Ammo Shortage May Last Till 2021

2nd Amendment – R2KBA Authors Current Events S.H. Blannelberry This Week

Ammo is hard to come by nowadays and at least one gun dealer believes it may not get better until 2021.

Z. Farhat at Green Acres Sporting Goods in Jacksonville, Florida, spoke to local media about what he has experienced firsthand.

“We’re selling at an all-time pace. We have never been this busy, and I think the gun business has never been this busy,” Farhat told FirstCoastNews.  

“We’re not getting any products, so the quantities are getting limited and there is a massive shortage on you know ammo and certain firearms,” he continued.

The surge in demand, he believes, is due to the obvious culprits: COVID-19, George Floyd protests, and the 2020 election.

SEE ALSO: GunsAmerica Guide on Reloading

“We’ve already been told from the manufacturers mostly like, it’s looking like maybe late third quarter, maybe late fall, and it could be pushed into winter or 2021 until we get a lot of the product,” he explained.

Farhat has said that in order to fill demand locally he has had to purchase products on secondary channels.

“We’ve had to go out and purchase through outside distributors that are able to sell us limited quantities here and there, and we just have to make do with what we can get,” he explained.

Well, that’s the situation down in Jacksonville. I’m curious to know what you’re seeing in your neck of the woods. Is ammo hard to come by? Are you seeing a lot of price gouging? Do you believe you have an adequate stockpile?

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  • Eric February 26, 2021, 11:29 am

    Go across the border to Canada and they have primers and powder sitting on the shelves. By that I mean when the shelf is cleaned off, it is restocked. Their items are from USA manufacturers. Ever notice how nobody believes the public explanations in the US any more?

  • Jack Feeney December 11, 2020, 11:26 am

    I don’t understand something about the ammo shortage. (And I’m only talking about 22LR but 9mm is similar).
    If what I keep hearing about the demand for ammo being so high they (CCI & Etc) can’t keep up with it, and it isn’t on any shelves ( non in stock or available to order at Bass Pro Shop, Wallmart, or any of my local gun shops, etc). Where are they selling it so fast that they can’t keep up with it ?
    I think this is BS the damn republican’s in office sold us out, just saying.

    • Anna S January 24, 2021, 9:50 pm

      Jack Feeney I totally agree with you, I am not buying this “can’t keep up with demand BS either! This more government control!

    • Trent February 1, 2021, 10:36 pm

      Have you ever heard of the internet?

  • Don December 6, 2020, 6:18 pm

    It is non-existent in North Idaho for the most part. I was able to buy several thousands rounds of .22 LR thanks to the local Walmart. I have a supply of 9mm and 5.56mm but since I can’t replace it, it goes without being used. We have one gun store in the valley and a Walmart. Walmart no longer sells common pistol ammo nor 5.56mm. When they get .22 LR ammo, they sell it for regular price. They just don’t get it very often. When I shoot, I only shoot .22 LR.

  • D H November 8, 2020, 3:04 pm

    There is no conspiracy to limit ammo production. All major ammunition companies are at full production. Federal has been running 24/7 for several years. We the people are causing the shortage. There is enough ammo stored in Amercan garages to change the axis of the planet. Unfortunately, that is not going to change anytime soon. Between opportunists looking at resale and doomsday preppers, I doubt we’ll see full ammo shelves anytime soon. Sucks to be those coming to the party late who have not stocked up.

  • Peter Moothger October 20, 2020, 1:39 am

    I’m in Oregon so ammo is available at the corner market. Sorry you’re having problems at the box. Cougars and coyotes are all having fun right now at dawn and dusk. BTW they both taste crappy.

