Gun Owners Fired Up as Ammo Shortage Eases
Fear that President Obama might ban — or highly tax — certain kinds of weapons and ammunition led to rocketing sales over the past year, leaving many stores with a shortage of popular ammo, and blasting prices through the roof. Now, however, the market has begun to stabilize, as more supplies come on line, and short-term concerns about gun laws have eased.
The Star-Telegram reports that, at least in Texas (where they know a thing or two about guns), prices have started coming down and bullets have begun showing up on store shelves again.
In a typical week last year, [retailer DeWayne] Irwin said he would order — and receive — 50 cases of 9 mm ammunition. He places the same order now and "we're lucky to get three cases," he said. "But a month ago, we would be lucky to get one case." Said [gun expert Alan] Korwin, "Now, almost a year later, it's easing up. Prices are dropping almost daily, supplies are coming in, demand is lowering and stores are cutting back on orders."
The situation hasn't pleased gun-control advocates. As The Wall Street Journal reports:
"Obama is the best thing that has happened to [the gun industry] in years," [Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence] said. "Their scare tactics before the election turned out to be a total flop politically but great for business." And, he noted, the Obama administration has - so far at least - given gun owners very little to worry about. "What they proposed during the campaign was moderate and they haven't even made any signs off doing those things," Helmke said. "We have been frustrated with Obama's and Congress' unwillingness to even talk about the gun issue."
Advocates do, however, see victory in their sights. According to the Journal, Hemke "expects the administration to do more later in its term. He also thinks that the current rush in sales can largely be sales attributed to an entrenched group of people who already have personal arsenals, noting that ;while the number of guns [in circulation] is going up, the percentage of households owning them is going down.'"
After almost a year, ammo shortage starting to ease in Dallas-Fort Worth [Star-Telegram]
Firearms, Ammunition See Explosive Sales Growth [WSJ]
(Photo: amsfrank)
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Comments:
Rifle ammo has become abundant again in central Oregon. I still can't find rounds for my 40 cal pistol though.
I have purchased three guns since Obama took office. None of which were purchased out of fear of losing them. Both my girlfriend and I needed new hunting rifles and I wanted a sidearm for bow hunting and hiking. I do know a couple people that went nuts buying almost 2k in guns and ammo in the weeks following Obama's election.
...I think he meant the scare tactics Republicans used (ineffectively) to try to get moderates to vote anti-Obama. i.e. "omg he's gonna take our guns!".
This is an example of the ridiculousness of much of the far right in this country. Let's see:
1) The President has no authority to issue an exec order that pertains to guns, except in isolated settings pertaining to national security;
2) Any sweeping overhaul of gun rights would go through Congress, and the NRA has Congresscritters so scared they'd pass nothing;
3) Any sweeping overhaul would be heard by the Supreme Court, which would obviously strike down any such overhaul.
and
4) Obama never mentioned a word about gun control or gun reform.
So... give me a freakin' break people! You just "taxed" yourself by driving up demand for ammo foor no reason.
PS Adjusting the marginal tax rate by a few percentage points does not make one a socialist.
It wasn't what he said so much as what he did. Between his votes in the IL Senate and the US Senate and appointing the likes of Holder to be AG, he's shown himself to be no friend of gun owners.
I think Obama's prior history, and the fear mongering when military brass was ordered destroyed rather than sold, is what did this. And also idiots like Alex Jones and his whole FEMA death camp business. I think some people keep a copy of the Turner Diaries by their bed with a highlighter and think it's really a book sent back from the future.
I think finally, a year later, the gun nuts have learned Obama really has more important things on his mind than "omg he's going to take my gun away". They all bought into the NRA and other organizations doing mailings that had false and misleading info. It was probably one of the most successful campaigns for hunting/gun rights/gun manufacturers in a LONG time.
@MostlyHarmless: By 'flop politically' I assume they meant that no matter how much gun-grabbing hysteria the NRA tried to gin up it didn't cost Obama any extra votes. Most people who place the 2nd Amendment first among their concerns aren't going to vote for any Democrat in the first place, much less a fascist socialist Indo-muslim.
@MostlyHarmless: I dunno... so far, many of his promises have had expiration dates. Given his political history of backing gun-control, a tenet of Chicago politics, the concern on the part of gun-owners was, and quite frankly, continues to be far from unfounded.
I haven't been able to get 9mm ammo for months. This is great news!
I know a guy working at wal-mart in sporting goods... He said a lot of folks have been buying them out of ammo and storing it inside foodsaver bags so they can bury it in streambeds. Damn crazies, and they're keeping me from the range! >:(
@JiminyChristmas: I put the second amendment pretty close yo the top, but have also voted for plenty of democrats, even in the last election.
