Were you prepared for the ammo situation?

[DMK]

Milsurp ammo is hard to find and high priced when you do find some. Commercial ammo is getting more expensive every day. It seems the days of cheap ammo are waning.

Were you prepared?

 

[TexasRifleman]

What does prepared mean?

I had 3-4000 rounds of XM193 and 2000 or so .308 in SA battlepacks.

I thought I was prepared for a bit of a stretch. I didn't think it would turn into years.......

 

[nplant]

I wasn't properly capitalized to prepare myself by stocking up, so yeah, I've taken a hit here and there, but I'm also a bargain hunter.

Also, I recently got into reloading, so that will save me a little bit, especially so for rifle ammo.

 

[Nasty Jack]

You ever pick up brass at the "range" (gravel pit, woods, etc.) for a caliber you don't own yet?

I have a local shop that likes to trade, "flea market" stuff . . . But .270 and .300 Win Mag. I don't own them, but I pick up the brass.

If I see a "deal" on ammo in a cal. I own I stock up. Cases of 7.62 X 39, "AK" ammo and it went on sale. I got a couple three more cases. You can always sell off your reserves.

I never pass up a "deal" on ammo.

 

[byf43]

Prepared?

Well. . . I ain't no Boy Scout, but, I've always bought ammo when I saw a good deal on it and components.

I do believe that with the increased costs to transport the goods, etc., that the days of 'relatively inexpensive' ammo are gone.
At least until the war(s) on terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan are history.


Milsurp ammo is getting scarce.
I've never been a fan of the Mosin or even the AK, so, I don't need that ammo.
IMO, unless the brass becomes (more) available stateside, I do believe that those that own these firearms are going to wind up with 'clubs', eventually.


I know. . . opinions are like ummmmm. . . . rear-ends. Everyone has one.

Thanks for reading.

 

[azredhawk44]

I've never been a fan of the Mosin or even the AK, so, I don't need that ammo.
IMO, unless the brass becomes (more) available stateside, I do believe that those that own these firearms are going to wind up with 'clubs', eventually.

I have 20 rounds of boxer-primed winchester and 100 rounds of Sellier and Bellot 7.62x54R (Russian rimmed Mosin Nagant ammo) brass. I can reload these things for quite a while.

J&G Sales in Prescott can sell the S&B ammo for 7.62x54R inexpensively enough that even with shipping costs, it costs less to buy constructed retail ammo rather than brass at midway.

I haven't seen the same situation for x39 combloc ammo, but the x54R may end up being around as long as the 30-06 or 30-30.

 

[mainmech48]

What SIGman said, but mine was 7.62x39, 7.62 NATO, .45 ACP Blazer and generic 9x19 ball. Were my powers of foresight equal to the task of seeing that the prices would more than double in the last 10-12 months, I wouldn't have to fret much over the price of about anything 'cause I'd be fabuously wealthy from stocks and commodities speculation.

 

[bogie]

Who buys premanufactured ammo, anyway?

 

[Hemicuda]

poor poll... no choice for "I have olenty of ammo, buit can never have enough"... I have lots of ammo, a bunch in calibers I don't even own anymore, but it isn't POSSIBLE to have enough...

 

[skeeter1]

I didn't intend to stock up

It happened by accident. Every now and then over the past few years, I'd read an article about some interesting-sounding ammo and picked a little here and there. Now I've got several thousand rounds in various calibers, plus plenty of reloading supplies. I got them all before the price spike hit. I should be good for a couple of years.

It will be interesting to see if ammo prices ever really drop significantly. People around here get excited when gas prices drop below $2.50/gal. I have a feeling the same thing is going to happen with ammo prices -- raise them sky-high, drop them a little, and the brouhaha will go away.

BTW, I remember when gas was $0.34/gal, nice houses were <$50K, and new cars could be had for $2K. Those days will never come back.

 

[Green Lantern]

I'm pretty well stocked in one rifle caliber (7.62x39), "fairly" stocked in one pistol caliber and POORLY stocked in another.

