beaucoup ammo
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I haven't posted here in a while but would imagine someone has brought up the face that Texas (and probably other states) are running out of ammo:
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By Todd Bensman - Express-News
As firearms instructor for the Dimmit County Sheriff's Office, Deputy Robert Mendoza was preparing the annual rite of weapons qualification for his tiny department's 14 officers when he ran into an unprecedented hitch. There seemed to be no handgun ammunition for sale anywhere in South Texas.
“We usually go to Wal-Mart and buy whatever,” Mendoza said. “But this time we went out to get it and there was none available. Then we go to Eagle Pass. None available. Hondo. None available. Everywhere we went it was the same answer. Finally, we called to Beeville and they had some. But by the time we got there the next day it was gone.”
After checking every store on a round trip to a conference in Louisiana, Mendoza finally found a supply last week — from a Fort Worth shop that agreed to ship some .40-caliber rounds to the border county southwest of San Antonio.
In his frustration, Mendoza has company across Texas and the nation. Not all police agencies are experiencing problems from the ammunition shortage, especially large departments such as the San Antonio Police Department that buy in bulk through manufacturer intermediaries. But gun store owners and industry officials report a shortage-inducing mania of buying ammunition that fits assault-style semiautomatic rifles and almost all handguns.
The most frequent explanation is the election of President Barack Obama, a majority of Democrats to the House and nearly enough in the Senate to block Republican filibusters. Volume-buying customers are fearful that laws are on the way to restrict the sale of handguns, along with assault-style rifles, a ban on which was allowed to expire in 2004.
It all began in the days before and immediately after the November election with a run on assault-style rifles and handguns in anticipation that the Democrats would move quickly to restrict sales of both. A rush for ammunition used in those firearms naturally followed, according to storeowners and industry officials.
More recently, the buying spree has been fueled by new congressional and administration focus on the illegal smuggling of U.S. firearms to Mexico's bloody drug war with traffickers. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence has been pressing of late for an assault gun ban on grounds that it would help Mexico keep such U.S. weapons from the drug cartels. Attorney General Eric Holder last month suggested that the Obama administration favors reinstituting the ban.
“People are very, very scared of the administration,” said Johnny Dury, who runs popular gun store Dury's in San Antonio and can barely stay up with demand. “Nothing of it (new legislation) has really gone through, but there is just panic buying across the country. I'm out of 60 percent of my stuff.”
Neither the Obama administration nor anyone in Congress has floated any proposal that has gained traction. In January, Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Illinois, reintroduced a previously failed bill that would require licenses to buy guns or ammunition, but it has attracted no co-sponsors and has not advanced beyond committee.
Some San Antonio shops, such as Nagel's Gun Shop, have resorted to limiting sales of certain kinds of ammunition so they don't run out. Others in South Texas report bare shelves and back orders running weeks or months behind.
“It's been happening ever since November,” one employee of the Pleasanton Wal-Mart store said. “They're afraid. We reorder every day. I'd be here all day telling you what's run out. ”
The war in Iraq may be another reason for a further squeeze on supply. The Bexar County Sheriff's Office has felt the pinch of rationing for a couple of years now, but not because of politics. Deputy Darrell Sanders, who works at the academy, said the war created shortages of metals and minerals to make ammunition. The department has had to monitor supplies carefully while waiting for back-ordered replenishments, he said.
But much of the current spike seems owing to the election. The National Shooting Sports Foundation, a trade group representing more than 4,000 manufacturers, distributors and retailers, won't have year-over-year ammunition sales figures until next month. But its numbers show a sharp jump in the sale of handguns and semiautomatic rifles starting in November.
Those figures include a 42 percent increase in background checks required for new firearms in November 2008 over November 2007, a 28 percent jump for January compared with the previous January and a 23 percent rise for February over the previous one.
The nation's three major ammunition manufacturers either did not return phone calls or referred a reporter to the shooting sports foundation.
But Jim Broering, president of national ammunition distributor AcuSport, which buys from the manufacturers and sells to more than 4,000 stores in 50 states, said all three are producing round the clock to keep up with unprecedented demand.
Broering's business in handgun ammunition was up 137 percent in March over the previous March, and rifle ammunition was up 89 percent, led by the .223-caliber rounds that commonly fit assault-style rifles such as the Colt AR-15.
He said some of the increase is the result of demand created by the handgun purchases, accompanied by rumors of government plans to tax the ammunition.
“Once you have a gun, if they take the ammo away, what do you have?” Broering said.
The sight of empty shelves in itself may be driving demand, causing consumers to buy as much as possible to lock in current prices. They're also nervous that rising crime will follow the nation's deepening economic recession, Broering said.
Darrel Brownlow of Floresville said he worried about what the Democrats might try to do to help Mexico keep U.S. guns out of cartel hands. But he mainly counts himself among ammunition buyers who want to have enough at a decent price. He said he and his family like having hundreds of rounds for target shooting around the ranch.
He was in Dury's recently to buy a flash suppressor for his semiautomatic assault-style rifle and to pick up whatever ammunition he could find for it.
There wasn't much to buy.
“I'm buying now because it's hard to get,” Brownlow said. “I've been buying lots of ammo, more in the first three months than in all of last year.”
Strong demand
Panic buying?
I went to an independent gun shop Saturday. They're selling lead .38 (box of 50) for $39.99 Limit 2.
Box of 50 .38 Super Auto JHP for $59.99. These prices are befor taxes. Limit 2
Wal Mart and Academy say the truck comes at 8:30 twice a week. Take your chances. No increase in price, I'll give them that. But they ship one caliber per truckload! Today it was .40 cal. only.
Anyone else having a rough time? I mean average Joe's like myself that don't self load.
