Ammo avaliability

[TheGunslinger121]

Do you know places online that have 9mm then because everywhere I've looked I can't find it.

[Yournamehere]

Actually no, it's pretty much nationwide, every moron is buying ammo because they think it will vanish, and since they are buying it all, it seems like is is vanishing, so they're buying more. It's a vicious cycle brought on by thr full -o- shit ammo accountability act and democratic congress and President that, coupled with the general thoughtless fear of people, has caused the high demand for ammo. There is no "shortage" just high demand.

[MoviePropMaster2008]

Originally Posted by Yournamehere

Actually no, it's pretty much nationwide, every moron is buying ammo because they think it will vanish, and since they are buying it all, it seems like is is vanishing, so they're buying more. It's a vicious cycle brought on by thr full -o- shit ammo accountability act and democratic congress and President that, coupled with the general thoughtless fear of people, has caused the high demand for ammo. There is no "shortage" just high demand.

Part of the panic IS being stoked by the Dems in power. Attorney General Holder stating that he wishes to re-instate the AW ban (despite not having the votes) sure doesn't help things. Obama did yet ANOTHER 180 and now says he WANTS the AW ban, but will 'wait to work on other pressing issues first" (not a very reassuring sentiment, but at least he's not pushing it to the forefront of issues).

Recent highly publicized SHOOTINGS have had the media in a tizzy. I can't COUNT how many Op/Ed columns call for more gun bans or Ammo bans, etc. But apparently the general public and lawmakers aren't listening to them, which is a good thing.

HOWEVER, this all adds up to a 'tipping point' of concern that if you don't get it now, you'll pay much more $$ for it later, which is just like the stock market. California is pushing a series of AMMO registration, etc, bills that would in essence either stop ammo sales or severely curtail them period. Buying a BUNCH now is NOT ill advised if you have libtard politicians chomping at the bit to ban or register or microstamp or (fill in the blank) with your ammo. You already can't mail order ammo to Los Angeles (so everyone goes to the surrounding towns).

[Gunmaster45]

You know who I hate? Chris Rock. He said that people should raise the price of bullets so people can't afford to shoot guns in a comedy skit, and look what happens. I've heard up to a 1000% tax on ammo rumored, but I don't see how anyone can get away with this.

Its funny how every time some dumbass politician tries to ban guns and ammo, people clean the shelves of both to the point where the armed citizen has DOUBLE the amount of guns and ammo. So like most democratic methods, all it does is throw their objective even farther back because none of their "solutions" ever work.

The day politicians crack down on crime by catching criminals instead of blaming responsible citizens will be the day...

[Excalibur]

I went to a sporting goods store near me that had a whole section of firearms and ammo. A couple months ago all their AR-15s are gone, they had a sweet AR-10 , which is also gone and almost 3/4 of their handsguns are also gone. A couple days ago, I went back to check again, and the store was closing down. I went straight to the gun section. All the ammo were gone and only a handful of bolt action rifles, some shotguns, and a couple revolvers are left.

[MT2008]

Originally Posted by Gunmaster45

You know who I hate? Chris Rock. He said that people should raise the price of bullets so people can't afford to shoot guns in a comedy skit, and look what happens. I've heard up to a 1000% tax on ammo rumored, but I don't see how anyone can get away with this.

Dude, do you seriously think Chris Rock has anything to do with this? Come on now.

Originally Posted by Gunmaster45

Its funny how every time some dumbass politician tries to ban guns and ammo, people clean the shelves of both to the point where the armed citizen has DOUBLE the amount of guns and ammo. So like most democratic methods, all it does is throw their objective even farther back because none of their "solutions" ever work.

Right, but don't you think it's fair to say that the people deserve any blame for over-reacting?

[Clutch]

Originally Posted by MT2008

Right, but don't you think it's fair to say that the people deserve any blame for over-reacting?

The following is a segment of dialouge from 1997's Men In Black.

Kay: All right, kid, here's the deal. At any given time there are approximately 1500 aliens on the planet, most of them right here in Manhattan. And most of them are decent enough, they're just trying to make a living.
Jay: Cab drivers?
Kay: Not as many as you'd think.
Jay: Why the big secret? People are smart. They can handle it.
Kay: A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it. Fifteen hundred years ago everybody knew the Earth was the center of the universe. Five hundred years ago, everybody knew the Earth was flat, and fifteen minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on this planet. Imagine what you'll know tomorrow.

[MoviePropMaster2008]

Dell Computers was one of the founders of the modern version of JIT (Just in Time) supply chain, i.e. you don't make anything until it's needed or else you calculate how much is needed and replacement items arrive at the sellers "Just In Time". Of course this is great if you don't want to have inventory sitting around. Modern Commercial goliaths like Home Depot, Anheuser Busch, and others have this 'create or order' product to hit the shelves JUST before it's needed' to a science.....

(unfortunately the guns industry doesn't work as well).....

This column is an interesting read.....

