Topic: Ammo Shortages

[benb61]

Thanks to Trap, I decided to hit a couple of local Wal-Marts and was able to find some .223.  It was the Russian Tul-Ammo brand (steel cases) but was only $5.67/box (20 rnds), so I bought my limit (3 boxes).  So, 60 rounds for $17.00, not too bad, I just hope it runs through my Mini-14 OK.

[Glock32]

Should work fine in a Mini-14.  Most people who have problems with it are using ARs. The steel case doesn't form as tight of a seal against the chamber wall as a brass case does, so some gas blow-by occurs and that leaves carbon deposits. The AR exaggerates this by being a direct impingement system.

Overall though I've had decent results with Russian ammo. It's not as bad as a lot of people make it out to be.

[trapeze]

Went to Walmart again today (wow, two days in a row and I'm scheduled to go there tomorrow...unprecedented) and bought three more boxes of 00 buckshot. Once again they still had ammo in the case although when I got there (about 9AM) they were down to a single box (40 rounds) of .223 Winchester. I decided to pass it up in favor of the 12 gauge shells. But they still had a lot of other stuff including about eight boxes of .40SW in both defensive and practice rounds. Pretty amazing. Still no .22 anything but one of the other things that I found interesting was the presence of some reloading materials. They had dies for various rounds although nothing in the popular stuff and they had quite a bit of shotgun reloading materials.

I will go back tomorrow and unless they have something I really want I will probably settle for another fifteen rounds of buckshot.

If I was going there by myself I would be getting up extra early to see if I could snag some .22LR but tomorrow I will be taking my daughter to a doctor's appointment at noon so it just won't work out. I have to leave the house at 5:30AM to get there in time for the ammo delivery. But, as I have promised, if I can lay my hands on some Walmart .22LR bricks I will sell at least one to someone on the forum who is in need.

Things are looking up, though. Just the fact that two days in a row Walmart actually had several different and popular rounds still on the shelf by midday is very encouraging for the direction of ammo supplies. Who knows? We may be looking at this situation as being largely over in another month or two.

[Predator Don]

I've began participating in the auctions on Gunbroker. I receive a lot of e mails which read " you have been outbid"....lol

[warpmine]

I've began participating in the auctions on Gunbroker. I receive a lot of e mails which read " you have been outbid"....lol

Don't let it bother you, I've had some good luck and some bad luck. If there's may on the bids then you can pass on it. Go deeper into the auctions looking for sometimes 18 hrs and look for buy now but just bid on it.
Saturday, I'm getting my other Dillon machine and it's set up for .40 S&W I'm going to get enough material for a few thousand rounds to start plinking and target practice. Maybe I'll get another .40 pistol.

[Glock32]

I've began participating in the auctions on Gunbroker. I receive a lot of e mails which read " you have been outbid"....lol

Don't let it bother you, I've had some good luck and some bad luck. If there's may on the bids then you can pass on it. Go deeper into the auctions looking for sometimes 18 hrs and look for buy now but just bid on it.
Saturday, I'm getting my other Dillon machine and it's set up for .40 S&W I'm going to get enough material for a few thousand rounds to start plinking and target practice. Maybe I'll get another .40 pistol.

I'm such a dork I am actually thinking about getting a rifle chambered in .22 Hornet simply because I have a bunch of primers for it. I mistakenly bought Remington 6 1/2 small rifle primers but it turns out they're only suitable for the Hornet. For now I'm stuck with them.

[trapeze]

Should work fine in a Mini-14.  Most people who have problems with it are using ARs. The steel case doesn't form as tight of a seal against the chamber wall as a brass case does, so some gas blow-by occurs and that leaves carbon deposits. The AR exaggerates this by being a direct impingement system.

Overall though I've had decent results with Russian ammo. It's not as bad as a lot of people make it out to be.

I inherited close to a thousand rounds of Chinese steel case .223 (literally inherited it from my late brother-in-law) and I was very disappointed that it would not work in my AR. In my situation the case was too tight to the chamber and would not eject. Very irritating. I tried it three times with rounds from different boxes. It didn't matter. Same thing each time. I don't remember using the stuff in my Mini-14 but I'm going to give it a try this summer.

