Shortage of 7.62x39 big time!

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Ripoff, maybe. Increase in price, absolutely. Shortage, no.
Sorry, if it's not available, there's a shortage.
What he's trying to say is that there is not a shortage in the classic sense; the suppliers are still making cartridges, the importers are just not importing them, presumably in a hope to drive up demand so they can sell what they subsequently import for just silly amounts of money. Your classic shortage is supply not keeping up with demand, as in the suppliers cannot make an item fast enough to slake demand. So yes, there is a shortage, but it is, seemingly, an artificial one.

This begs the question: assuming that the importers are tightening up the importation in order to increase price, and hence, their profit margins, how much longer can they continue to do this? I mean, they make money by importing stuff. Right now, they're not importing 7.62x39 and 5.45x39, ergo, they're losing the money they would otherwise make on that product. Presumably, the makers in Russia are not selling the product, either (at least not in the numbers they used to sell). If this hurts us, it hurts them worse. At some point they have to start selling again, or they'll go under. How long will that be?

Again, I have no clue whether this is the scenario that is currently being played out or not. I just none that none of the scenarios I have heard make 100% sense (which tells me that, surprise, we don't have all of the facts).

Mike
 
Gentlemen,
Not sure on the date but this has happened before. About 1997/98 there was a run on 7.62x39. Maybe some of you older guys remember. The story was that no more was coming in and the price hit the roof. However, after a few months it showed up again and the price drop to about 99 a case.
Just my .02
Thanks again
Clancy
 
I bought 13,000 7.62x39 rounds for Y2k , I shot up 4000 since then. Prolly have enough until the END!

there's the problem. the market is still probably recovering from that purchase. if you bought that much because it was really cheap, and you thought, 'wow, i'll never have to buy any again', that would make sense. but what exactly did you think was going to happen in 2000 that would require you having 13,000 rounds of one sort of ammunition....and how did you envision yourself using it?
 
The price of 7.62 x 39 can only go as high as what it would cost to reload a batch. (at least for me)

If you pay more than that, then it isn't the importers or dealers who are putting the screws to you.

When it comes to a source of plentiful, reliable ammuniton, think Dillion, not Wolf.
 
With the US dollar falling relative to other currencies you can be sure you will be paying more for the surplus ammo from Europe. Seems like there is lots of 7 x 39 up here so there should be no shortage Stateside. Not sure if Marstar can ship ammo across the 49th but you could give them a try.

Take Care
 
Bowfin, thanks for pointing out what I was trying to say earlier in the thread.

BTW, the name of the manufacturer of progressive reloading presses is "Dillon", not "Dillion".

I believe part of the spot shortages is folks going and buying 10K rounds at a time to hoard for later when the UN blue helmets are supposed to come marching up their driveways. The distributors probably don't account for that type of volume sale when they ship allotments to retail dealers. Hence, an artificially high price, and I'm sure there's a ripple effect, but perhaps it'll end up in a glut at the tail end.

Meanwhile, my Dillon 550 cranks 'em out in batches of 50/100 at a sitting. Shortage? What shortage? ;)
 
Man, some of you guys are taking a royal screwin. Still gettin it for 70 to 80$ around here. The ammo's not going away. Quit buying for awhile and show the local shops and distributers who the boss really is. If their not making anything on the stuff those prices will come down. Just my opinion.
 
Diversify, gentlemen.

+1.

Must be a lot of new x39 shooters here who don't remember the mid 90s
when prices were $6+/box and your cheapest choices were PMC or whatever
EEur ammo slipped in from time to time.....

BTW, when you diversify, please pick something I don't shoot.....:D
 
Well mates I just ran the numbers. All prices are current on MidWayUSA and include no shipping. All components, but powder are the cheapest available, and powder uses the smallest listed charge.

Rem. .310" 125gr. SP $98.99/1000

Win. brass $215.99/1000

MagTech small rifle primers $14.99/1000

Powder Hodgdon H4198 $18.99/lbs. @ 26.5gr = 3.79lbs/1000 , round to 4lbs. = $75.96

Total per 1000 = $405.93 in components only


My point, even made it to myself, Wolff is still cheap at twice the price.
 
A few folks here asked why shouldn't it go up, everything else goes up. True, but it has gone up 100% in the last year. Other ammo has not. That's the rub. It is still one of the cheaper centerfire rounds to shoot, but the dramatic climb in price and low availability just got me wondering and that's why I started this thread.

BTW, went to Cabelas in Buda today, they were completely out, even out of the expensive stuff. Sportsmen's warehouse, the same thing (I bought the last two measly boxes of Wolf they had for 2.99). It's just weird. In just about every place I go, there are stacks of ammo, and then a big hole where the 7.62x39 USED to be.

I'm not into the tinfoil hat stuff, but it does make one wonder what is up.
 
True Car Knocker, but take away the brass price and you are still looking at $189.94. Assuming 100% retention.
 
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You're right, $190 for components IS steep, but if you're buying Wolf for $200+ ($240 at one range someone reported), then it looks pretty good, especially since there isn't an availability issue.
 
Russian 7.62 x 39 ammo shortages

FWIW, I have learned from US ARMY soldiers in IRAQ that the new Iraqi defense forces are taking delivery of new Russian 7.62 x 39 ammo. PAID FOR BY OUR TAX MONIES!! Where do you think all those billions of dollars of defense monies are being spent?? Got to give those Russians their share of our tax dollars too!!!! What little production capability is left goes to US importers for domestic US shooters. Good excuse to raise prices....
 