"Save and share
Yahoo! Buzz
RSS | EMAIL | PRINT | SAVE
By Todd Bensman - Express-News
As firearms instructor for the Dimmit County Sheriff's Office, Deputy Robert Mendoza was preparing the annual rite of weapons qualification for his tiny department's 14 officers when he ran into an unprecedented hitch. There seemed to be no handgun ammunition for sale anywhere in South Texas.
“We usually go to Wal-Mart and buy whatever,” Mendoza said. “But this time we went out to get it and there was none available. Then we go to Eagle Pass. None available. Hondo. None available. Everywhere we went it was the same answer. Finally, we called to Beeville and they had some. But by the time we got there the next day it was gone.”
After checking every store on a round trip to a conference in Louisiana, Mendoza finally found a supply last week — from a Fort Worth shop that agreed to ship some .40-caliber rounds to the border county southwest of San Antonio.
In his frustration, Mendoza has company across Texas and the nation. Not all police agencies are experiencing problems from the ammunition shortage, especially large departments such as the San Antonio Police Department that buy in bulk through manufacturer intermediaries. But gun store owners and industry officials report a shortage-inducing mania of buying ammunition that fits assault-style semiautomatic rifles and almost all handguns.
The most frequent explanation is the election of President Barack Obama, a majority of Democrats to the House and nearly enough in the Senate to block Republican filibusters. Volume-buying customers are fearful that laws are on the way to restrict the sale of handguns, along with assault-style rifles, a ban on which was allowed to expire in 2004.
It all began in the days before and immediately after the November election with a run on assault-style rifles and handguns in anticipation that the Democrats would move quickly to restrict sales of both. A rush for ammunition used in those firearms naturally followed, according to storeowners and industry officials.
More recently, the buying spree has been fueled by new congressional and administration focus on the illegal smuggling of U.S. firearms to Mexico's bloody drug war with traffickers. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence has been pressing of late for an assault gun ban on grounds that it would help Mexico keep such U.S. weapons from the drug cartels. Attorney General Eric Holder last month suggested that the Obama administration favors reinstituting the ban.
“People are very, very scared of the administration,” said Johnny Dury, who runs popular gun store Dury's in San Antonio and can barely stay up with demand. “Nothing of it (new legislation) has really gone through, but there is just panic buying across the country. I'm out of 60 percent of my stuff.”
Neither the Obama administration nor anyone in Congress has floated any proposal that has gained traction. In January, Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Illinois, reintroduced a previously failed bill that would require licenses to buy guns or ammunition, but it has attracted no co-sponsors and has not advanced beyond committee.
Some San Antonio shops, such as Nagel's Gun Shop, have resorted to limiting sales of certain kinds of ammunition so they don't run out. Others in South Texas report bare shelves and back orders running weeks or months behind.
“It's been happening ever since November,” one employee of the Pleasanton Wal-Mart store said. “They're afraid. We reorder every day. I'd be here all day telling you what's run out. ”
The war in Iraq may be another reason for a further squeeze on supply. The Bexar County Sheriff's Office has felt the pinch of rationing for a couple of years now, but not because of politics. Deputy Darrell Sanders, who works at the academy, said the war created shortages of metals and minerals to make ammunition. The department has had to monitor supplies carefully while waiting for back-ordered replenishments, he said.
But much of the current spike seems owing to the election. The National Shooting Sports Foundation, a trade group representing more than 4,000 manufacturers, distributors and retailers, won't have year-over-year ammunition sales figures until next month. But its numbers show a sharp jump in the sale of handguns and semiautomatic rifles starting in November.
Those figures include a 42 percent increase in background checks required for new firearms in November 2008 over November 2007, a 28 percent jump for January compared with the previous January and a 23 percent rise for February over the previous one.
The nation's three major ammunition manufacturers either did not return phone calls or referred a reporter to the shooting sports foundation.
But Jim Broering, president of national ammunition distributor AcuSport, which buys from the manufacturers and sells to more than 4,000 stores in 50 states, said all three are producing round the clock to keep up with unprecedented demand.
Broering's business in handgun ammunition was up 137 percent in March over the previous March, and rifle ammunition was up 89 percent, led by the .223-caliber rounds that commonly fit assault-style rifles such as the Colt AR-15.
He said some of the increase is the result of demand created by the handgun purchases, accompanied by rumors of government plans to tax the ammunition.
“Once you have a gun, if they take the ammo away, what do you have?” Broering said.
The sight of empty shelves in itself may be driving demand, causing consumers to buy as much as possible to lock in current prices. They're also nervous that rising crime will follow the nation's deepening economic recession, Broering said.
Darrel Brownlow of Floresville said he worried about what the Democrats might try to do to help Mexico keep U.S. guns out of cartel hands. But he mainly counts himself among ammunition buyers who want to have enough at a decent price. He said he and his family like having hundreds of rounds for target shooting around the ranch.
He was in Dury's recently to buy a flash suppressor for his semiautomatic assault-style rifle and to pick up whatever ammunition he could find for it.
There wasn't much to buy.
“I'm buying now because it's hard to get,” Brownlow said. “I've been buying lots of ammo, more in the first three months than in all of last year.”
Strong demand
Panic buying?
I went to an independent gun shop Saturday. They're selling lead .38 (box of 50) for $39.99 Limit 2.
Box of 50 .38 Super Auto JHP for $59.99. These prices are befor taxes. Limit 2
Wal Mart and Academy say the truck comes at 8:30 twice a week. Take your chances. No increase in price, I'll give them that. But they ship one caliber per truckload! Today it was .40 cal. only.
Anyone else having a rough time? I mean average Joe's like myself that don't self load.
