Thinking of adding other calibers to the corral due to (gasp) panic buying.

[Ed Ames]

It seems to me that in tough times standardization would be more important than diversifying into more calibers. Pick a handful of standard calibers and stock up on those.

They aren’t mutually exclusive and doing both will give you the greatest overall benefit.

If you just standardize you are dependent on your stock during rushes, and that leads to either investing a large amount of money and space in a huge stockpile, or rationing your shooting.

If you just diversify it becomes a different sort of logistics problem. Now you have greater chances of restocking, but you need to buy larger amounts of less popular ammo that may or may not be ideal for your primary use.

But if you do both, stock up on your main cartridges, but also diversify so you can use a broad range of cartridges, you have all the benefits of both strategies, and can moderate the downsides (you don’t need to stack the primary cartridges quite as deep, and you don’t need to buy larger amounts of less popular ammo - just what you want to shoot, as you shoot it).

It’s perhaps a little more expensive up front but ‘cheapest’ and ‘best‘ rarely go together.

 

[giggitygiggity]

I like the idea of caliber diversity.

As for the 45 GAP, it is a great round to shoot. However, most gun stores, in my experience, do not carry it regardless of panics or not. You will likely have to buy it online and it usually runs $20-30+ per box after shipping. To put it in perspective, you could buy about 1.5-2 times as much .45ACP for the same out-of-pocket costs. Additionally, there are very few guns chambered in it. Glock makes their 37, 38, and 39 in it and Springfield made their XD in it for a very brief period. I’m not aware of any other guns chambered in .45 GAP.

If the round interests you, go for it. If not, you may be better just going with a mainstream caliber or at least one that can be picked up at most gun stores and just stocking up when there are no panics.

 

[Rock185]

FWIW, During the ammo panics of recent years, the local Walmart always seemed to have a couple lonely boxes of .357 SIG on the shelf. This, when all other centerfire handgun calibers, as well as .223 and .308, were gone for months. Shotgun shells, except for buck and slug loads, were always available......

 

[brewer12345]

How about a 22 that can handle something other than an lr? Most lever actions and revolvers will happily shoot 22 short and long. I picked up a browning rifle in 22 short that is sweet. If you look at sgammo you can't easily buy 22lr, but you can have all the shorts you want.

 

[GAF]

I counted the different calibers I have in my ammo stash and I have 11. They are all common calibers. .22 , 38 , 357 , 380, 9 MM and 45 for handgun. For rifle it is 223 556 7.62X39 308 and 3006. I can`t see buying a gun that shoots any other ammo but what I have listed.

 

[GAF]

I forgot one, 12 gauge so I have 12 instead of 11.

 

[American_Fusilier]

I got to thinking as I am not working much now due to current events. I have been around long enough to see panic buying of guns, ammo, and magazines. As much as I do like the popular calibers 9mm, 5.56. etc..... I have seen a trend of when ammo is scare certain calibers seem to be available. I was thinking of adding some over time. I was thinking 45 colt for revolvers, 357 sig pistols, and .270 for rifles. And go ahead and flame away but maybe a 45 gap. Anyone have similar thoughts? Looking for caliber suggestions and yes I realize these calibers cost more just want to diversify. Thanks,

I've been thinking about this lately as well. I just bought a Glock 22 LEO trade in. I'm planning on buying the 9mm conversion barrel for main use, but also a .357 Sig conversion barrel eventually. This set up, along with my other pistols, would allow me to shoot: .22 short, .22 long, .22lr, 22mag, 9mm, .357Sig, .40cal, 38spl, .357 mag, and 45acp. I am also going to add a 380 in there at some point as well. I also have the reloading capacity for: 9mm, 38spl, 357mag, and 45acp.

When I went to Cabelas the other day, the only pistol ammo they had was basically .25acp, and 32acp, two calibers I have virtually no interest in. But I've been thinking, maybe it'd be smart to buy some guns chambered in those calibers. Like a Beretta Tomcat or something. But I'd only geta few boxes of ammo for it. I'm not going to stockpile .25acp or 32acp...

Plus, I'd rather geta Zastava M57 in 7.62x25, or something in 9mm Mak first.

This isn't even mentioning rifles. I've got most of the common calibers, but I'd like to add 6.5 Creedmore, 30-30, and 45-70 to the mix. Maybe 300 win mag.

Too much to buy, not enough time or money...