# Ammunition is no longer available. It’s gone. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 31, 2009, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ammunition-is-no-longer-available-it-s-gone/498274 "2009-05-31T19:13:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2009, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ammunition-is-no-longer-available-it-s-gone/498274/1 "2009-05-31T19:13:51Z")
I’ve been trying to track down some .38sp all day. Nobody has it within 100 miles of my house. It’s nuts. That’s like a hardware store being out of nails. WTF? They have no .38, .357, .45, 9mm, .223, or 30-30 either. They seem to be out of pretty much everything. And have been for months. Months! Huhhh? Why isn’t this in the news? This is very, very weird. A fellow at “Sports Authority” said that everything has been retooled for 9mm and .223 and is going to Iraq. I gotta call bullshit on that. I suspect that the army in Iraq shoots perhaps .001 percent of the amount of target shooters here in the US. Needing ammo in Iraq can’t be causing this. There aren’t day long fire fights there. Or we would know. This is odd. I guess I’ll have to order it and have it shipped. I would like suggestions on companies that have worked out for you. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2009, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ammunition-is-no-longer-available-it-s-gone/498274/2 "2009-05-31T19:16:30Z")
Any chance it’s simply been bought up on speculation, ala some gun control bill? Declan ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2009, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ammunition-is-no-longer-available-it-s-gone/498274/3 "2009-05-31T19:16:54Z")
Maybe it’s all those people stocking up on ammo because the NRA told them Obama was going to take their guns away. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2009, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ammunition-is-no-longer-available-it-s-gone/498274/4 "2009-05-31T20:06:05Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > They have no .38, .357, .45, 9mm, .223, or 30-30 either. They seem to be out of pretty much everything. And have been for months. MUAHAHAHAHA! My secret plan goes into effect. No need to eliminate firearms - we’ll just starve them for ammo. 😉 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2009, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ammunition-is-no-longer-available-it-s-gone/498274/5 "2009-05-31T20:23:02Z")
Time to become a reloader yourself. ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2009, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ammunition-is-no-longer-available-it-s-gone/498274/6 "2009-05-31T20:23:50Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > Maybe it’s all those people stocking up on ammo because the NRA told them Obama was going to take their guns away. And the gun stores picked up that ball and ran with it. Every one in my local area had signs up to the effect of “buy your ammo now before Obama takes your rights away!” No doubt the gun shop owners laughed their way to the banks on that one. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2009, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ammunition-is-no-longer-available-it-s-gone/498274/7 "2009-05-31T20:39:05Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Time to become a reloader yourself. Don’t bother, reloading supplies are also in short supply. The medium-caliber ammo shortage isn’t new; it’s been going on for months. It’s sporadically available and then it goes away for a bit. I have it on good authority from the various gun dealers in the area that ammo factories are pretty mush working 24/7 to keep up with demand. You just need to be patient and keep trying. It’s out there. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ammunition-is-no-longer-available-it-s-gone/498274/8 "2009-05-31T20:46:51Z")
Maybe it’s still the aftereffects of this little contretemps in March. [WorldNetDaily](http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=92095) > [@](#): > > …the Department of Defense announced last night it has scrapped a new policy that would deplete the supply of ammunition by requiring destruction of fired military cartridge brass. > > The policy already had taken a bite out of the nation’s stressed ammunition supply, leaving arms dealers scrambling to find ammo for private gun owners… > > …the Department of Defense had placed small arms cartridge cases on its list of sensitive munitions items as part of an overall effort to ensure **national security** is not jeopardized in the sale of any Defense property. > > The small arms cases were identified as a senstive item and were held pending review of policy, he said… > > One of the companies that brought attention to the issue is Georgia Arms, which for the last 15 years has been purchasing fired brass casings from the Department of Defense and private government surplus liquidators. The military collects the discarded casings from fired rounds, then sells them through liquidators to companies like Georgia Arms that remanufacture the casings into ammunition for the law enforcement and civilian gun owner communities. Obama said he wouldn’t take away our guns. He didn’t say anything about the ammo. Good one, O! A real knee-slapper! ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2009, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ammunition-is-no-longer-available-it-s-gone/498274/9 "2009-05-31T20:58:18Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > Maybe it’s still the aftereffects of this little contretemps in March. [WorldNetDaily](http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=92095Obama) said he wouldn’t take away our guns. He didn’t say anything about the ammo. Good one, O! A real knee-slapper! What percentage of ammunition is manufactured using military surplus stuff? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2009, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ammunition-is-no-longer-available-it-s-gone/498274/10 "2009-05-31T21:02:44Z")