Will I make the universe explode?
In our town a pawn shop advertises AK 47 for sale. What's up with that? A hunting gun? Personal protection? Our paranoia?
Guns are one of a number of things about our culture that I'll never understand.
It SUCKS.. I've been trying to buy more cheap 9mm ammo at Wal Mart for months and it gets cleaned out all the time. I can't wait to go back to the range for some catharsis.
@JGKojak:
1)The Pres certainly has some leverage in Congress as leader of the majority party
2)Congress will mindlessly pass any law. Even the NRA will cave to stop terrorist illegal Mexican drug dealers with guns
3)Hardly obvious. Most gun laws infringe on the 2nd Amendment, yet they still stand. Sotomayor even wants to ban sticks.
4)If he was planning new restrictions he would stay as quiet and non-committal as a justice during a confirmation hearing. Sneak attack!
@Saboth: I don't expect the gun nuts to ever learn but maybe this whole episode will do a little to show people in general what the NRA is really about. They are really just an industry trade group that has been fabulously successful at cloaking their business with the veneer of "freedom". The NRA's reason for existing is to help the firearm industry sell products, as well as protect them from regulation and product liability.
@morlo: Yep
I'd also like to point out that the POTUS has control of the single gov't organization that can cause the most headaches for gun owners, namely the BATFE.
BATFE already has a disturbing tendency to just make up the rules as they go, based on their own adminstrative determinations, regardless of what the law and prior jurisprudence say. The thought of them being under the control of someone quite willing to throw honest law abiding gun owners under the bus is quite scary...
I agree with the Chris Rock method - guns? Whatever. But make a bullet cost $5000. Then you'll think twice before shooting!
@morganlh85: hahahaha I could agree with that.
Just the other day, I was driving somewhere with a friend, and out of the blue, I told him I would buy a gun if it was affordable. And he was giving me a wild stare with the "wtf is he talking about now?" look. I was like "what, I said I wanted a gun, didnt say anything about bullets!".
My point was that they are sexy polished deadly pieces of precision technology. I so want one.
It is really a shame that we need guns in our society, but the fact is, we do. I have always said that it is better to have one and not need it than to need it and not have it.
I keep one in my glovebox, and one in my nightstand. I feel this is necessary. Although I don't live in a bad part of town, there have been two burglaries in my area in the past year. As for the one in the glovebox, I don't want to be the one who inadvertantly cuts some dude off and as punishment, receives a baseball bat beating.
People have made guns a necessity in our culture.
@morlo: I normally support Sotomayor, but just can't support a nunchuk ban (this is what I presume you mean by her wanting to ban sticks).
First off, it's totally non-enforcable - there's nothing keeping me from making them in my backyard and carrying them concealed in my backpack. Or carrying two sticks with holes in them and a length of cord.
Second, has an average joe ever picked up a set of nunchuks and hurt anyone? Oops, I mean besides himself. Try it sometime, if you can. You will hit your elbow, your head, something like that, and will hurt yourself. it takes a fair bit of training to hit your target (and not yourself) reliably and in places that you can actually do damage.
Third, a baseball bat can do as much damage. Or you can use Michael Moore's method - whenever he flies, he carries a long sock (like kids wear for soccer) and a baseball. If shit happens, drop baseball in sock, and what do you know, instant weapon.
@morlo:
Regarding #2 ... are you serious? Have you even been paying attention to the health care legislation? Democrats control the presidency and both houses of Congress and are STILL unable to pass any form of health insurance reform.
Does cognitive dissonance hurt?
I don't pretend to know much about bullets, but don't they 'expire' or go bad after awhile? Doesn't the gunpowder degrade enough after a period of time to where its not a good idea to use the bullet?
@JGKojak: Since nobody's pointed it out, Obama listed specific major restrictions on rifle and handgun purchases (and even possession) on his Web site as part of his platform. These were removed the week after the presidential election.
@Cycledoc: An AK-47 can do all of those things, just at 100 rounds per minute. In fact, that means it's theoretically 100 times better at those things.
@Shappie: Theoretically, yes, but if you keep them in a cool, dry place, it'll be an very long time. That said, the military does need to keep the age of its ammunition within certain limits; unfortunately, Clinton issued an executive order (never revoked) that requires all military surplus ammunition destroyed rather than sold, at a cost of $4 billion per year to the taxpayers.
@TVarmy: Actually, I'd be pretty shocked if it were automatic. If a civilian AK, it's a run of the mill semi-automatic rifle, just with the capacity to hold more rounds than usual and a famous name.
It could be bought for hunting or personal protection, but the most likely and common use for these - in my experience - is recreational. Many people simply enjoy target shooting, just like any other hobby.
