Ammunition Availability
BY Herschel Smith
11 years, 10 months ago
I was in Greenville, S.C., a couple of weeks ago, and stopped by the following stores: Allen Arms, Sharpshooters Gun Club And Range, Academy Sports, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Walmart. Allen Arms had some handgun ammunition, as did Sharpshooters. No 5.56 mm, no .30 Carbine (well, they did have Wolf, but I won’t put steel through my rifles). The shelves at Academy sports, Dick’s and Walmart were bare, as if a tornado had made its way through the stores.
I have also recently stopped by Firepower (Matthews, N.C.), Hyatt Gun Shop (Charlotte, N.C.) and Walmart (Charlotte, N.C.). Hyatt had some ammunition, but their stocks were way down. I did pick up some .30 Carbine from Hyatt. Firepower had some, but were down in stocks too, and 5.56 mm ammunition was higher than it was the last time I purchased it.
At Walmart I would have bought .38, .357 Magnum, .40, .45, .30 Carbine, 5.56 mm, and 22 WMR. I’m not picky. I need a lot of all sorts of ammunition. Tonight here is what the closest Walmart ammunition shelves looked like. A few oddball rifle cartridges on the very bottom.
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On January 17, 2013 at 11:47 pm, FredB said:
A similar story in Wisconsin.
On January 17, 2013 at 11:48 pm, Sando said:
Yep, it’s the same here in So Cal – Turner’s and Walmart are picked clean for the last 6 weeks. All the LGS, too. Online sources are no better and prices are sky high when you can find some. I’m hoping things will return to ‘normal’ in a few months. Of course, all the gov’t ‘help’ will only hurt prices/availability.
On January 18, 2013 at 12:46 am, jj said:
Same in WA state. Found some Independence XM193 today for a somewhat decent price at Sportsman’s Warehouse, but with a 3 box limit on 20 rd boxes @ $8.99 each. So me and the wife bought 3 each, went home and picked up 2 kids and went back again…lol. It’s the cheapest I have seen it anywhere since early December. Shelves have been empty or ridiculously overpriced.
On January 18, 2013 at 10:25 am, Daniel said:
The Walmart in Rock Hill is almost empty. The Sportsman in Rock Hill has pistol ammo, but the prices are up and you are limited to buying one box a day.
On January 18, 2013 at 10:55 am, Jean said:
Has anyone seen this trend at gun shows?
On January 19, 2013 at 11:31 am, David said:
The reason why Walmart is empty, is that they have made a choice not to re-order any ammo or firearms until Obama can reach a decision on how he will attack 2A. I decided this was enough reason not to shop at their stores. I will buy my ammo and firearms from small gun shops who are trying to get the supplies I need.
On January 19, 2013 at 7:02 pm, Harold said:
David: have you heard this from their corporate HQ with your own ears?
I haven’t found any reports I consider from reliable sources making this claim. I also note that such a policy would be indistinguishable from visiting them unless it was right after a shipment arrived.
On January 19, 2013 at 9:42 pm, Ron said:
I spoke with manager at Wal-Mart in Kzoo Michigan tonight and he said that Wal-Mart will continue to sell ammo and is placing orders daily. They will place orders for individuals on request if you want something specific that is not in stock. No 223 / 5.56 anywhere in the area. Some off-brand 9mm and 45 acp. No 22LR and when it comes in, it is gone in minutes. Strange that there seems to be plenty of 40 S&W – it is in every store I go to. No Ruger 10/22 rifles anywhere. Wal-Mart is getting one 10/22 about every 7-8 days and they are gone as soon as they hit the display. Crazy times. I recall the run on 7.62×39 back in 94′ and 95′, but this is different. Much worse.
On February 12, 2013 at 9:42 am, Ray said:
What better way to increase the price of ammo. Cause a panic by creating a shortage than double your price, the public will pay the increase. Just look at fuel costs over the last few years.
On February 25, 2013 at 2:09 pm, Kevin J. Kelly said:
I am a retired veteran with over 29 years of service. 15 years of that service was performed in the acquisition branches. If frogs had wings… so I won’t go down that road. For whatever this is worth, alot of people are taking advantage of the current situation. In my opinion, that IS NOT patriotic and it IS NOT a thought process that this Awesome Country was built on. In my opinion this is not an every man for himself crisis. Lets look at history. The brits were conquered here in America by us. Together. With diplomacy and then by war. United on the battlefield. Then guerilla style. United. Those of you unamericans who elected Barry twice are responsible for this current situation and it’s not just ammo unavailability. Most of you Barrians are afraid. Of everything. You are dicks and dickettes. &%#* you all. Those of us who are patriots must unite like never before. Buying an assload of ammo will not (WILL NOT) fix this. We must address this mess at every level without fear and without failure. Unite and share. Please. I do. Thanks. God Bless America
On February 25, 2013 at 3:58 pm, Herschel Smith said:
Strange comment, Kevin. I concur fully that the root cause of the problem isn’t ammunition per se. No one I know claims that it is. The root cause is a political and ideological problem, and it is associated with statists and totalitarians. On this we probably agree.