  • chris Bartholomew August 24, 2020, 4:45 pm

    In Florida – New Gun Owner – Im over 50. Kids are out of the house. Finally purchased a low cost, entry level 9MM and a .22 revolver. More for fun – and ease. I can get the .22 ammo kinda easy. It has a .22 mag cylinder also – so it makes the .22 more “useful”. I was looking online for the gun I ended up with. It took several months of constant “out of stock” or “we don’t ship to FFL any more” type crap until I ended up buying online. Funny thing was… both guns I bought from Ohio from manufacturers from Florida (now Georgia). So that was weird. Can’t find one of these in town. Anyways… of course the 9mm is way out of stock. I bought some soviet steel jacket 9mm (all there was) for $20 for 50. Later, I bought 2 boxes of 50 online for $30 each (brass FMJ) and then bought 50 locally (brass FMJ) in a baggie for $30. Meanwhile, I bought one box of 150 ct .22 for $20. Whenever I go into walmart or any box store, I look. and ZERO .22 or 9mm. I went on Federal’s website and they have only hollow point rounds 20 ct for $30-$40. Everything else is out of stock. I guess this thing is like the toilet paper thing. Which I never understood. I work for a manufacturer and I used to work for a manufacturer of things like TP. We just kick out goods. Why is this something that is this hard to kick out and keep kicking out for a short while? This should be a boon for you as well – smashing records of qty. But understanding that this too shall pass. But for now… ride it!

    • Big Bob December 21, 2020, 5:52 am

      Chris Bartholomew – the ONLY ammo you should shoot out of the .22WMR cylinder in that revolver – is .22WMR. Do yourself a favor and don’t shoot .22lr out of it.

  • Fuku August 24, 2020, 12:14 pm

    Many of you sound like a bunch of whining babies. It’s no wonder the Dems support abortion. If you’re parents had any brains, they would have gotten ride of you before you were born!

    • Frank January 22, 2021, 2:21 am

      My man, that’s super cruel. I hope someday your heart softens towards people who don’t like inflation.

  • Ashlee August 21, 2020, 9:27 pm

    Here in Sarasota there is no 9 mm ammo to be found. The other day I was told a pawn shop had some at $25.00 a box of 50 rounds, a giant leap from the $11.99 it was in lets say Feb of this yr 2020. Stores are no better. When they do get boxes in either employees take and put away what little they get in or they call their family and friends to come in when truck is there to buy what’s on it. Hell yes there is price gouging. A box of Remington UMC 50 rounds was $11.99 now it is $35.00 if your lucky. Same with on line shops I’ve seen 1 box go for over 60.00 that is nuts! When you try to buy from local ranges they limit you as a member or not to 2 boxes at most. You pay for the range and cant use it due to no one has ammo or ammo is priced far more then its worth so its a waste to belong to ranges when you get 1 box a day from them or they have none or they over charge you for a $11.99 box you have to pay them $35.00 for the box. Owning guns is getting so not worth it and I have a feeling that is what the Democrats planned on from the start. Instead of starving the people (withholding food), they are stopping the creation of ammo which to me is the same as if they were starving the people. It’s going to get worse as old timer gun people get too frustrated with the government for not doing something with the companies making ammo. Double edge sword the people don’t want interference from the government yet they go and whine to the very group they don’t want around…….the government for help when they cant get what they want and in this case its ammo.

  • StevO August 21, 2020, 11:25 am

    380 Ball ammo for range practice was $9.00/box not to long ago now they want $25.00/box. If you can find it

  • Paul August 21, 2020, 10:36 am

    When the governor of Oklahoma declared a state of emergency due to the pandemic, one of the things included was an anti-price gouging section. Because of this, one of the websites where I used to get some of my ammunition is “unable to ship to your location, due to unforeseen circumstances”. Since the price per round for some 9mm ammunition more than doubled ….

  • Phillip DeWitt August 21, 2020, 7:23 am

    In upstate SC any handgun ammo or popular rifle ammo is scarce to unavailable. I needed centerfire pistol ammo and looked on the internet. Google search works well your have to look past the first two or three pages of ads to find sellers with something to sell. I have enough on hand now with ammo on back order all over. I might get some of the back order filled or none.