Supply Chain Management 101: on the ammunition shortage.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Filed in: Ammunition, General gun stuff, Shooting industry

Gunstores continue to be a never-ending source of hilarity. Walk into your local shooting emporium and ask why there is an ammo shortage, and you'll hear inane speculation coupled with a conspiracy theory or two.

The reality is that the supply chain for ammunition is relatively inelastic, and and is easily overwhelmed by a sudden jump in sales.

As one industry consultant has told me, ammunition demand over the years has been remarkably predictable. Ammunition wholesalers know (within a certain margin of error) how many units of each caliber they'll sell in the coming year, and approve purchase orders for the delivery of that amount of product during that year.

Ammo makers, too, know with fair certainty how much they're going to sell to the wholesalers during that period, and sign contracts for the purchase of sufficient components to produce those products. They don't typically keep large stores of components on hand, as standing inventory is expensive, so components are delivered on a "just in time" basis.

The suppliers of those components do the same thing with raw materials; again, ammunition is a stable business, which allows them to forecast with pretty good accuracy the stuff they need to make the components they sell. This pattern repeats itself on up the chain, all the way to the people who mine the stuff necessary to make a single cartridge.

Along comes a huge, sudden spike in demand.

Retailers all over the country are suddenly swamped with ammunition purchases, and quickly call their suppliers to get more. The first few calls are rewarded with replacement stock, but soon the wholesaler's shelves are bare too - their entire year allotment of ammunition is gone in just a few days.

The wholesaler calls the maker, and the same thing happens: all of the suppliers are doubling (or more) orders to get their dealers restocked, and the manufacturer is quickly stripped of on-hand components as he tries to fill those orders.

The dealers are out, the wholesalers are out, and now the manufacturers are out. But it gets worse.

The makers of the priming compound, primer cups, brass, powder, jacket material, and lead are suddenly swamped with desperate pleas for more product, and they in turn contact the suppliers of the raw materials for more. The entire chain of supply is empty, and everyone has to wait while all of the raw materials are gathered.

(I shouldn't have to tell you that those folks have other contracts to fill before they can get to the rush orders - they're not just waiting around for next year's order from the ammo companies!)

That all sounds simple, but it just isn't.

As an example, smokeless powder may contain a huge variety of raw materials: Nitrocellulose, Nitroglycerin, Nitroguanidine, Dibutyl phthalate, Polyester adipate, Ethyl acetate, Diphenylamine, 2-Nitrodiphenylamine, 4-nitrodiphenylamine, N-nitrosodiphenylamine, N-methyl-p-nitroaniline, tin dioxide, bismuth trioxide, bismuth subcarbonate, bismuth nitrate, bismuth antimonide, Potassium nitrate, Potassium sulfate, Talc, Titanium dioxide, Graphite, and Calcium carbonate. Each of these has to be sourced from a supplier, ordered, received, then finally compounded into smokeless powder. Think that all happens overnight??

Once the raw materials are finally in hand, the work can start. Lead has to be formed into projectiles, copper into jackets, brass into casings; priming compound is made from lead azide and/or potassium perchlorate, then the mixture combined with metal cups to make primers (they have to be made, too); the aforementioned powder has to be made (a huge job in itself.)

Once those components are ready, they can be sent to the manufacturer, who puts together into a finished round, then packages them appropriately. (Oops - we forgot that boxes and trays that have to be made and printed. That takes time and materials!) They're then shipped to the wholesaler, who (finally!) can ship to the retailer.

This whole process takes time - lots of it. If demand is high enough (which it has been), even the emergency orders placed all the way to the producers of the raw products may not be sufficient, and shortages will continue.

That's what we're seeing right now.

The supply chain is simply empty, all the way up to the people who mine the raw materials.

It's going to take time to replace all the links in that chain, and it's not because of the war in Iraq/Afghanistan, FEMA, the CIA, a secret agreement to implement gun control through ammo availability, or any other silly theory you may have heard.

This is a textbook example of what happens when an inelastic supply chain, composed with scarce "just in time" inventories, meets insatiable demand. It's not sexy or intriguing, but that's the way it is.

You know what's scarier?

Your food comes to you the same way.

[Gunmaster45]

[quote=MT2008;2264]Dude, do you seriously think Chris Rock has anything to do with this? Come on now.QUOTE]


No, I'm kiding. I still don't like that his idea could come true though, it's a stupid one.

[MT2008]

Originally Posted by MoviePropMaster2008

Recent highly publicized SHOOTINGS have had the media in a tizzy. I can't COUNT how many Op/Ed columns call for more gun bans or Ammo bans, etc. But apparently the general public and lawmakers aren't listening to them, which is a good thing.

There's been plenty of the opposite, though. Even CNN hosted a column from Wayne LaPierre about why gun control was not the right response to the Mexican cartel wars.

Compared to what I remember from 10 years ago (and I am old enough to remember), the latest round of shootings really haven't provoked quite as many calls for gun control as I would have thought. It's really become a losing issue for politicians and the media. And that is what makes a new AWB, or anything similar, quite unlikely.