I have talked to an armorer or two that are working as imbed training team. The codes on the boxes they have been getting are Czech and Bulgarian. The new stuff they received last month were Yugo rounds from Bosnia (I guess the ammo made it but the 200,000 AK's did not:what: )

But the Russians did just agree to sell the Afghans a few million rounds of Ak ammo, 100,000 RPG warheads (hopefully some thermobaric rounds for clearing out caves) and 12,000 old arty rounds. How ironic that the Russians are selling the Afghans rounds for the guns they were forced to leave behind.....:evil:

That said in looking at the numbers from the JSC companies, Poly, Molot and Izmash those numbers will not even make a dent in their production capabilities. I spoke with the Izmash rep at length yesterday and they said they could fill the Venezuala order in a years time if they needed to, that's 100,000 AK-100 series rifles.
Just to give you and idea of what they can do, Molot alone can turn out about 220,000 guns a year from the arms plants.
 
I don't pay anywhere near as much as HiWayMan listed for my 7.62x39 handloads.

But I got my brass for free, as a benefit to being a range officer for several years. The range I frequent most also lets me rummage through the brass bins for free, which is a nice thing.

Likewise, I don't buy bulk components from Midway if I can avoid it, they aren't always the best deal in town. I'm still using what's left of several thousand Russian 123gr FMJ bullets bought from Widener's a couple years ago.

If you look around, you can probably reduce that $98/1000 bullet quote by half. I've even tried Berry's plated .311" bullets, at $61/1000, and they worked just fine in my AK and SKS rifles, as long as one doesn't crimp too hard through the plating.

Likewise, I'd suggest Accurate Arms 1680 as the powder for the 7.62x39 (and 7.62x45 VZ-52) rounds. It's imported from Czechoslovakia, and bulk deals can be had. There are also good deals to be found on military pull-down powder, in 8-pound lots or larger, which can be suitably loaded for the 7.62x39.

I will recommend, however, that one uses CCI #34 primers when loading 7.62x39 ammo for the AK and SKS. I won't go cheap on those, they significantly reduce the risk of a slamfire compared to the softer Winchester/Federal/Remington varieties.
 
I bought 10 cases of the stuff CAREFULLY in 1999 10. cases of real war surplus South African brass stuff at a real good price, no steel case ammo for me!I already had a couple thousand rounds of it from various sources.I was gonna use it to feed my 4 AKs and keep my 100 mags topped up if SHTF:neener:
However it is proving to be a good investment , along with the 2400 rounds of Lake City .308 and the 5000 rounds of Fed. XM855 , which is gone(except for the good brass), as that is what I train with pretty much. BTW in 1999 that was the "primer famine" scare!:uhoh:
 
i ordered 500 rounds 7.62x39 from the-armory.com. on 5-22

69.99... 86.25 with shipping.

in transit via ups. scheduled delivery 5-25.

at least they had some.:)
 
http://finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert?amt=5.00&from=USD&to=RUB
Says our dollar has devalued(realitave to the Russian Rouble) ~3.5% since last year. That alone wouldn't explain the change.

If the producer's are raising the price, due to Foreign demand, there's nothing we can do.

If the importer's are raising the price, just to make a buck, then an importer's FFL only cost $150... Others would have already gotten into it. (BTW I wonder hoe complicated importation really is. It might be easier than we think. I always thought PCs were complicated, until I built one. It's really just throwing parts together. Importing might be the same way.)

So it's got to be the producers who are the problem.
 
remember the 80's ?

When it (7.62x39) first hit the shelves, it was a little higher. I had a couple of SKS, MAC90, and a Romainian AK. I later sold these all off because I didn't want to deal with the .311 ball and reloading. The ammo was scarce and expensive. I decided to stick with NATO in the 7.62 and 5.56. I still see LC66/67 head stamps in both these rounds as well as 70's/80's/ and 90's MFGR. I think the AK47 and the SKS are fine combat proven weapons but ammo has always been a concern of mine with these. Yes, the round is common anyplace in the world, but not common in North America as you are finding out. If you were to go into a gas station in the U/P of Michigan, odds are that they will have 30-06/.308/30-30 on the shelf (maybe even some 6.5 Swedish mauser), and for sure...12GA.;)
 
There is some Russian surplus 5.45 floating around. Ammoman and Dan's Ammo have some. Others probably do also. I just ordered some from Dan's.

I don't understand the panic buying with the price high. I finally pulled together a little over 1000 rounds, but I am cooling off on AK shooting until later on. If the price drops back down, I will likely stock up a little bit as funds are available. There is a limit to how much I can store away though. I have too many other calibers to maintain. :)

I have noticed an urge in the back of my head to buy plenty of surplus in other calibers when I see it. Not sure where that is coming from. :D
 
7.62x39 AMMO SHORTAGE
Pentagon chiefs have asked arms suppliers for a quote on a vast amount of ordnance, including more than 78 million rounds of AK47 ammunition, 100,000 rocket-propelled grenades and 12,000 tank shells. . .Defence specialists said Russian arms chiefs at first "fell about laughing" because they thought the order was a joke when it arrived this month.

Time to shoot something that will available before 2008. After 2008 Russian ammo won't come in due to the new Democrat President.
 
AK Ammo.

Venezuela and Iran are both stocking up on both AK rifles and ammunition and other implements of war in anticipation of an invasion. In addition to our government buying ammo for the Iraqi forces explains where the ammunition is been going recently.
 
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