And if you check snnopes you’ll see that that is not really anywhere near true. Parts of it were partly true for a few _days_. But the large-scale story on surplus DOD brass is unchanged tofay from 2, 5, or 10 years ago. Not that you’ll hear that from the foaming-at-mouth crowd. LSLGuy USAF veteran Long-time gun owner and shooter ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2009, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ammunition-is-no-longer-available-it-s-gone/498274/11 "2009-05-31T21:24:38Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > I guess I’ll have to order it and have it shipped. I would like suggestions on companies that have worked out for you. If you have to have some right **now** , check on-line auctions sites like [GUN BROKER](http://www.gunbroker.com/), [AUCTION ARMS](http://www.auctionarms.com/) and [GUNS AMERICA](http://www.gunsamerica.com/). It’ll cost you, but ammo is out there. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2009, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ammunition-is-no-longer-available-it-s-gone/498274/12 "2009-05-31T21:39:18Z")
Although bulk discount ammo like what I used to buy at Walmart has completely vanished, my local gun range still has ammo in stock and only limits the number of boxes you can buy at a time. They haven’t even jacked the price up. They’ve been in business there for over thirty years, so they probably have a preferred customer deal with the suppliers. And fwiw, I haven’t noticed any shortage of shotgun shells, it seems to be the one type of ammo left at Walmart’s sporting goods counter. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ammunition-is-no-longer-available-it-s-gone/498274/13 "2009-06-01T00:53:34Z")
[Plenty of ammo here](http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/CategoryListing.aspx?catid=79&PN=rfa) ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ammunition-is-no-longer-available-it-s-gone/498274/14 "2009-06-01T01:01:24Z")
> [@astro](#): > > [Plenty of ammo here](http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/CategoryListing.aspx?catid=79&PN=rfa) You linked to rifle ammo. Go to handgun ammo and observe all the “Out of Stock” buttons. Such as this page: [http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/ItemListing.aspx?catid=645](http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/ItemListing.aspx?catid=645) ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ammunition-is-no-longer-available-it-s-gone/498274/15 "2009-06-01T01:04:44Z")
> [@tumbleddown](#): > > No doubt the gun shop owners laughed their way to the banks on that one. …until now, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ammunition-is-no-longer-available-it-s-gone/498274/16 "2009-06-01T01:06:53Z")
Didn’t Chris Rock suggest something like this? Instead of making restrictions on guns, make restrictions on bullets? > [@Chris Rock](#): > > You don’t need no gun control. You know what you need? We need some bullet control. Man, we need to control the bullets, that’s right. I think all bullets should cost $5000. $5000 for a bullet. You know why? 'Cause if a bullet costs $5000, there’d be no more innocent bystanders. 😛 Maybe they thought it sounded like a good idea? ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ammunition-is-no-longer-available-it-s-gone/498274/17 "2009-06-01T01:32:56Z")
> [@Mosier](#): > > What percentage of ammunition is manufactured using military surplus stuff? This. Just how much .38sp has the military used since the 80s? ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ammunition-is-no-longer-available-it-s-gone/498274/18 "2009-06-01T01:44:51Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > Maybe it’s still the aftereffects of this little contretemps in March. [WorldNetDaily](http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=92095Obama) said he wouldn’t take away our guns. He didn’t say anything about the ammo. Good one, O! A real knee-slapper! What the hell did he do? The supply was gobbled up by gun nuts on speculation. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ammunition-is-no-longer-available-it-s-gone/498274/19 "2009-06-01T01:48:45Z")
> [@Q.E.D](#): > > Don’t bother, reloading supplies are also in short supply. > > The medium-caliber ammo shortage isn’t new; it’s been going on for months. It’s sporadically available and then it goes away for a bit. I have it on good authority from the various gun dealers in the area that ammo factories are pretty mush working 24/7 to keep up with demand. You just need to be patient and keep trying. It’s out there. It’s the Obama Effect. You are correct that ammo factories are one of the bright spots in the economy. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ammunition-is-no-longer-available-it-s-gone/498274/20 "2009-06-01T02:57:22Z")
Can I get a cite from any of you that this shortage is somehow directly caused by Obama? I mean, geez…I’m a gun ownership supporter, my parents shot muzzleloading rifles competitively for almost 20 years, I’ve shot guns myself. A perusal of my positions in the rare gun threads I participate in will show that I’m not an advocate of any extreme or unusual gun or ammo bans. But I just don’t see how Obama comes into this, other than as a right-wing bogeyman the fear of whom apparently forces gun enthusiasts to make market runs on ammo. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ammunition-is-no-longer-available-it-s-gone/498274.md?page=2)