Hand-Load website

Version 2.0 is in development and will include cost calculations for shot-shells as well as metallic cartridges.

You’ve probably been wondering what’s going on with ammo and reloading components availability.  There are a few factors that are having a impact on ammo and reloading components availability.

The first and most obvious one is the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The wars have put a pretty good dent in the military’s stockpile of ammunition, and they are working hard to keep it replenished.

Next, and the most important factor is you and me.  Back in the good old days, (like this time last year), the average shooter usually stopped on the way to the range and purchased the ammo that he/she was planning on shooting that day.  This usually amounted to a couple of boxes of ammo per month.  When it became apparent that the Dems were going to take the White House, that all changed.  Instead of buying what ammo we needed when we needed it, we all (well, most of us) started buying it by the case.  Because of this sudden shift in the balance of supply and demand,just about all calibers have become extremely scarce, and when you do find it, very expensive (with a few exceptions).  Right now, I have a buy on sight policy where if the price is below a certain threshold, I buy it, even if I don’t need it.  My wife has 9mm as a permanent item on her grocery list.  In fact (and I know I’m not alone here), I’ve been buying ammo in calibers that I don’t even have a gun for.

My local indoor range went from offering cases of range ammo (blazer brass) to members at a discount price, to only selling boxes of ammo for range use.  All for the fear that the distributor would not be able to fulfill their next ammo order.

Most of the ammo manufacturers are running 24 hour shifts, and are producing more ammo than ever, but the demand is still outstripping supply.  Lead times on manufacturer orders are running anywhere from 3 months to 1.5 years depending on the caliber.

.380 ACP is especially hard to find right now.  In this case it’s because the manufacturers only do a short run of .380 each year to meet the projected demands of the following year.  With the sudden renewal of interest in .380, caused primarily by the Ruger LCP and KelTec P3AT, .380 simply cannot be found.  It’s doesn’t matter if your looking for range or carry ammo, it’s just not available.  It’s so bad, that I have yet to be able to find a box of carry ammo for my LCP that I bought back in March.  I hate to say it, but I’ve been carrying ball ammo in my LCP (it’s my backup anyway), I figure it’s better than leaving it in the safe at home.  So why doesn’t the ammo manufacturers just make more?  They can’t.  They use the same machines to reload .380 as they do 9mm.  The 9mm machines are already running 24hrs a day, and cannot keep up with demand.  It would be foolish of them to take one off line just to produce .380 cartridges.

As far as reloading components go, especially primers, most of the manufacturers are using them all to load new cartridges.  Then what’s left is being bought up before the distributor can blink.

Some people are upset with the ammo manufacturers that they have not expanded production to meet demands.  But you can hardly blame them.  The current ammo buying trend is simply not sustainable by consumers in the long run.  At some point everyone will say, ok, I’ve got enough now, or I can’t afford any more, and ammo sales will hit rock bottom.  Then the manufacturers will be stuck with the extra equipment that they have no need for.   They are playing it safe, which is smart in the current political climate.

Basically, the only way this will end is if you all stop buying all the damn ammo.  I say “you” because I’ve learned my lesson.  When ammo prices drop back down, I’m going to keep on buying by the case.  Yeah I know I’m not helping…

-Thomas