  • Willie-O August 5, 2020, 12:55 am

    Gold ? Silver ? Platinum ? Nope, lead. Sometimes wrapped in other “precious metals”. Invest and plan accordingly ladies and gentlemen.

  • Ken August 4, 2020, 10:29 pm

    I was in Academy Sports and Rural King the other day and the only handgun ammo in stock at either store was 40 S&W. I have a Glock 27 along with a LWD conversion barrel so that I can go with either 40 or 9mm depending on what’s available. Only difference is barrel and magazine.

  • Antonio August 3, 2020, 2:09 pm

    My large locally owned store does have stuff in stock, but mostly defensive ammo, not really any FMJ. I checked a local BassPro and there were virtually no handgun calibers, but lots of long range/hunting calibers and 12 gauge bird shot.

    The one less common caliber I own a rifle in is 6.5 Grendel, and I was relieved to snap up 500 rounds of Wolf steel cased ammo for the lowest I’ve seen it in a long time. While I was happy with my purchase, by the next day they had doubled the price for the same 500 round quantity!

    I feel like there’s some merit to having one less common (but no niche) caliber. Ones that have caught my eye include 44 Magnum/Special and 10mm.

  • Lorne Dey August 3, 2020, 1:14 pm

    I live in Pueblo CO and went into the local Sportsman’s Warehouse and was surprised at how little ammo they had. I went in for .44 mag and found some on an endcap because I don’t think a lot of people shoot 44 mags these days. I have lots of .40 auto and 223/556 that I bought during the Obama years so I don’t need any of that.

  • Frank Gaughan August 3, 2020, 9:26 am

    Local dealers are all out of the popular calibers e.g. 9mm, .45, .38 Special, .223, 12 gauge (all loads). Still plenty of guns available, although they’re flying off the shelves too. Mostly the high-end weapons remain. Oh, wait… Just about everything is a high-end weapon these days!

  • Dan C August 3, 2020, 9:22 am

    Knew this was going to happen although not to this extent due to the POTUS race in Nov. I started buying ammo early last year, set asside a certain amount each month, then looking where I could augment, and get it. RIght now even with my shooting every week, I’m good for a year or a little more. Reloading components are ready as well. I’ve reloaded since 1981. Not reloaded 9MM and 223 much, price was just so cheap it did’nt ‘pay’ in time, but now…… glad I had the stuff sitting back ready. y biggest fear right now is the indoor range shutting down and having to drive 35 miles to my club. At my age I’ve seen this cycle before. THe pivots and Trump and Covid. Once those issues are settled regardless it will take 3-5 years for things to steelt down, and prices will never go back to where they were but will land 20% I”d say on average higher. But, hope I’m wrong.

  • Leo August 3, 2020, 7:08 am

    This all scam, owners are hiding ammo and guns to sell at high price tag. It is a game…

    • Frank Gaughan August 3, 2020, 9:26 am

      I hope you’re wrong, but I wouldn’t doubt it…

    • Dave Emery August 3, 2020, 4:07 pm

      Not much worse than gun folks taking advantage of other gun folks due to national crisis. That goes beyond capitalism.

    • Ashlee August 21, 2020, 9:36 pm

      @Frank Gaughan while I’ve seen price gouging on EBay as well as with well known on line shops, I do not remember seeing owners holding ammo to sell at higher prices. They are selling even the ones who make their own at home they are over charging yes but they are not holding they are selling with that higher price you mentioned.

  • Russ August 3, 2020, 2:07 am

    Same shortages here but a bit worse because shipping to hawaii takes longer

  • DomG August 1, 2020, 9:09 am

    I have been in the “business” of securing the items I think are of value since Y2K; I have spent $thousands!

    Handloading was supposed to be a hobby; not since 2008, I still enjoy it, but it has become more than fun.

    I’m convinced that it’s a better driver of uncertanty-avoidance to have loaded (“pet load” or WROL) cartridges and needing components, than it is to have a bunch of unloaded components stacked on shelves.

