I'm not trying to take Coloradoshooter to task for this, as it isn't inaccurate. But it does typify the alarmist side of the conversation and it's a great example - almost parody.
Our entire logistical chain of supply, including groceries, gas, and even beef works on a just in time system. First, it's expensive to store massive quantities of overproduction - just where would the Remington plant in Arkansas put 6 months production, for instance? They would have to build a massive warehouse space to store it, which would demand a lot of munitions specialty considerations. Imagine a field of bunkers each separated by at least 1,000 yards from each other. It takes a lot of real estate. Not on dime of that money spent makes profit. Ever. It would bankrupt the smaller producers.
Then there's the issue of the ,Gov taxing inventory. Not a good situation and another expense. It's exactly the reason everyone lets the shelves go bare in January (or their cyclic low point financially) to declare minimum inventory which reduces taxes. Even lumberyards to that and it's why when disasters happen the spare pallets of building materials are shipped less than truck load to go for recovery. Nobody keeps massive inventory any more.
Much less the risk of sabotage or neglect. Insurance costs factor in.
What we have is a Just In Time system and Walmart is a perfect example. They do not get pallets of ammo to the store. Not hardly. If they sell X numbers of boxes of ammo per calendar unit, the continuous resupply returns X number of boxes back to the shelf.
At no time can the system suddenly increase production or ship more to meet the sudden demand of a panic buying situation. Look to natural disasters or weather - grocery stores run out of bottled water and toilet paper, hard goods ship in generators from out of state. They don't keep stuff in reserve. It's too expensive and there's no room to put it anyway.
So a political event then occurs and the shelves are cleared? Who does that? Those with no experience, training, or character - they are prey to panic and fear. Their guiding principal is "I won't get mine!" and reacting in selfishness they go out and clear the shelves.
Does the supply system come crashing down? No. People keep going to work, ammo is made, product is shipped, trucks run, deliveries are made. But at the panic driven consumer level, one too many discover they are a minute late dashing around selfishly looking to buy anything because the sky is going to fall.
I've seen young girls react more maturely at the loss of a prom dress eight hours before the dance.
Again, the system doesn't come crashing down. What does are the expectations of some to be able to walk into a major retailer and buy a box of ammo with their pop and chips. OMG! THE SHELVES ARE BARE!.
Just what kind of fears propel this? They are the subject of a lot of speculation not directly germane to this thread, but it's usually the uninformed and sometimes patently ignorant kind of stuff you hear around gun counters. Think about it. If we post up commentary from there to skewer for it's inaccuracy, why take for gospel the same source on the subject of current events?
Nope, the system isn't poised on a razor's edge, and production doesn't come crashing down. What happens is that a lot of the less well prepared or educated suddenly start vying for something they never previously considered important to themselves - no different than matrons prowling the aisles in the Mall hunting down Cabbage Patch dolls, or the Governator searching for an action toy. It's comedic.
On the bright side every panic educated another group of buyers previously insensitive to reality and we get another boost in the knowledge base of shooters. It's been going on 30 years now and things are improving - as are the laws, which reflect it.
Ignore the political theatre of candidates jockeying for votes, it's vaudeville for the national press and promises made are as flimsy as the whispers from prostitutes at your local hot spot. If you believe them you deserve to - but I suspect you will learn something from it and mature.
