It is getting better...

Not in Ohio it isn't. At least from my experience. Don't know where you are, but congrats.

Russ

Hey Russ-

I'm making out OK on the East side. And my boss scored a bunch of ammo in different calibers at Fin Feather and Fur last weekend. Just gotta shop around and keep your eyes open. It's getting better here too.

It is getting better. Locally Ammo availability is decent on everything except .22lr at all the LGS, except WalMart. Prices are a shade above normal but not just horrible. The same can be said for guns. Prices on everything have dropped a bit in the last month, with ARs dropping to close to normal levels. ($750 gun that were selling for $1200 are mostly back to between $8-900. It isn't back to normal, but it is moving that direction.

I was at the Tanner show last weekend, went to a smaller show today looking for a mag for my wife's Kahr, among other sundries.

Some dealers have been paying attention, and their prices reflect the current (relative) normalcy: Complete basic ARs for $1000-$1,200, uppers for $500-$600 less BCG, BCG's for $200, stripped lowers for $180, and mags for $20-$30. I grabbed an extra complete bolt (DPMS) for $49 from one vendor. Might have grabbed one of his complete BCGs for $189, but they were semi auto carriers.

Others are still smoking the January smack. One was trying to get $70 on DSA 30 round FAL mags. I just laughed and stopped by one of the nearby gun shops on my way home, picked up 2 for $29.99/ea. He had 18 or 20 in stock, not to mention an entire rack of Pmags, probably 300-400 of them.

Ammo is still pretty exorbitant, though. I haven't seen brass cased 5.56 for under $0.70/rd since Newtown. .308 is still holding close to $1/rd. .22 LR still out of sight, too.

Ironically, gunbroker is a good place to look to see what the current market is doing. I noticed a week or so ago that standard ARs from makers like S&W, DPMS, etc. starting at $1,200 or higher simply weren't getting bids at all, not even within minutes of closing. I'm bettin' people who paid $2,500 or more for these guns two months ago are :banghead: right now.

Well scratch then that's good to hear. I guess it is just my own bad luck at getting to the store(s) at the wrong time maybe.

Russ

There is still a crowd of ammo flippers showing up at our local Wal-Mart every morning at 6:30AM for the scheduled 7AM ammo stocking. My dad was able to score for me 2 100rd bulk boxes of .45 at the local Wal-Mart in the late afternoon a few days ago, the first pistol ammo we've seen there in months.

Now if only .223 would start showing up again.

ol'scratch, there were scads of .22LR at the gun show I went to yesterday. But, at what price did you get yours?

Posted this elsewhere here:

Well, locally to me, at least, it seems the AR manufacturer lag time in ramping to meet demand has finally wound down- all manner of black rifles in three local gun shops and two box stores in the past few days. I personally picked up a Colt 6920 on Friday from a local big box sports retailer (for a pre-Newtown price, no less). Most local gun shops have jacked their prices, however.

I would note it was the only Colt rifle in the store but there was a full rack of tier 2 and 3 guns available.

However, the so-called "panic" mentality- perhaps "desparate" is a better term- is still there among some- I was offered double what I paid for it later that very day by a co-worker. I set them on the correct path rather than take advantage.

Ammunition availability, on the other hand, is still an issue locally at least. Thankfully not for me, having prepared years ago.

I have to bite my tongue when I hear of people who clean out inventories buying for the sake of buying- one person I know spent $3000 to buy the inventory of a rural hardware store despite not owning one single gun that could use the various oddball ammo he bought. Incredibly stupid.

I just bought an Airsoft pistol (Elite Force 1911 Tac) to deal with a woodpecker problem (instead of blowing the side of my house off with the 12 gauge). I'm surprised these things aren't more popular, especially with the 22 crowd. The weight, grip and trigger feel of this thing is very nice, more like my Colt 1911 than not. Obviously it doesn't fire with the authority of my real 1911 loaded with 45ACP, but the CO2 cartridge blowback design is pretty satisfying (~425 FPS). Best of all, 12g carts and high-quality BB's are C H E A P.

mrvco said:

I just bought an Airsoft pistol (Elite Force 1911 Tac) to deal with a woodpecker problem (instead of blowing the side of my house off with the 12 gauge). I'm surprised these things aren't more popular, especially with the 22 crowd. The weight, grip and trigger feel of this thing is very nice, more like my Colt 1911 than not. Obviously it doesn't fire with the authority of my real 1911 loaded with 45ACP, but the CO2 cartridge blowback design is pretty satisfying (~425 FPS). Best of all, 12g carts and high-quality BB's are C H E A P.

Click to expand...

Actually looking at that very option myself. That way I can maintain some semblance of practice and at the same time continue adding to my ammo supply one box at a time.

Queen_of_Thunder said:

Actually looking at that very option myself. That way I can maintain some semblance of practice and at the same time continue adding to my ammo supply one box at a time.

Click to expand...