    This time around, the 1st indication that we have a problem, was the absence of small pistol primers….

    My posterity will look at how I have been spending my money (on gut feelings) since Y2K; and smile.

    It’s everything; $60.00 markup on 10 OZ of silver, food, equipment, items that are made in USA.

    It wouldn’t suprise me to find out that some astute distributors are actually holding guns, ammo, & reloading components in warehouses; until prices tripple.

    So, my fellow Americans; it’s “game on” through 2021!

  • interventor July 31, 2020, 9:43 pm

    Most firearms dealers are short of most calibers of ammo in my area. Only Dick’s Field and Stream seems to have a good selection. Dealing with the devil, I guess.

  • Pat J July 31, 2020, 2:04 pm

    Things change quickly. Picked up thousands of once-fired LC brass at my club during early Trump after never seeing it after Obama, Clinton, Great Recession panics. It’s been cleaned, swaged, primed, and stored ready to load up or sell/barter. I would think anything 9mm will sell/barter easily. There are going to be some very desperate and unrestrained people roaming around soon. I’m 70 and saw America when it was the best the world had to offer in the 1950’s.
    Something else I learned from past panics and ex-buddies who did not prepare well, the fewer people who know you’re a hand loader the better. Many times people will assume that you like them a lot more than you really do, and an acquaintance of a resentful “buddy” makes an unwelcome visitor. keep the shed locked and monitored with tech.

    • DAVID MILLER August 3, 2020, 7:40 am

      I little older have same feelings never should have said how much ammo and food i put away

  • SteveB July 31, 2020, 1:45 pm

    How does the old saying go?…Better to have and not need, then to need and not have.

  • TomD July 31, 2020, 12:43 pm

    Interesting…millions upon millions of 9mm rounds being stockpiled by DHS, ammunition that almost certainly will never be expended in the defense of the American homeland or even used for adequate range training. A DHS/CBP “firearm usage” is rare and invariably leads to cries for more lax border control and more stringent restrictions on firearm use by Federal agents of any stripe, not to mention civil suits.

    Look at the NYPD’s $18 MM contract from 2018 for 9mm +P ammo…and look at the NYPD today. Any NYPD officer brave – or foolish – enough to discharge his or her weapon almost certainly faces a career-ending onslaught from “government” and civil suits. NYC and other cities are talking about disarming the police entirely…and even banning the use of non-lethal items, such as tear gas and pepper spray.

    My point here is primarily that the means for law-abiding private citizens to defend themselves by acquiring adequate amounts of ammunition for practice and training is being choked off by the very government forces that are calling for the disbanding of DHS, CBP, and police departments in now-lawless cities.

    I’m no prophet, but I believe dark days lie just ahead for America. Once the Marxist and anarchist “Democrats” figure out how to severely restrict or eliminate our ability to acquire guns and ammo at one end, and implement “lawful” confiscation at the other, we’re at the crossroads. It’s freedom or servitude…a terrible choice in the country we once thought free. Pray…and stay vigilant.

    • George J August 3, 2020, 4:20 am

      You are an idiot. Almost as big of an idiot as the muppet thinking distributors are hoarding guns and ammo until the prices triple. Distributors make money selling guns, ammo and accessories. No sales mean they go out of business. Duh.

      You have no idea how fast an agency can go through ammo with nothing more than required qualifications for all personnel. Every certified and armed law enforcement officer has to qualify at least once a year, often twice with a day and night qualification required. They also have to be provided with shoot/no shoot and low light target identification training or they face lawsuits that would be successful based on Popow v Margate and Zuchel v Denver which are the defining case precedents on law enforcement deadly force usage and failure to train cases.