@morganlh85: I'm a pretty big fan of automatic sentences in crimes involving a firearm. I'm not a researcher, of course, but what I've read suggests this is pretty effective when employed.
This avoids limiting those who actually are good, decent citizens who purchase firearms for recreational, hunting, or self-defense purposes.
@JiminyChristmas: The fact is that for many, the NRA is the best organization to lobby on their behalf for a right they are very passionate about.
@Shappie: As chryslis said, it will keep for a long time if stored in a cool dark place without extremes of temprature, humidity or vibration. I'm still using 9mm and 7.62 rounds purchased over a decade ago at the range and they perform quite well.
In other words,
Gun Industry to its customers: "Ha ha ha ha ha. Ha. Suckers!!"
@Cycledoc: Guns are a tool, nothing more really. A highly effective tool for a narrow range of uses, but it's basically a kinetic energy object system along the lines of a hammer and nail, just with a long range.
When used for offense and defense, it is useful so long as you have the rudiments of training to be effective with it. I could kill most folk pointing a gun at me with a knife under 15 feet because my training is along those lines. Ma and Pa Kettle however could concieveably hit me in an alley at 50 yards.
You can commit murder and destruction with a hammer more easily than you can with a gun.
@Saboth: I prefer the term "gun enthusiast". :-)
BTW, try not to paint such a large group of people with the same brush. Not every NRA member is a dumb hick. Some are in fact dashing urbanites like myself.
@dreamsneverend: I've been getting by with long stored 9mm but mostly with a .22lr conversion kit. It changes the dynamics but it keeps me in form for accuracy. And it's fun to blast away 100 rounds in half an hour.
Whitey's gonna cry it out!
@Quake 'n' Shake: I think the only reasonable, sensible and rational thing to do is to purchase an additional 20 crates of ammo.
Just in case.
@reservoir_dog: I sure love my AK. It's definitely fun to go to the range and let loose a hundred rounds. Some people have smoking, some have drinking, mine is range time.
@Cycledoc: And an AK is no more dangerous than any other rifle when in semi-auto. No need to be afraid of a completely legal rifle. Be afraid of the individual operating it.
@farcedude: Not having read the case, but did Sotomayor write about owning nunchucks, or selling them?
I can see an argument that some items are so intrinsically unsafe that they shouldn't be available in an unrestricted fashion.
And as a kid growing up in San Francisco, boy are you spot-on with your view of which side of things nunchatku injuries happen.
The only reason I don't have a notch in my noggin is that I preferred blow-guns when I was in my 13-year-old "I am NINJA!" phase. (Which helped me quickly find out what my blood type was)
My preferred ammunition supplier's prices almost doubled... I had to find a less expensive source of ammo.
Even then, 10mm Auto (with shipping) costs me 47 cents per round for practice.
I carry, so I try to fire at least 500 rounds per year... I wouldn't want to miss.
@ouphie: In Oregon City (just south of Portland), I am able to pick up a 250 rd. brick for $79.89 at my local Bi-Mart. I have made it habit to stop in and see, and 40 is about the only handgun ammo I've regularly seen on the shelves. You come to Portland much? Check Bi-Mart, in any event. YMMV
The gun stores did this. I remember being at the range in summer of '08 listening while the gun store clerk lectured his customers on just how bad things were going to be if Obama got elected.
They did get bad, but not exactly how that clerk said it would.
I would not mind ammo coming back, but I will believe it when I see it. As of last weekend, my local Walmart still had no 9mm in stock. In the last year, that Walmart has had 9mm in stock exactly twice out of at least 30 visits. I always go look even if I don't need it at the time.
Walmart is not the only place to get ammo of course, but I use it as a measuring stick. It helps me determine if I can comfortably go hit the range and get in some practice and be reasonably sure of still having sufficient ammo on hand.
Since July 2008, it has not been possible to do that. I refuse to use up my ammo stock until and unless I can just go buy more without worrying. Until then, practice sessions at the range are out of the question.
@Shadowfire: I just picked up two boxes of 9mm from Walmart last night but it was the last two boxes they had but I also have about 700 range rounds on hand as well. I try to keep it well stocked in the house.
@ouphie:
I can always find .40 cal rounds at Walmart. I normally can pickup 4 one hundred round boxes without a problem. The limit is six but I don't like to be greedy. I have 700 range rounds in the house at the moment.
"Their scare tactics before the election turned out to be a total flop politically [...] "
Seriously? I thought Obama left the gun control issue well alone after the whole "guns and religion" comment.
Or do they mean the scare tactics by folks who think that he is an indonesian muslim?