As for buying an “assload of ammunition” fixing this issue, I didn’t claim that it would, nor do I today claim that it will. Why would it fix the root problem? That would make no sense.
What it does do is give me an “assload” of ammunition, and I would rather have an “assload” of ammunition than a little bit of ammunition. For people who took “Operations Management” in school, my warehouse “min-max” has changed as a result of the political machinations.
On February 25, 2013 at 5:46 pm, Kevin J. Kelly said:
Mr. Smith, this comment was not directed towards you or anyone else on this site unless they are Obomanites. It is not intended to harrass or enrage. Merely to state my opinions on the matter of ammunition unavailability, it’s cause and remedy. Sorry if you took it personally. As far as the comment being strange, I’m stating what I see, hear and know. Very respectfully, Kevin
On February 25, 2013 at 6:19 pm, Herschel Smith said:
Oh, I don’t take it personally. My ammunition warehouse min-max has changed forever. I now have 40 pounds of ammo at home, and I will eventually have 500 pounds. No one could make me change my mind on that.
As for “coming together” like we were when we defeated British tyranny, I think you’re dreaming. That country is gone forever. I wish I could say otherwise.
On February 25, 2013 at 6:50 pm, Kevin J. Kelly said:
Good for you. This country was built on hopes dreams the Constitution and Bill Of Rights. These documents are what America is based on. They do not need to be “changed”. That “country” as you refer to the United States of America is as great today as it ever was. Don’t think for one second that everyone has given up on her coming together as you have. Good luck on your one man army with an ass load of ammo.
On February 25, 2013 at 11:28 pm, Herschel Smith said:
First, I don’t have even a nano gram of belief in something like luck.
Next, it appears to me that you have called everyone a dick, or just those who voted for Obama, or people who have responded to Obama’s totalitarianism buy purchasing guns and ammunition, or everyone … did I say that already … or something like that. It was hard to follow.
But these dicks to whom you refer are going to buddy up with you and come together as a country, so no need to buy guns and ammunition or plan ahead for any need to use them.
Strange, like I said. You can hold whatever world view you wish. I have readers to do not hold to mine. That’s okay with me. What I find strange is someone who holds to one, but doesn’t really, and doesn’t follow the logical outcomes of his own view.
Whatever. As they say, if it floats you boat …
On February 27, 2013 at 2:06 pm, Kevin J. Kelly said:
Enough! Herschel Smith, your grammer and prose is terrible. Did you graduate High School? Listen sir, you have not a clue of what is being discussed here. Barrack Obama, people who financed him, people who buy into his change and socialism views and the people who voted him into office (twice) are anti-americans. They are socialists who do not want democracy. Without president Obama, we would not need to have this discussion. Without the current Obama anti-freedom agenda, there would be no ammunition unavailability. Socialism is a disease that is trying to take America down. Sounds to me like you may be part of it.
Either you are a socialist or an american. Which is it sir? Clue: Obama is the socialist. I am an american. Tell me your niether and you sir, stand in the way of progress. So choose and lets get it on.
On February 27, 2013 at 2:59 pm, Herschel Smith said:
I’m actually slightly amused. So I’m a socialist for buying ammunition? Or … something.
What … the … hell … are you talking about? You dislike Obama, and that’s fine. I do too, although if you had bothered to read my 2200+ posts you could have figured that out. I no longer trust our government, and I buy ammunition.
Now. Here’s the leap of logic that I don’t get. That makes me a socialist and Obama-supporter? Really? Buying ammunition makes you a socialist?
Help me here. I’m so amused that I actually want to understand what your issue is.
On February 27, 2013 at 3:34 pm, Josh said:
Reading Kevin’s comments is like listening to a belligerent drunk on a street corner.
What are you talking about? To whom are you speaking? What is the point you’re trying to make? You’re like a tennis ball in a room full of springs…
On February 26, 2014 at 5:13 pm, Diogenes said:
I live within easy driving distance of 8 Walmart stores and have NEVER found any 22LR in stock. That is in the last 6 or 7 months