      Border Patrol has over 19,000 agents. Figure 50 rounds for one qualification attempt and you’re at 1 million rounds right off the bat. Add in training, multiple qualification classes per year, re-shoots for failures and BP can run through 5 or 6 million rounds on their own. Its worth noting that the Feds don’t buy training ammo and duty ammo; they use the same ammo for training and duty. As you brought up NYPD, they are the largest police department in the USA with around 40,000 sworn officers. Do the math with that figure and training/qualifications will eat through their ammo in short order. In the academy, we can burn through 1,000 rounds per student with no problem. I take back what I said; you’re not stupid, just ignorant.

      • Tom DiSarlo August 3, 2020, 9:24 am

        Thanks for the thoughtful, courteous, gentlemanly reply, George.

        When NYC implements the $1,000,000,000 budget cut to the NYPD, I’m sure the complement of 40,000 officers and their firearms training budget will remain unaffected, not to mention the calls from NYC politicians – city and state officials – to replace armed officers with “social workers”, a move that is already happening on the West Coast. The political will in NYC and other major cities already exists to disarm the police. All you have to do is listen to their mayors and city councils. QED.

        As for DHS/CBD/ICE, bills are already making their way through the House to disarm or disband them entirely.

        As a patriot and shooter who practices weekly with local and Federal LEOs, I actually hope your rebuttal is, and continues to be, correct. Let’s check in with each other in, say, a year, if leftists take the government, and see how much of that ammo is being issued and expended.

        Have a great day!

        • Willie-O August 5, 2020, 12:49 am

          It’s really starting to get on my nerves just how quickly these self-professed “experts” jump on anyone and everyone that makes a comment that they take issue with. I’m not referring to the obvious libtards, I expect no less from them – the only surprise there is just how many of them are on here. No, I’m referring to those that are on the same “ideological team”. Civility, common courtesy and class are a thing of the past. I can get as mean and nasty as the situation requires, but that simply wasn’t the case here.

      • DanTampa December 1, 2020, 2:08 pm

        The problem with your statements is the very same government agencies you reference that are purchasing ammo for training and use, have been doing so all along. So unless they are purchasing in greater quantity, they shouldn’t play an increasing role In the current shortage.

        I suspect many avid gun owners like myself, that went through the ammo shortage during Obama’s reign and said never again…stocked up when it was available at reasonable prices. These people are not buying ammo at these prices because they have plenty. So they are not contributing to the demand.

        Our military is not expending the amount of ammo it was in the Middle East as we have reduced live fire engagements.

        So either the wave of new owners is so significant, or the government has decided to start hoarding ammo, or we are being lied to about the actual production. Or a combination of all three.

        As far as your statement about manufactures not restricting sales because they would be out of business shows you are the one that is not the sharpest tool in the shed. You obviously have never been in business before or failed at it. Not saying the manufactures are restricting sales…but by doing so they would not go out of business as you claim.

        If ammo manufactures were to sell one box for every three they manufactured, and put the other two in inventory for sale at a later time…they would be cutting their sales by 1/3. But if they sale the one box for three times the normal amount…they haven’t lost any revenue. They could cut there production by 1/3 and further increase their profit margin.

        That is what OPEC used to do to keep oil prices artificially high. They cut production to create a greater demand and raised prices.

  • Pat J July 31, 2020, 12:02 pm

    Things change quickly. Picked up thousands of once-fired LC brass at my club during early Trump after never seeing it after Obama, Clinton, Great Recession panics. It’s been cleaned, swaged, primed, and stored ready to load up or sell/barter. I would think anything 9mm will sell/barter easily. There are going to be some very desperate and unrestrained people roaming around soon. I’m 70 and saw America when it was the best the world had to offer in the 50’s. How can humans fuck something up so bad? Save the good critters.

    • SteveB July 31, 2020, 1:48 pm

      “humans” or politicians?