I mentioned this earlier, elsewhere: I bought three boxes of Russian steel case .380ACP recently and they would not feed into the chamber correctly in my S&W Bodyguard. They would stick with about 1/16" left to go in. Very disappointing.

These things need to be figured out in advance, though. You don't want to discover a loading, firing or ejection problem when you need your gun for the real thing.

[charlesoakwood]

"...I am actually thinking about getting a rifle chambered in .22 Hornet simply because I have a bunch of primers for it. I mistakenly bought Remington 6 1/2 small rifle primers but it turns out they're only suitable for the Hornet. For now I'm stuck with them."

A new rifle, that's the only rational solution.   

[Predator Don]

Been looking at AR's and I come to find one of my customers build them.....So, now I'm looking at components and figured I'd ask opinions here.

Looking at Troy Rails and like the Magpul CTR stock. Other than this i'm just beginning to look. Don't want anything real exotic, just the ability of a lite and probably a red dot.

[warpmine]

You should do well with that. Opt for a longer barrel than the standard to day of 16 inches. Mine is a mix of Colt lower from decades ago and whatever. I cannot even remember the barrel or the upper manufacturer. That's what's great about the .223 AR platform, almost everything works.

A stripped lower is cheap enough. Build it yourself with him looking over your shoulder for teaching advice, should be fun and when your done, you'll know your own rifle better than most know their pecker.

[Predator Don]

You should do well with that. Opt for a longer barrel than the standard to day of 16 inches. Mine is a mix of Colt lower from decades ago and whatever. I cannot even remember the barrel or the upper manufacturer. That's what's great about the .223 AR platform, almost everything works.

A stripped lower is cheap enough. Build it yourself with him looking over your shoulder for teaching advice, should be fun and when your done, you'll know your own rifle better than most know their pecker.

See, we never have the right emotion. I'm meeting with him next week. That could be a good project if they do not object.

[trapeze]

Dropped into my local gun store today. They were down to their last few boxes of 5.56

I bought one, of course. I have sworn to never leave a place where they sell ammunition without buying at least one box.

But that's not what I'm posting about tonight.

For the first time in three months they had not one but two AR15s in stock. They had a S&W and a Bushmaster. Not bargain priced but not unreasonable, either. I think the S&W was just over $1100 and the Bushmaster was $1300 but it was decked out with lots of Magpul accessories.

But, hey...it's a good sign. It's kind of like seeing the first robin of spring.

[ChrstnHsbndFthr]

A couple of the places I check out have now started getting small amounts of .22 long rifle ammo. I agree. The first signs of spring are a welcome sight.

[warpmine]

I picked up a thousand rds of .40 S&W yesterday for $110.

[trapeze]

I picked up a thousand rds of .40 S&W yesterday for $110.

That must have been some sale.

[John Florida]

I picked up a thousand rds of .40 S&W yesterday for $110.

That must have been some sale.

 I'll say!!
Scored 6 one hundred round boxes of .40 today at Walmart and paid a hair under 36 dollars a box. One is gone because I promised a friend that if I got any I would turn one box over to him.I'm up to 1750 rounds in the safe.

[John Florida]

I picked up a thousand rds of .40 S&W yesterday for $110.

 OK I'll bite,where?

[warpmine]

I picked up a thousand rds of .40 S&W yesterday for $110.

 OK I'll bite,where?

Wouldn't you like to know 

[John Florida]

I picked up a thousand rds of .40 S&W yesterday for $110.

 OK I'll bite,where?

Wouldn't you like to know 

 

[warpmine]

I picked up a thousand rds of .40 S&W yesterday for $110.

 OK I'll bite,where?

Wouldn't you like to know 

 

You remember that Dillon 1050 I said I was picking up. The guys were using it to make new cartridge ammo to sell to law enforcement. I couldn't just take the machine for such a cheap price 'cause it didn't see right so I gave the man an extra  Ben Franklin and suggested I take a box. How could I refuse?

I kow he has more and check to see how many boxes he's willing to part with. Stay tuned if you can.