price gouging.

axlesandantennas

Approved Vendor
So how about we bring this tread back to life?

I am justttttt now starting to see ammo on the shelves. It's not much, but it's there. Looks like the stores are also restricting everyone to one box of one caliber per day. Hopefully that keeps the armslisters from doing their thing.

And speaking of...it looks like the online flippers are adjusting their prices down a little.

Some of the current political actions seem very weak when compared (compared!!) to what was being predicted so that may bring the prices down a little as well.

Who knows. Fortunately, I did not have to wade into the mix for the last year as I bought when the times were dirty cheap. I've also not sold any of my stock because, well, I'm not a jerk. I have given away a few boxes to my extremely close friends and family.
 
So how about we bring this tread back to life?

I am justttttt now starting to see ammo on the shelves. It's not much, but it's there. Looks like the stores are also restricting everyone to one box of one caliber per day. Hopefully that keeps the armslisters from doing their thing.

And speaking of...it looks like the online flippers are adjusting their prices down a little.

Some of the current political actions seem very weak when compared (compared!!) to what was being predicted so that may bring the prices down a little as well.

Who knows. Fortunately, I did not have to wade into the mix for the last year as I bought when the times were dirty cheap. I've also not sold any of my stock because, well, I'm not a jerk. I have given away a few boxes to my extremely close friends and family.

There are a lot of factors that drive up the price. Chief is the political climate. When stupid stuff happens, all the preppers and Meal Team 6 operators cash out their bitcoins and buy out all the supply. Last year we saw non-gun people become gun owners.

Unfortunately, places like Walmart and other box retail places have stopped carrying ammo (or at least a large selection). The places left you can buy are gun shops, places like Bass Pro/Cabela's, or online.

Reloaders are increasing every day as well, and the raw materials needed for them are also needed by the industry mfgs. So there's another squeeze.

And the industry is still trying to keep up from 2012. 2018-19 prices were finally stabilizing to around pre-Sandy Hook prices. Retail prices will never be that cheap again. I'm actually surprised that mfgs didn't artificially inflate the price, keeping it at, say, $.40/round for 9mm, after Sandy Hook.

With the sale of Remington, a chunk of mfgs were in limbo. Paired with the COVID shutdown, all raw goods supply just collapsed.

I finished building my first modern sporting rifles in 2019, so I didn't need ammo at that point. Derrrrr.

My buddy and I have kinda decided that when 9mm drops to below $.50/round (new, brass) from reputable mfgs will be the buying point to get to a decent inventory level.
 

AbleGuy

Officious Intermeddler
Whoa...After reading this, I’m sure not discussing guns or ammo online anymore


You better watch out (online)
And not discuss your guns
You better not spout unhappy memes

I’m telling you why...
Postal Snoops are listening to you.

They’re making a list
They’re checking it twice
They’re going to find out
Who's naughty and nice,
Postal Cops are coming to town

They know you’re buying ammo
They know what guns you have
They’ll decide when you've been bad or not
So be careful for privacy’s sake
 
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mep1811

Gentleman Adventurer
So the manufacturers are the ones who are price gouging... Ruag, the manufacturer who imports some of the best, inexpensive ammo (Norma 223TAC) has raised the price such that I make less profit selling a 500rd case at $225 than I did for the same case I used to sell at $150. Perhaps new logistical pressures have raised expenses for Ruag or perhaps their just price gouging...


Simple supply and demand. Millions of guns are being sold every month all those new gun owners need ammo. The demand is so much more than the suppliers can produce.
 

Highlander

The Strong, Silent Type
The Postal Service is running a 'covert operations program' that monitors Americans' social media posts

Can someone technically savvy enough explain how the hell they can monitor your online activities?
Do they have an access to your IP?
How does one prevents them from looking into our online activities?


In CT (and maybe in NJ) you can't even buy ammo, let alone a gun, without a state license that take 60-90 days to be approved for and a few weeks, or month to be issued an actual pistol and ammo permit.
You go there and you see a joy on the faces of those bureaucrats... they know they have power over you and there is nothing you can do about it.
 

I Leak Oil

Expedition Leader
I just paid just under $1 per round for 9mm yesterday....It was there, I wanted it. Sorry, needed it.

Up until yesterday I'd paid $.60 per. It is more available but prices are still sky high, if not higher than it was 2-3 months ago.

Display cases have a better selection as well. Again, a $275 pistol is now sitting at $475.
 

BritKLR

Kapitis Indagatoris
Again, a $275 pistol is now sitting at $475.

I don't "need" anymore guns but, there is just a couple I "want" and this crazy state of affairs in the world and it's impact on the cost of guns/ammo has just made me stop looking.
 
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axlesandantennas

Approved Vendor
Just be patient. I've seen this ebb and flow a lot, although not this bad.

I was at Rural King a few days ago in Knoxville and they had a ton. Prices were Meh, but it was there. After hitting a few more gun stores, here is what I have seen and what I think may happen:

Prices are stable and slightly dropping on ammo. More hitting the shelves. The last to go, shotgun ammo, is starting to reappear in Walmart again.

Some stores like Academy have a good stock, but are really restricting what you can buy. I blame this on the flippers/ armslist and the people desperate to buy.

Guns have been hit or miss (ha!) for pricing. You really have to look around to find the correct prices. At the very least, don't pay more than MSRP on a gun. Everyone fell asleep at the wheel when D.T. was in office and missed the absolute bargain basement prices on most firearms. I don't even think of those days when comparing prices now. I look for MSRP minus 10-15 percent.

So here is my prediction: A lot of new buyers have clobbered the ammo supply. We all know that. However, many of those buyers are not hobby shooters. That means a few boxes of ammo, and they feel like they have an armory. For us, we see less than our acceptable amount of ammo, and we freak out but many of the new shooters would think we are some kind Waco waiting to happen. Nope, 500 rounds of 22 is actually not that much, Karen.

So sometime in the future, I think the stocks will fill up the shelves at the price level they are at, but us regular shooters still are not buying. We have to wait. Are they going to be pre-corona? I don't think so.

Those pre-corona prices were as low as I remember them being in the 90s without looking at inflation. But I do think they will go down a lot. Once I start seeing 115gr FMJ 9mm at < 20 cpr, I'll start buying again. I've actually seen CCI 36gr 22LR at 6/7 cpr with 10 box limits. That is a HUGE change from just a few months ago.

I was at Buds gun shop last week and they had pallets of 12 ga and 22lr on the sales floor. Prices were absurd, but here is the rub....no one was buying. So people are starting to feel like they have enough ammo and not wiping the shelves out.

Baring some crazy Exec Order (i mean, who knows) we will start seeing good pricing again.
 

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