Old School 611 Posted February 15, 2021 I have a question for you folks. Were you surprised by the ammo shortage? Didn't you see it coming? How are you handling it? 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CMJeepster 2,766 Posted February 15, 2021 Not surprised at all. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scorpio64 5,120 Posted February 15, 2021 Can't say I was surprised, but did not anticipate the severity. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Old School 611 Posted February 15, 2021 The reason I ask is, I prepared and am not hurt by this. I figuratively have people whining at my door step. Where were their heads a year ago? 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnnyB 4,289 Posted February 15, 2021 I learned my lesson from past shortages and bought it cheap and stacked it deep! I also took the time to learn how much fun reloading is and loaded up on components and gear long ago. Where I screwed up BIG TIME is I neglected to stock up on primers! Somehow, I never thought they would disappear but I was wrong. With the help of a few friends here on NJGF I was able to have enough to keep me going until a few weeks ago when Discord alerted me to primers in stock at MidwayUSA. They were gone in seconds but I was able to score 5K SPPs and 1K LRPs in one shot at pre-panic pricing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
father-of-three 235 Posted February 15, 2021 I hope all of those new gun owners join at least two 2a groups. I would be willing to give a box of ammo to a new gun owner willing to join the nra or goa. The current price of the box of ammo would pretty much make up for the membership cost these days! 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JackDaWack 2,894 Posted February 15, 2021 I find it incredibly amusing that people have this expectation to pay prepandemic prices on ammo. Just saw a WTB here that apparently has an issue with paying market prices. That's like asking to buy gold, but refusing to pay spot price for it because.. well... because it used to be cheaper. LOL. If you're buying ammo from someone, you should fully expect to pay them what it would cost them to replace it, which isn't possibly at retail prices... so suck it up. If that were possible you wouldn't be here trying to score ammo below market value. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scorpio64 5,120 Posted February 15, 2021 8 minutes ago, JohnnyB said: I neglected to stock up on primers! My kingdom for a nail. 6 minutes ago, father-of-three said: I would be willing to give a box of ammo to a new gun owner I buy a modest quantity of cartridges that I don't normally shoot and bought a decent amount of 22lr just so I could give it away to family and friends in need. It's not totally out of generosity, but a pragmatic view that these people, whom one day I may come to depend on, need ammo to train. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silverado427 10,555 Posted February 15, 2021 I'm G2G 1- 20 round box of .223 1 - 5 round box of 00 2-3/4 buck 1 - 50 round box of 9mm 1 - 100 round box of.22lr CCI 40gr mini mags. 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
father-of-three 235 Posted February 15, 2021 8 minutes ago, Scorpio64 said: My kingdom for a nail. I buy a modest quantity of cartridges that I don't normally shoot and bought a decent amount of 22lr just so I could give it away to family and friends in need. It's not totally out of generosity, but a pragmatic view that these people, whom one day I may come to depend on, need ammo to train. Yep. It sucked back in 2009 having a brand new pocket 380 (with "pocket" being a code word for practice to control that recoil!) and not being able find ammo for it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sota 1,191 Posted February 15, 2021 Also in the not surprised at the happening but surprised the severity of it camp. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pew Pew Plates 358 Posted February 15, 2021 Nope, not surprised. I learned the lesson multiple times starting with the Obama panic scare of '08. Told myself I would never be in the panic buying camp. I bought it cheap and stacked it deep as per many recommendations and I too am sitting comfortably. I feel bad for new gun owners who want to practice and learn how to shoot, but I do not feel bad for people who are just flat out unprepared and are feeding into this frenzy themselves. