The Ammo Surplus

[legion]

It's feast or famine.

I walked into Wal-Mart this past weekend and was astonished to see 30+ boxes of 9mm on the shelves, as well as a few boxes of just about every common cartridge. It looks like the ammo shortage is over.

The ammo shortage was due to two factors IMO: 1) People with political fear stockpiling ammo AND 2) people recognizing that people were stockpiling ammo and who were hoping to profit from the shortage. Now that there is no shortage, I expect people in group 2 to flood the market with ammo they hoped to hold for profit. (People in group 1 aren't selling.)

If you're in the market for something that was previously hard to get a hold of, I think this summer will be a good time to buy.

[Jim Richards]

It's about time I did a little shopping.

[m21sniper]

Some types of ammo have been on backorder for months.

[legion]

Originally Posted by m21sniper

Some types of ammo have been on backorder for months.

I'm really only speaking to the super-common stuff here.

It took me months to get ahold of some 147 grain 9mm and I don't foresee any deals comiing on that, but the common 115 grain variety I expect a dramatic price drop in aftermarket sales as stockpiles are liquidated.

[Tim Hancock]

I just scored 6 more 550 rd Federal .22 Value packs yesterday at Walmart myself. Since the wife and daughter started practicing for our winter pistol league a month or so ago, I have been going through a couple thousand rds/week and worried I might run out. I think I am done buying 9mm as I will have plenty of once fired brass to start reloading once I fire all my 9mm up this spring practicing IDPA.

I hope pricing starts going down again this spring as then I could justify blasting a bunch of .223 for fun. If it does not come down, I will probably pick up a .22 conversion for the AR.

[71T Targa]

Originally Posted by Tim Hancock

I just scored 6 more 550 rd Federal .22 Value packs yesterday at Walmart myself. Since the wife and daughter started practicing for our winter pistol league a month or so ago, I have been going through a couple thousand rds/week and worried I might run out.

Have you run this through the Glock AA conversion? AA is pretty adamant on no Federal ammo.

[Rick Lee]

Availability was never really a problem for my calibers, price was. I've scored a lot of smoking private party deals from folks who discovered 500-1000 rounds laying around the house for guns they longer owned. I'm picking up 119 rounds of Remington and Hornady .30-06 tomorrow for $80, got 500 rounds of JHP .40 AND NIB RCBS dies last month for $125 total. Now, I need to find some more deals on .357SIG.

[legion]

Originally Posted by 71T Targa

Have you run this through the Glock AA conversion? AA is pretty adamant on no Federal ammo.

I wonder why that is? Federal .22LR is the only cheap .22LR I can get to work with most semi-auto rimfire pistols and rifles. It's the only stuff I ever shot that didn't stovepipe every-other round or FTF once every magazine.

[Tim Hancock]

Originally Posted by 71T Targa

Have you run this through the Glock AA conversion? AA is pretty adamant on no Federal ammo.

I tried it, but it jams 1-2 times per mag. I have a few boxes of Remington Golden Bullets for the Glock AA conversion. They cycle nearly 100%. I intended to use my Glock AA conversion for the pistol league I am in, but I struggle with it compared to the 6 7/8" bull barreled govt Ruger Mkii that has a nice Volksquarten 2 lb trigger. Even though the practice with the Glock would do me good for IDPA this spring, my competitive nature won't let me switch to the Glock.

Golden Bullet value packs are considered bottom of the barrel by most, but the AA kits seem to like them the most due likely to the specific bullet shape.

I have compared the Federal's to both CCI Select and Aguila SuperExtra by shooting my Ruger from a vice at 25' and see no difference.... Basically a 3/8" group time after time.... My wife and I presently at best can group 1.25" offhand at this distance, so the Federal Value packs are serving us well. I would say we average about 5-10 duds per 550 round box and they are relatively clean compared to the Remingtons.

[ODDJOB UNO]

we are getting a new WALMART not far from here. i cant wait for ammo specials at 2AM! and the best part checking out "the people of walmart" at 2AM!


you know yer HOT POO when walmart comes to town. LOL!

[Tim Hancock]

In my first 42 years of life I laughed at people who thought they "needed" this much ammo. In all my previous years, a box of 550 .22 rounds would last me well over a year of occasional plinking and varmint control. The cost of ammo was always low and I shot very little. I am painfully aware that I picked a bad time to pick up a new "hobby" of competition shooting/practice.

[m21sniper]

Bro, i can relate...

[Rick Lee]

Back when Georgia Arms had free shipping on orders over $500.

[Schumi]

I hear you guys.

[Rick Lee]

Z-man, please ban.

[masraum]

I've got about 1000 rounds of WWB 9mm. I could probably have 5000 if I just consistently checked and bought at Walmart. Usually I see 300-500 rounds when I stop in, but the last time I bought some (400 rounds after a day at the range shooting 250 rounds), they had 1000 rounds.

9mm is the most common, then 40S&W. I see 38, 357, 44 and 45 occasionally but it's usually only 1 or 2 boxes.

[TechnoViking]

I've always got way to much surplus.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

That was WAY unnecessary. :barf:

[Arizona_928]

Originally Posted by m21sniper

LOL. The Xbox.

[m21sniper]

Originally Posted by Schumi

I hear you guys.

God dayum. I cannot believe the camera didn't break!

Is that a TEC-9 i see?