I know people use Airsoft guns like painball guns... are there more powerful Airsoft-like guns not meant for the recreational shooting of other consenting adults?

Mrvco writes:

I just bought an Airsoft pistol (Elite Force 1911 Tac) to deal with a woodpecker problem (instead of blowing the side of my house off with the 12 gauge). I'm surprised these things aren't more popular, especially with the 22 crowd. The weight, grip and trigger feel of this thing is very nice, more like my Colt 1911 than not. Obviously it doesn't fire with the authority of my real 1911 loaded with 45ACP, but the CO2 cartridge blowback design is pretty satisfying (~425 FPS). Best of all, 12g carts and high-quality BB's are C H E A P.

Click to expand...

I just bought a real cheap little one at a gun show Saturday (two days ago) figuring it would make a good safe-handling training piece for my four-year old daughter. It's metal, "sort-of semi-auto", and rated at only like 250FPS.

But, when I tried it out myself, I thought "I can actually see getting a better one for myself and shooting it." This one is the only one I could find that her hands would fit, so that's why I got it.
So, I went and dug out my Daisy Model 59, manufactured in 1987, I think, and tried it out. Probably the first time I'd shot it since that year (might have even been 1986.) It's weak, and requires the shot be loaded into fake "brass" cases, which are ejected out the slide when it snaps rearward (one must force the slide back closed to re-cock for each shot.)

I think I see a quality AirSoft or .177 caliber rifled-bore pistol coming home soon. I do already own a couple, but none that replicate any modern centerfire pistols.

Better? A tiny amount maybe.

There has been a fairly rapid fundamental change in many gun owner's purchasing and storing norms . A change that may not just go away. This change as I see it is an increase in the amount of ammo people buy and keep as a minimum. The person who used to buy a box or two, now may buy 500 rounds, or even a case. The person who used to store 1000 rounds, may now (desire to) store 3000-5000 rounds. And so on, which I believe is really driving the market.

The manufacturers who are not adding square feet and equipment because they think this is just a temporary spike may have data or a better idea. I'm certainly not some guru or insider. I just say many of the ammo companies must be missing out, or say something like: "Well we buy our bullets and there aren't any....". To this I ask "What is the limit on the bullet manufacturing?" and down the supplier chain it goes. (yes I know .22LR factories make their own bullets)

Bottom line: The supply and distribution of pistol and rifle ammunition in the USA is terrible. We really shouldn't reward them by paying higher prices for the under performance in supply, but that's what we are stuck with. The better companies might actually be doing something about the situation rather than just slapping an apology on their website.

Prices have come down slightly on gunbroker, but local ammo availability for those of us not able to camp out Walmart is nil.

Quick update- picked up another Colt 6920 yesterday from the same store that had the one I picked up Friday.

Same price, as well. Clearly, at least locally, supplies of this popular AR are loosening a bit.

Ammo continues to be the same bad story though- yesterday a friend texted me as he was about to drop the hammer on an online purchase of a case of PMC 62 grain ammo for $970. I almost choked on my coffee.

My wife went to a conference in NW AR, and went to 6 stores. She bought me:

2 lbs short of a keg Ramshot True Blue
1/2 a keg of BLC-2
200 .224 Winchester 64 grain PP

My uncle in Memphis, TN bought me this week:

500 Remington Small Pistol Powders

Today I bought myself:

2 boxes of Federal 100 Primers
2 boxes of Federal 150 Primers

I just missed the boat because Monday my LGS had everything. I still haven't seen .22 LR in months, but I have some saved from a long time ago. I am pretty set for reloading components for the year, but would like some .22 LR, .335 FMJ but will probably just order lead, 2000 .224 55 grain or 62 grain FMJ bullets, 500 .308 Sierra 125 grain FNHP, and if Reloader 19 works out I would like to have 4 lbs of it.
I settled for BLC-2 for my 69 and 75 grain .223 loads because I have experience with it. I wanted Ramshot TAC in an 8 lbs keg, but it cannot be bought in my area easily. BLC-2 will work in 90% of my rifles also, so it was a good choice, and is a good accurate powder.
Buying the Dillion 550B this year has in a way forced me to go with ball powders. Which means my stock of H4895, which I use for everything rifle that isn't a 06 class rifle, meters well in the Dillion, but leaves me weary of a hang up, and I don't want to clean it up or take the risk in progressive mode.
I will still use it via dippers, even on the Dillion. I will just remove the powder container and pour the powder in.

I think it is getting better. My uncle has been able to buy at minimum 150 rounds of 9mm for the last month at least once a week. He doesn't reload, and is keeping his 9mm for me. YES!

I am real picky about my .22 LR ammo, and Winchester Xpert 36 grain lead HP is my favorite .22 LR in bulk. It is all that I use. My Model 60 shoots close to MOA at 100 yards with it. I don't want to settle for anything else, but I may have to do just that.

Found plenty of ammo and 15 round magazines for the Glock 20. Life is grand. There are NO shortages out there.