      • Grady July 31, 2020, 9:33 pm

        Human’s that vote for the leftist politicians. I am 76 and know exactly what Pat is talking about. All this crap started in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1958. I was a teenager then but I said at that time if this shit is not stopped America will fall. I hoped it would not be in my lifetime but unfortunately it has. I do not envy the young people who have been indoctrinated with all this liberal socialist education that is taught from the preschool on through college. They have no idea of history or what this country was. They should get the real history books about Nazi Germany, Argentina, Cuba, North Korea, China, Venezuela, or any one of a number of other countries that voted in liberal socialist politicians and see what their countries were and what they became.

    • Phil August 3, 2020, 3:08 pm

      I can only speculate.
      why don’t you ask yourself that question.

  • Daddio7 July 31, 2020, 11:38 am

    So who was it that bought thousands of pallets of .22 last time?

    • TomD August 3, 2020, 9:28 am

      Very good question. The ammunition manufacturers moved production to other calibers, mostly 9mm and .223/5.56, in response to huge government ammunition buys in the billions of rounds during the Obama administration.

  • Michael J July 31, 2020, 10:47 am

    What I have learned about the last shortage is when you see it, you better buy it, even if you don’t think you need it. Of course some people would accuse you of hoarding but having, negates anyone’s self-righteous criticism. The last time there was a run on ammunition was eye-opening. Then, like minded folks created the shortages of reloading components and so on. This time it’s worse. Like most Patriots, I probably have more ammunition than I’ll ever use, but when it comes to liberties and rights it’s principle. No one in government is going to restrict my second ammendment rights, but supply and demand will. We were warned by the Founding Fathers because they had the vision to see the tyranny of men in government. The Constitution is a work of art, but not if these elected vipers continue to trample upon it. Long live the Republic.

    • CJ July 31, 2020, 11:34 am

      Very well thought out and well written post! You are obviously a person who is well read.

      Thanks for this

  • Altoids July 31, 2020, 9:18 am

    Like Old Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard – Bare shelves that formerly held ammo at the local Sportsman’s Warehouse.

    Was in there about a week ago. They had 3 or 4 boxes of .308 extremely high dollar premium hunting ammo and that was just about it.

    Typical of the ammo shortages of late, the lower, bulk and mid-priced ammo is flat out gone.

    Most of us have learned from previous “shortages” and have the situation under control.

  • TAW July 31, 2020, 8:57 am

    Most gun stores in Alabama have very little ammunition. Those that do have increased the prices to at least double the norm. Lots of first time buyers just wanting to be able to protect themselves and their family during a SHTF scenario. Best places to buy ammo are big box stores that get small shipments a few times a week. Academy and Gander still have good prices if you happen to be lucky enough to score a few boxes while in stock. Stock up when you can and buy whatever firearm you feel you will need to protect your family in case an angry mob comes to your neighborhood with ill intent. And by all means, get some type of training if possible. At the very least go to your local range and become familiar with you gun of choice. This is an epic battle for the future of this country and it won’t stop anytime soon. Just one old man’s opinion.

  • William Sweeney July 31, 2020, 7:46 am

    Reloads anyone!

    • D.J. July 31, 2020, 11:41 am

      I cannot recommend enough , that all whom my be concerned contact
      Dillon Precision .
      I , also , cannot recommend their products highly enough ! These folks
      really have their ” Sierra ” together . Once learned , the process is beyond
      easy , and quite enjoyable .

  • Kb31416 July 31, 2020, 7:25 am

    I would have thought that most current gun owners would have learned our lesson from last time: but when you can, not when you must.
    Thus, no ammo shortage for me, although I have not purchased anything recently.
    That leaves all of the legions of new gun owners who will end up paying a procrastination tax.

  • Mark N. July 31, 2020, 12:25 am

    I haven’t bought ammo for a while, just components, due to California’s new background check law on ammo purchases. I would pass, but it jacks up the price. I can no longer buy on the internet and have to pay local gun store prices. WalMart has completely stopped selling ammo. But what I do know is that a pound of H110 cannot be found. Not one gun store in town has it, not even the local Sportsman’s Warehouse.

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