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Are ammo prices returning to reality?

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April 23, 2021, 01:48 PM
Tooky13
Are ammo prices returning to reality?
My gun club is now selling 9mm (S&B) for $24/box of 50 (members get a 10% discount, so it's $21.50 to me). Still expensive, but a month ago they were selling 1,000 rounds for $960! I'm well stocked with 9mm, but did buy some 5.56 @ $13.50 for a box of 20. Still pricey, but not too terrible.

Hopefully, that trend continues and we return to normal.


We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.
Abraham Lincoln
April 23, 2021, 01:58 PM
shikemd
I suspect demand is down compared to what it had been. Not to worry though, summer riot season is fast approaching to drive demand back up...
April 23, 2021, 05:10 PM
sigfreund
One of my favorite quotations:
“Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.” — Philip K. Dick

But whether we call it reality or something else, ammunition prices are declining, at least some of them are. As always the devil is in the details and details still vary significantly, but we can hope that the trend will expand and continue. My question is how much will they have to decline for all of the “I’m not paying that price” crowd to decide that they’re close enough to what they used to be for them to start buying again and thereby reverse or at least slow the decline.




6.4/93.6

“Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.”
— Plato
April 23, 2021, 06:42 PM
remsig
Not that I see yet Tooky. I stopped in a local store tonight before dinner for the 1st time in a few months. They had far more ammo than I expected to see but I didn't buy anything. The only thing I considered was 9mm Hornady Critical Defense, but I passed as it was $35 for 25 rounds.

9mm fmj was still $35 per 50. That's a hard pass on that one Eek I told my son I'd quit shooting before paying $35 for 9mm fmj.
April 23, 2021, 07:50 PM
Batty67
I went to the Nation's Gun Show in Chantilly VA today (4/23), the first one in 6 months. I went with my brother as we have done a dozen times over the years. It had 500 tables and tickets were sold in 2-hour lots. I had low expectations but was modestly pleased. LOTS of ammo. Not exactly pallets, but PLENTY of 9mm and 223/5.56, and plenty of less common ammo. Good news was far less percentage of tangential or irrelevant vendors (folks selling pickles, beef jerky, reading glasses) that might take up to one-third of the pre-COVID shows. Plenty of firearms, ammo, and accessory tables.

As for ammo. About 25% were charging max-panic prices, like a dollar per bullet for 9mm and 5.56. Yeah, get the memo. Lots of lookers and no buyers. About half were selling more like 75 cents per round of 9mm and 80 to 85 cents for 223/5.56 (like ammoseek prices). Two vendors had decent, non-insulting, better than ammoseek prices...and with no tax or shipping. That's more like it.

I picked up some PMC 223 for $14/20 rounds, the next cheapest I saw was $17/20. My brother snagged 4 boxes of Federal 9mm for $30 each. That, to me, is relatively reasonable price. Next cheapest I saw was $35 per box, and most was $40 to 50.
April 23, 2021, 10:11 PM
old rugged cross
i think so and the trend will continue I am guessing.



"Practice like you want to play in the game"
April 24, 2021, 10:07 AM
Expert308
I can't say that I've noticed any drop in prices yet, but some brass and bullets that I've had on backorder for months are starting to arrive. Still no primers and damn little powder to be found, but I'm pretty well stocked on those.
April 24, 2021, 01:12 PM
gpbst3
Im critically low on HD ammo (50 rounds). I have my eye on Federal HST 147g but I refuse to pay $1200 for a case. I was thinking about buying a few single boxes but even those are hard to swallow at $1.25 a round.

Ill just not shoot and wait for prices to come down.


April 24, 2021, 02:01 PM
kkina
I was at a gun store yesterday. 9mm was, as he put it, "a buck a pop".



ACCU-STRUT FOR MINI-14
"First, Eyes."
April 25, 2021, 10:42 AM
scsigs
In my area, ammo started appearing on the shelves. Price is still high but I think is the supply catches up with demand, price will start to slide down.
April 25, 2021, 09:53 PM
captain127
I had a friend visiting me from out of town this past week. He is from the north east and has been managing non panic price ammo from several of his local stores since the panic started.
He has very few gun shops where he is from, so I took him on a little tour of our local shops ( northern Arizona has a ton of gun shops ! )
He was shocked at the severe lack of ammo and high ( cheapest was $30/50 for 9mm out of the dozen or so places we stopped) prices.
With living in a very high demand area prices and supply can be expected to be worse than where he is in an anti gun northeast locale.
I will say it is better when my local mass merchandisers can keep ammo on the shelf more than an hour.
My friend is retired and knows people that work at his local cabelas who will call him when ammo hits the shelf and he can drive over and get it.
With my work schedule I am left with visiting stores when I have time, which rarely coincides with stock on hand
April 27, 2021, 05:36 PM
shovelhead
Rural King had Norma .22’s at $9.98 for 50 and some .223 for over $2.00 per round.

So I’m saying nope.


-------------------------------------——————
————————--Ignorance is a powerful tool if applied at the right time, even, usually, surpassing knowledge(E.J.Potter, A.K.A. The Michigan Madman)
April 28, 2021, 09:08 AM
FishOn
Natchez has Blazer brass 9mm in bulk for 55 cents a round for over a week now, so that is an improvement.
April 28, 2021, 09:23 AM
smschulz
quote:
Are ammo prices returning to reality?


Have you seen the "Group Buy"? Eek
April 28, 2021, 11:07 PM
FishOn
quote:
Originally posted by smschulz:
quote:
Are ammo prices returning to reality?


Have you seen the "Group Buy"? Eek



I am not involved with the group buy, but you should note that is "match grade" ammo, which should be better quality than cheap range/practice ammo. Not fair to compare prices without acknowledging that.
April 29, 2021, 07:39 AM
fritz
quote:
Originally posted by FishOn:
quote:
Originally posted by smschulz:
quote:
Are ammo prices returning to reality?

Have you seen the "Group Buy"? Eek

I am not involved with the group buy, but you should note that is "match grade" ammo, which should be better quality than cheap range/practice ammo. Not fair to compare prices without acknowledging that.

Based on the descriptions in the group buy thread, it appears that the ammo will be manufactured with quality components. I suspect the ammo will be well made. But in my experience, it's a real stretch to classify loads with FMJ bullets as "match grade".
April 30, 2021, 08:10 AM
sgalczyn
Overall availability is improving but prices are still obscene.


"No matter where you go - there you are"
May 15, 2021, 05:40 AM
RichardC
But there does seem to be more availability and prices have leveled off at "obscene".

I find this to be encouraging.

Perhaps as the mask edicts are being rescinded and .gov "free" stimulus money dries up and out of work people are forced back into productivity, some of the hoarded ammo will re enter the marketplace.


____________________
May 17, 2021, 12:56 PM
Dzozer
Our local Scheel's has a pretty good supply (except no 9mm or 380), however, while prices are down some, they are still more than double what they were before. Scheel's also still has a 2 box per caliber limit in place.
Is this just the eye of the storm?



'Live long and prosper'
May 17, 2021, 06:03 PM
sgalczyn
Think so....my LGS told me manufacturers announce a price increase for June.


"No matter where you go - there you are"