And hopefully I'll have a NEW rifle caliber to stock up on soon (actually I don't think I'll wait until I get the rifle to shop for ammo).

I'm a terrible pack-rat. All I had to do was go through assorted sporting goods catalogs to see where the price of ammo for 7.62 was going - UP! It's enough to make me sick to see how much less the price was only a few scant years ago...it I'd only known....

Plus, about the only "economical" way to get 7.62 is in bulk these days, so some of the choice was made FOR me.

And +1 on the statement that "PREPARED" is a relative term. Many would think I was NUTS to have as "much" as I have. Many would also think I was nuts to have as "little" as I have...

 

[shaggycat]

I never had the available assets to stock up, sadly...

 

[Declaration Day]

I'm well stocked for at least a few years. I've been into reloading for about 5 months, and haven't bought any commercial ammo since.

 

[MacEntyre]

I guess I did the right thing by upgrading to a Dillon 650 and stocking up on reloading supplies at this time last year. The price increases on components is far easier to swallow than the increases on factory ammo, if you can get factory ammo. Several times this past year, I've heard both individuals a stores complain about not being able to obtain the more popular (used by the military) calibers.

 

[GhostlyKarliion]

I never had the available assets to stock up, sadly...

I'm in the same boat with ya man, too much money spent on other projects (food, clothing, shelter, etc...) but, slightly off topic, has anyone ever tried using a high impact silicone hard rubber to manufacture shell casings? seems to me that it could be done very cheaply, in my garage, and they would be reusable. any thoughts?

 

[vis-à-vis]

So I have just been able to start getting more into guns this year. So I find this semi-normal even though I seem to remember being able to buy shotgun rounds a tad cheaper.

So what was the cause of the current spike in costs? That way, I can recognize future signs and stock up.

 

[KINGMAX]

NO bargins in 45 Long Colt

Can't find much if any bargins on 45 colt rounds. :banghead:

 

[KINGMAX]

7.62 X 39 is getting better

There was a time when 7.62 x 39 was fun and cheap to shoot, no more. Maybe the dry spell is over, now let's get the $$$$$$$ price down.

 

[KINGMAX]

What is stocked up ??

< 5,000 rounds > 10,000 ???

 

[trickyasafox]

eh as good as i coulda been. I don't have tons of cash at this point in my life. between reloading though and trying to bargain hunt when i do have cash, i'll be okay for a short time.

 

[cookie4u1]

Every time I think I'm close to being stocked up I go to the range and there it goes. I try to buy a few thousand rounds at the better shows, but it can go rather quick. I do find myself shooting alot more of .22 than .223 and 7.62x 39. I'm just glad the 7.62 x 54 hasn't gone up much...yet.

 

[saltydog]

Were you prepared for the ammo situation?

Yes. Back in the early 90's.

 

[USSR]

Rather than stock up on ammo, the smart man will stock up on ammo components.

Don

 

[trueblue1776]

Lets go rob Al Queda and Hezbullah, they seem to have plenty of ammo. I wonder if we could work out a deal with customs?

 

[Redneck with a 40]

Was not prepared, but reloading saves the day

My short answer is "no I was not prepared for the price spike in ammo". I have basically given up on shooting my 357 magnum, since this ammo is now over $20 for a box of 50. I used to shoot Fiocchi factory 40 S&W ammo, as it was very accurate and clean, but now that it is $235/1000, I'm done with that. This has spurred me to get into reloading, last summer I bought a Lee 4 hole turret press, dies, I already had 1000 rounds of brass (fiocchi), and 1000 bullets. Since last summer I have reloaded 2800 rounds of 40 S&W target ammo for 12 cents/round. Now I can afford to shoot my pistols as much as I want too.

I've also got 7500 rounds of 22 LR ammo on order, for $150 + shipping.

I went ahead and ordered a 1000 round case of 7.62x39 for my SKS as well, price is going up, getting harder to find. I dont' want to get caught with my pants down. I paid $170 including shipping.