I am not in the ammo business. I own a lot of ammo because it lasts a long time and generally goes up in price, even in normal times. So I stock up when I see deals.

Enter current environment as we are all aware, and out come friends and family asking if I will sell them ammo at "normal" or "good" prices. I don't care how you feel on the argument of "free market" versus "gouging". But clearly the market determines the current price of things.

So one of my brothers asks me if I'll sell his friend ammo at a good price because he knows that I paid normal prices. I tell my brother "why don't you buy it from me at the going price, and then you can sell it to your friend at a cheaper price?" He replies "are you serious?" "Yes, I'm serious. If I want to sell some of my ammo I can sell it at the going rate. Why should I sell it to your friend (not my friend) for what it cost last year?"

Before anybody totally thinks I'm an ass, I have told everyone I know that I will be happy to sell them a box of ammo at a 'good price' if they have none and need it for self defense. If it's family or a close friend, I will give them ammo. But I am not going to personally subsidize someone who is waiting until now to buy quantity.

Me too. Same issue. A particular friend crying and whining that he can't get ammo at last years prices.

I told him I'd sell him some at today's prices. After all, for me to go out today and replace it it will cost me todays prices. Assuming I'd even find any for sale. He got pissed. Too bad.

My friend is cheap and just doesn't prepare for anything. Guy is making plenty of money.

The 6 P's. Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance. Or: Piss Poor Planning Produces Poor Results (yeah I know, that's only 5 P's. Whatever.)
.

Just tell them they missed the Blue Light Special held on alternate Thursdays.

Ha, my adult son wanted to know when we could go to the range. When ever you want, as long as you bring your own ammo. He hasn't responded

My version of the six P's. Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. Quoted often to my youngins

It's amazing how few requests to go shooting I get from my adult children once I informed them they had to bring their own ammo

Yep. I currently make a point to not talk about the ammo I've stocked up on.

I've put in the leg work since about 2005 trying to build up a little extra. Buy 3 or 4 boxes, shoot 2 and store the rest kind of deal.

As the OP said, I'm not against helping out someone in need, but this shit cost me time and money over the years.

I gave my dad a couple boxes of .45 target and hollow point ammo last week. I didn't need it as I currently don't have a .45 and he had just bought a new G-21. Plus it didn't cost me anything as I got it free from a guy who died years ago. But I'm not going to subsidize all the new shooters out there.

Yeah same here, for a few non-gun owning folks have also had offers to purchase a firearm. The latter bothers me because I don’t talk about what I own or show it, means someone from a small group told them to check with me.

I have given away some small number of .380 and 9mm so my friend since 11 yrs old and his wife could practice and would have a box of self-defense ammo.

At this point, I’m willing to share and help a very few with .22lr as have a lifetime plus...but honestly I’m only shooting .22 these days and waiting to see how this works for other calibers. For example I have thousands of 5.7x28 bought “cheap” - but now is going for over $2 a round...I’m going to sit on that and other calibers and see if we don’t come down in the next year to more reasonable price levels.

You were more than fair in your offer.

I catch the same shit. I did give my neighbor a box of Gold Dot 9mm and 25 rounds of 12ga buck for her new 938 and shotgun, but she's hot. All others can pay retail-but not from me. I listened to Para (thanks, boss) and bought cheap.

On this same note, it seems friends who know I reload think reloading yields free ammo.

I know.
Same thing happened to me.
A friend called crying "no ammo".
He knew I had some and wanted me to sell.
I said "no".
He then knew I also reloaded and wanted me to load him a bunch.
Not even discussing the bad idea to reload and be responsible for someone else I again said "no".
HIM: Not knowing ANYTHING on what goes into reloading including the time process etc I just laughed.
Still friends and sorry he paid 77 cents a round for some no name 556.
BUT that is the way it goes. {sigh}

On the other hand, while I had/have a fair amount of parts to build up some rifles > finding the simplest parts are a chore!
Lucky to have some lowers, bolts, LPK's, a barrel, and some other stuff.
EVERYTHING is out of stock or PRICED THROUGH THE ROOF.
I only build high quality precision rifles and buy the best parts.
BUT now the cheapest crap is higher that what I paid for the best stuff going.
Going to have to be patient look hard and not get desperate.

When people complain about your prices , remind them what it would cost YOU to replace it . I didn't stock up on ammo just to turn around and sell it for what I paid . What's the logic in that ? A box or two for special folks but other than that , you're on your own .

quote:

Originally posted by selogic:
When people complain about your prices , remind them what it would cost YOU to replace it. I didn't stock up on ammo just to turn around and sell it for what I paid . What's the logic in that ? A box or two for special folks but other than that , you're on your own .

If you're sitting on a few thousand rounds, people will accuse you of being greedy & hoarding. Those who bought cheap & stacked deep did so so they could continue to practice w/o paying through the nose to replenish ammo.

5K rounds sounds like a wartime cache to most people until you do the math. If you shoot a modest average of 200rds per month of a given caliber, then 5K rounds will barely get you through two years.

In most cases, you'd need to raise the price above current prices just to make it worth your time to replace said ammo...you may be in an area that is in negative inventory.

The only people that I would give/sell ammo to is my family and I know that if they at the point of asking, it would be because of a pretty bad situation they were in.

quote:

Originally posted by selogic:
When people complain about your prices , remind them what it would cost YOU to replace it . I didn't stock up on ammo just to turn around and sell it for what I paid . What's the logic in that ? A box or two for special folks but other than that , you're on your own .

I'm sitting here laughing in 2007 prices.

Some people have no shame.

It's like the old grasshopper and ant parable.

When my son comes over and asks for ammo, I say, "Take all you want!"

He is more important than a bunch of brass and lead.

But, that's me...

Tim

A lot of people are running out of ammo at this time.

I go to an indoor range at least once a week and it has a 13 lane 25 yard rifle/handgun range and a 10 lane 17 yard handgun range.

They have closed the handgun range for the last 4 weeks and just run everyone through the rifle/handgun range as business is way down.

People have run out of ammo or are about to. Only those who prepared and bought it cheap and stacked it deep are still shooting.

A year ago I was GT Dist and the 5.56 was $300/1,000. I thought if I waited a couple of weeks the price would decrease to $275. FML.

No need to sell to those the grasshoppers. Proverbs... 6.6??

The current price is the price. Your cost doesn't have anything to do with that.

Also, I view such requests as a request to subsidize their lack of ammo at my expense, which I wouldn't do, either.

Being a former LE Firearms Instructor, people from time to time ask me to give them some training. I tell them to bring at least 250 rounds for whatever gun they have chosen.
That ends the training request.