zminer
Member
In regards to a previous thread about the ammunition shortage, I began to wonder if the ammo shortage was being caused - as some had suggested - by a lag time between getting raw materials and being able to turn them into ammunition which is available at stores.
I realized I had no idea how long it takes to manufacture ammunition, so I contacted the first mainstream ammo manufacturer I thought of - CCI - to ask them about it. Below is my correspondence with them. Essentially, they are saying that there is such huge demand that they are not able to get enough raw materials to satisfy it. So, it sounds like it's an issue of manufacturers being thwarted by the nature of the supply chain, rather than an artificial shortage of some sort (if you believe what they say, anyway )
Interesting.
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zminer:
I am having a discussion with some friends and I would like to know how long it takes to produce ammunition. So, for example, how long does the process take from the first moment that the raw materials arrive at your factory until an actual box of ammunition arrives at a retailer's door to be sold to consumers? Is it a matter of days or weeks, or is it more like months?
Thank you!
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CCI:
Just off the top of my head, two days from start to finish. Linda
Linda Olin
CCI/Speer Technical Services
2299 Snake River Ave.
Lewiston, ID 83501
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[I suspect that her figure of "two days" did not include, as I asked, shipping to an end user's shop ... but that might be because it varies based on how far away the shop is. Anyway, I decided to follow up:]
zminer:
Linda,
Wow, just two days from raw material to ready-to-ship? That's amazing. Then again, I suppose it's just a series of steps from creating the casing, filling it with powder and a projectile, and then packaging it into boxes. If the factory is efficient enough, I guess there's no reason it needs to take an especially long time.
On a related note, then, what do you think is the source of the much-ballyhooed ammunition shortages at national retailers? Is it simply an issue of vastly increased demand, and flat supply, or are there other factors at work here?
Thanks for your time.
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CCI:
We can't keep up with demand right now. We are backordered on nearly all ammo and component primers. We operate nearly 24/7. Linda
Linda Olin
CCI/Speer Technical Services
2299 Snake River Ave.
Lewiston, ID 83501
---
zminer:
Linda,
Oh, so it's an issue further up the supply chain.
Well, thanks for the info - I appreciate it.
I realized I had no idea how long it takes to manufacture ammunition, so I contacted the first mainstream ammo manufacturer I thought of - CCI - to ask them about it. Below is my correspondence with them. Essentially, they are saying that there is such huge demand that they are not able to get enough raw materials to satisfy it. So, it sounds like it's an issue of manufacturers being thwarted by the nature of the supply chain, rather than an artificial shortage of some sort (if you believe what they say, anyway )
Interesting.
****
zminer:
I am having a discussion with some friends and I would like to know how long it takes to produce ammunition. So, for example, how long does the process take from the first moment that the raw materials arrive at your factory until an actual box of ammunition arrives at a retailer's door to be sold to consumers? Is it a matter of days or weeks, or is it more like months?
Thank you!
---
CCI:
Just off the top of my head, two days from start to finish. Linda
Linda Olin
CCI/Speer Technical Services
2299 Snake River Ave.
Lewiston, ID 83501
---
[I suspect that her figure of "two days" did not include, as I asked, shipping to an end user's shop ... but that might be because it varies based on how far away the shop is. Anyway, I decided to follow up:]
zminer:
Linda,
Wow, just two days from raw material to ready-to-ship? That's amazing. Then again, I suppose it's just a series of steps from creating the casing, filling it with powder and a projectile, and then packaging it into boxes. If the factory is efficient enough, I guess there's no reason it needs to take an especially long time.
On a related note, then, what do you think is the source of the much-ballyhooed ammunition shortages at national retailers? Is it simply an issue of vastly increased demand, and flat supply, or are there other factors at work here?
Thanks for your time.
---
CCI:
We can't keep up with demand right now. We are backordered on nearly all ammo and component primers. We operate nearly 24/7. Linda
Linda Olin
CCI/Speer Technical Services
2299 Snake River Ave.
Lewiston, ID 83501
---
zminer:
Linda,
Oh, so it's an issue further up the supply chain.
Well, thanks for the info - I appreciate it.