I overpaid like a big dog, especially for some super-premium .30-06. When even the prices on basic Remington Core-Lokt had tripled, I knew it was getting bad.