Stacks of ammo, once piled high at gun shops across America, have dwindled. Prices paid by consumers for much sought-after Winchester .380-caliber handgun bullets (a common name for cartridges) have doubled. At weekend gun shows, trailers loaded with boxes of ammunition are drained within hours.
Budget-pressed police departments, which can’t be caught short, have increased their orders just to be safe, and the US military, fighting two wars, has seen its need for bullets quadruple in recent years.
Industry officials say the appetite for ammo in the United States is unprecedented.
The major ammo suppliers are working around the clock, seven days a week in an attempt to keep up with demand. There will be about 2 billion more American-made bullets produced this year over last year’s 7.5 billion.
US military demand for small arms ammunition has almost quadrupled this decade, increasing from 462 million to 1.6 billion rounds. The order used to be filled exclusively by the military-owned Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Independence, Mo. But as consumption grew, the military turned to private contractors to fill demand.
That would mean that out of the 9.5 billion bullets produced this year, the military will take a billion-and-a-half. I guess the police departments are good for a billion or so, which would leave 7 billion rounds of ammunition for the average joe.
And they say it's not enough.
What's your opinion? What's really going on here? Remember we're talking about "per year" with these incredible numbers. When next year rolls around there's another 7 billion bullets distributed among the gun owners, less the ones they used this year, of course. Do you think this means that each year the stockpiles of ammunition in private hands increase? Is that a good thing? What are the ramifications of it?
Please leave a comment.
"That would mean that out of the 9.5 billion bullets produced this year, the military will take a billion-and-a-half. I guess the police departments are good for a billion or so, which would leave 7 billion rounds of ammunition for the average joe."
ReplyDeleteYour ignorance is truly astounding.
We are not limited to buying ammo that is produced in our own country. I routinely buy mil-surp from other lands.
Please try and do the most basic research before you post your own ignorance for the whole world to see.
I'm really just trying to help you.
MikeB,
ReplyDeleteKaveman said it, your ignorance (and constant attempts to stay that way)is truly astounding.
I routinely shoot 50 rounds of .45ACP every time I go to the range. If I had more, I would shoot it. Probably up to 15o rounds (not bullets - that is the part that goes down range).
I routinely shoot 200 or more rounds of .22 each range trip.
I've been making at least one trip per month for many months now, sometimes 2.
As far as stock piles, yes. Each year people stock pile more. I'm trying to reach a minimum of 500 rounds as safety stock for each major caliber I own.
For .22, I'm trying to get to 5,000 rounds. It really goes faster than you think.
More people are buying firearms, more first time buyers/owners -- so more stock piles.
Ever consider that gun owners are intelligent --that we've seen the price of ammo increase nearly each year?
Ammo bought today and shot years from now is cheaper -- a good investment.
7 billion rounds divided by 300 million firearms = 23 rounds per firearm.
ReplyDeleteEven if we assume that only 100 million are shot each year, that is still only 69 rounds per firearm.
A typical range trip for me involves:
3 - .22, 100-150 rounds a piece.
2 - 9mm, 50 rounds a piece
2 - 7.62x39, 30-50 rounds a piece
1 - 7.62x54, 20 rounds
1 - 12 ga, 25-50 rounds
That is an average of 80 rounds per firearm for each range trip (not each year).
If 7 billion rounds of ammo were evenly distributed among 80 million gun owners, that's only about 90 rounds per person, per year.
ReplyDeleteEven if you were to count all the imported milsurp ammo, at the most you'd have 200 rounds per person, per year.
That means the average gun owner has buys between 10 and 20 boxes of ammo per year. That's not that extreme.
And as Bob S. said, there are now more gun owners and definitely more guns, thus the demand has increased faster than the supply.
And considering ammo that's stored properly can outlast the person who bought it, it's good practice to "buy it cheap and stack it deep".
Regardless, it's bad news for the gun control folks: There are more gun owners, with more guns, doing more shooting, getting more training, and giving more resistance against efforts to ban guns, ban ammo, ban private sales, tax ammo, shut down ranges, and create more "gun-free zones".
"Do you think this means that each year the stockpiles of ammunition in private hands increase? Is that a good thing? What are the ramifications of it?"
ReplyDeleteMORE AMMO = MORE BETTER.
So yes, it is a good thing. The major ramification is that people that are buying far more than they will ever use will eventually start selling it off and we'll have a large supply at lower prices when the bubble finally pops.
Out of respect, I won't tell you how much ammo I have stockpiled.
ReplyDeleteYour best bet is to take your underpanties off and secretly imagine the option of free men.
I have well over 17,000 rounds on demand.
Do you still place me inside the 90% figure?
Ball's in your court.
kaveman, You're a 90 percenter, man. But, what I want to know, are you also a 3 percenter?
ReplyDelete