Will ammo in less common calibers soon vanish for a long time?

[bushmaster1313]

Can we expect factory ammo in the less common calibers to soon vanish for a long time.

For example, .257 Roberts.

It has been available from online retailers at pre-panic prices.

But when this stocks are gone I do not expect the manufactures to be making any more until the 5.56, .308 and .40 S&W market is back to normal.

This would mean no new production of .257 Roberts for a long time!

 

[lionking]

It isn't just .223 or 9mm or the popular calibers that feed modern firearms. I just went to three online places and they are out of just about everything to include 44 magnum and odd mil-surp calibers like 7,65 Argentine.

Ammo of just about any kind has been sucked up and dealers sucked dry. Except the very pricey home defense brands that sell 20 to a box, nobody wants to plink or practice with those.

Unbelievable situation. Magtech, Prvi, any brand there is "out of stock".

My gawd, who bought all this ammo of every sort and every caliber?

 

[NeuseRvrRat]

 

[22-rimfire]

My gawd, who bought all this ammo of every sort and every caliber?

People just like you and me have purchased it. You see a box of something you don't shoot much, and you say... hmm, better buy it. The price almost doesn't matter at this point as orders for the more dominant calibers will be filled first.

You might consider the fact that the government is buying huge quantities of ammunition beyond what they normally buy of late also.

 

[lionking]

Yeah I know, but when virtually any caliber even those that have nothing to do with the targeted *military style* are out, I am just in awe. Or maybe I am in awe that so many seem to have the kind of money to drop thousands of dollars on ammo at a time to wipe out supply.

Yeah maybe I should reload, but with limited time I use most free time to practice guitar so the re-loaders have one up that's true.

 

[riverdog]

Reloading may not change things unless you already have a stock of expendables like primers, bullets and powder. Brass I have, but check the availability of the rest of the components.

 

[22-rimfire]

Or maybe I am in awe that so many seem to have the kind of money to drop thousands of dollars on ammo at a time to wipe out supply.

From the bulk pack 22 thread.... One of my local stores got a shipment of 50,000 yesterday and sold all of it, one box per customer, in one day.

You see, even when the ammunition is essentially rationed, it sells out very quickly. It isn't just people that buy ammunition by the case.

 

[bushmaster1313]

My question was directed more to my thought that the manufacturers will not be starting any runs at all of the less common calibers until they get the more common stuff under control.

Yes, the less common calibers can be more expensive retail per round, but stopping and starting the production line and doing anything else to delay the fast movers like .223 and .308 is probably not going to be happening soon.

 

[blarby]

I dunno- it seems th less common stuff ( other than 38 special) is all that is populating the shelves around me.

 

[Cosmoline]

There was still a fair amount of the less common stuff and even .38 Special and .357 in stock last weekend. About 5,000 rounds of 7.5 French got delivered for some strange reason! So if you want that, we have some up here. Once that's gone, it's another matter.

The impact WILL be felt for a year or more to come because all of the ammo makers are going 24/7 on the .228, 7.62 and other popular rounds with extreme shortages. They are unlikely to be doing brass runs or ammo production runs for the less common hunting rounds like the .450 Marlin or the short magnums. My prediction is we will see a good supply of 5.56 before we can get new brass for a lot of these. And this was a problem BEFORE the current crisis as well. The factories don't want to retool to do these small runs for those of us shooting the less common stuff. So for example I'd bought a bunch of .50-70 brass only to have the seller cancel because the wholesaler had cancelled his order due to the factory failing to make the stuff.

 

[22-rimfire]

Bushmaster, I think that's true. I believe they load one caliber at a time. Do a lot or several lots, then set up for to another caliber.

The less common stuff simply has not sold yet.

 

[MattShlock]

Yes, it will vanish for a year or so...

 

[Tcruse]

What I do not understand is that the imported ammo is not seen. I would expect that the Russian and Eastern Block stuff would be able to increase imports. I see virtually no imported ammo and us ammo is a dribble. Some of the current shortage is Government purchases and tht should not affect the imported ammo. Any explainations?

 

[beatledog7]

OP has a good point--if I were running an ammo company I'd be retooling most of my lines to make .223 Rem and 9mm, then .45ACP, 40S&W, and so on. No doubt.

But then, don't most companies run low-demand cartridges such as .257 Roberts maybe once a year (based on last year's demand, I suppose) anyway.

Happily, I have enough Bob brass to keep me shooting for the rest of my life.

 

[bushmaster1313]

low-demand cartridges such as .257 Roberts

My demand for .257 Roberts might be but a brass colored drop in the bulk ammunition bucket...
But I can assure you it is quite sincere

 

[arjppj]

I just bought a 7.5x55 swiss k11, so far there is still plenty of PPU and Hornady out there, but the GP-11 surplus ammo is out at half the online places. But, that is why I bought 3 boxes of PPU ammo, a 100ct bag of PPU brass and some reloading dies!