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Grapeshot 301 Posted February 15, 2021 Learned my lesson a few years back. As soon as ammo started to become plentiful again I started buying and stacking. I had specific price points for different rounds and if I saw them on sale for that price I would buy a few boxes even if I didn't "need" them. As a result (and with a little self-control) I am pretty good for the next 18 - 24 months for calibers I shoot a lot (9mm), and much longer for hunting rounds like .30-.30. I also bought a ton of .22 since it was cheap. After that we'll see, but I think the days of cheap ammo like we had in 2018 and 2019 are over for the foreseeable future. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sniper 6,372 Posted February 15, 2021 2 hours ago, Old School said: The reason I ask is, I prepared and am not hurt by this. Me too, after the last panic, I vowed never to be caught in the next one.. 2 hours ago, Old School said: Where were their heads a year ago? They weren't good Boy Scouts. The motto: Be Prepared. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GRIZ 3,365 Posted February 15, 2021 Saw it coming. Been stocked since 1992. 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
15636215 454 Posted February 15, 2021 I have NO ammo. I have no firearms left. Just some legal pepperspray!! 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sniper 6,372 Posted February 15, 2021 1 hour ago, 15636215 said: I have NO ammo. I have no firearms left. Just some legal pepperspray!! Did yours fall overboard out in Barnegat Bay too? 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gleninjersey 2,134 Posted February 16, 2021 7 hours ago, Pew Pew Plates said: I feel bad for new gun owners who want to practice and learn how to shoot, but I do not feel bad for people who are just flat out unprepared and are feeding into this frenzy themselves. I'm not sure I feel too bad for new gun owners. I had been telling my friends and familiy to get a gun or two for years now. Heard lots of "I've always thought about it..." or "I don't really need or want one." Or, "I'll get around to it. I'm in no rush." Well, all those same people have been asking me "How to I buy a gun in NJ??" Or "How come I can't find a gun for a decent price??". Hate to say I told ya' so. I kind of saw it coming. Every Presidential election for past several ones have seen increases in gun and ammo buying. Combine that with the pandemic, the riots last summer and calls to defund the police. Suddenly EVERY soccer mom and a lot of prior anti-2A people wanted guns and ammo and like yesterday. In hindsight I should have stocked up on some calibers more. But like @silverado427 , I have plenty for what I need. I'm just not going to the range. Like at all. LOL. I have a press that had been collecting dust due to ammo being cheap. Like others I regrett not loading up on primers and powder. But I'm not too worried about it. Even this shall pass. Demand will eventually slow down. Supply will catch up. I'll load up on primers and other reloading dies then. Luckily I was able to purchase several bottles of pistol and rifle powder last month when a "notfiy me when back in stock" came up. I agree with you on people buying into the frenzy. I was watching a video a week or two ago about a guy going to a gun show (Florida, I think?). There were stacks and stacks of ammo. But at crazy prices. I'm sure some people were buying at those crazy prices but a lot of others weren't. Hopefully this means ammo is available but retailers / sellers are asking WAY to much for it Which means prices will have to come down if they want to sell it. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Displaced Texan 11,653 Posted February 16, 2021 Been stocked for many years now. I’ll still buy as I need to replenish, but not buying in the quantities I used to. I’m also not shooting the quantities I used to either. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
45Doll 5,848 Posted February 16, 2021 Yeah, I wonder what all that excess toilet paper people bought last spring is going for now? Have they sold off and made a big profit? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnnyB 4,289 Posted February 16, 2021 17 minutes ago, 45Doll said: Yeah, I wonder what all that excess toilet paper people bought last spring is going for now? Have they sold off and made a big profit? I donated my extra toilet paper to this guy! 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scorpio64 5,120 Posted February 16, 2021 Just now, JohnnyB said: I donated my extra toilet paper to this guy! I lost all my TP in a boating accident. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnnyB 4,289 Posted February 16, 2021 3 minutes ago, Scorpio64 said: I lost all my TP in a boating accident. Don't remind me! All of my guns met the same fate! All three of them in one day just last week! Damn iceberg! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bomber 1,089 Posted February 16, 2021 Caught me off guard. I had my FID my since the last days of the Clinton administration but owned Elmer Fudd guns; .357 revolvers, shotguns, a few .22's and considered myself well armed. Also, the Obama era panics didn't concern me too much because I had Fudd guns and other stuff going on in my life at the time Eventually I decided to modernize the "arsenal", sell off some items and use the proceeds towards AR's, double stacked striker 9mm, etc, a year or so after Trump won and was starting to build out when the covid scam hit. I got some really good deals but at the same time sold off items for half of what they're selling for post covid. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Malsua 1,422 Posted February 16, 2021 Not surprised at all. Heck, to do my part to alleviate the shortage, I parted with several thousands of rounds of center fire pistol ammo, several thousands of rounds of rimfire and a spam can of 7.62x54r. I should probably sell some more. That said, I wish I had bought more when it was available. I now only have maybe 10 years worth of ammo at normal usage. I wish I had several lifetimes worth. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CAL. .30 M1 2,101 Posted February 16, 2021 On 2/15/2021 at 9:28 AM, Old School said: I have a question for you folks. Were you surprised by the ammo shortage? Didn't you see it coming? How are you handling it? Surprised? Not at all.... See it coming? Yes, 10000% It is nothing but a blip for me..... I have been planning for this since ...well forever as i can recall... i always felt if you want to ban firearms ownership, the lowest hangin fruit to get to that goal, is limit ammo or make is prohibitively expensive TOO shoot. 10k +/- rounds of .22 fits nicely in a two round 81mm mortar can amd two take up no space at all. Primers, powder projectiles - lead etc... easy peasy Hope all is well frankie Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CAL. .30 M1 2,101 Posted February 16, 2021 16 hours ago, Bomber said: Caught me off guard. I had my FID my since the last days of the Clinton administration but owned Elmer Fudd guns; .357 revolvers, shotguns, a few .22's and considered myself well armed. Also, the Obama era panics didn't concern me too much because I had Fudd guns and other stuff going on in my life at the time Eventually I decided to modernize the arsenal, sell off some items and use the proceeds towards AR's, double stacked striker 9mm, etc, a year or so after Trump won and was starting to build out when the covid scam hit. I got some really good deals but at the same time sold off items for half of what they're selling for post covid. ....since when is a 357 equal to elmer fudd...lol Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scorpio64 5,120 Posted February 16, 2021 1 hour ago, CAL. .30 M1 said: ....since when is a 357 equal to elmer fudd...lol Perception. Revolver = Fudd because it's not a plastic semi-auto. .357 is bad ass, no doubt, but so is a chest full of Elmer's 00 from a SxS. 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JC_68Westy 1,024 Posted February 16, 2021 On 2/15/2021 at 10:11 AM, JohnnyB said: I learned my lesson from past shortages and bought it cheap and stacked it deep! I also took the time to learn how much fun reloading is and loaded up on components and gear long ago. Where I screwed up BIG TIME is I neglected to stock up on primers! Somehow, I never thought they would disappear but I was wrong. With the help of a few friends here on NJGF I was able to have enough to keep me going until a few weeks ago when Discord alerted me to primers in stock at MidwayUSA. They were gone in seconds but I was able to score 5K SPPs and 1K LRPs in one shot at pre-panic pricing. I have a lot of components like brass, bullets, and powder. I have been loading a lot of ammo lately and did an inventory this weekend. I am fine with everything but small pistol primers. I am down to 6700 SPP. That may sound like a lot but it goes very quickly. I do have 4500 Small Pistol Magnum primers and about 10K SRP that I will use if I have to. My normal "full" stock is 20K of SPP and LPP. I still have 14K LPP remaining. I have seen too much evidence using real pressure measuring equipment that shows there is no need to drastically reduce loads when substituting SPM for SPP like many people think. Here is an example of one such video. 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnnyB 4,289 Posted February 16, 2021 That's a coincidence.....I also have exactly 6,700 SPPs. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites