.22 LR worth more than gold?

[DonDigger]

At a federal level with no significant firearms legislation in the mill, or any having been passed in the past 6 years the chances of a grid locked congress passing anything in an election year is nil. Or for that matter before the 2016 elections. Even the most adamant 2nd Amendment advocate has to know that there is no chance that domestic ammo of any caliber will be banned any time soon. In my opinion that only leaves the manufactures and resellers as the problem. Also .22 rim fire is not manufactured on the same production equipment as center fire ammo therefore the idea that increased center fire production has slowed or stopped .22 production does not hold water. So how do you make more money on something that cost maybe half a cent to manufacture? Create a bad enough shortage to spike the price and create the aftermarket gouging that is occurring and when the supply is again restored the price of the lowly .22 will be five to ten times what it was even two years ago. You will never see the local sporting goods store having a brick of .22 on sale for 12.99 again. I now burn more .45 and 9mm and .38/.357 than I do .22 since I reload for those. I still have several bricks of domestic .22, but I am reserving that for the local squirrel population.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

How to Research for Treasure Hunting and Metal Detecting From Lead Generation to Vetting - Grab it through Amazon!

[Stone]

May just look into getting a .17 HMR for target shooting.

 

[Molon Labe]

Did someone really mean $400 a brick??!!!!! I can still get some .22's for like $30 a brick and CCI 100 round boxes for like $12

 

[XDSA40]

I'm curious why people are paying so much for .22 ammo. Is it on national back order? I've seen some pay absurd amounts for a box when they use to be able to get them for around $12.00 to $15.00 bucks. I was going through some old stuff of mine and found a box of 500 rounds but no longer have a .22 to use them in. I feel like I'm sitting on a gold mine. Thoughts?

Department of Homeland Security is the culprit that started the shortage of .22 ammo. According to several different news sources, DHS purchased 1.6 billion rounds of ammunition in various calibers and configurations in fy 2012... in particular 9mm, 5.56mm, and 7.62mm. During the last 6 months of 2013, DHS purchased 450 million rounds of .22 ammunition alone.

During this period, it was nearly impossible for the average sportsman to purchase any of the above ammunition. At this same time, the EPA closed down the last major lead smelter facility in the United States (Herculaneum, Mo) and, of course, the current administration sought a total ban on all so-called 'assault rifles'. Fear among gun owners began to ran rampant. Every imaginable rumor was told and retold at every gun shop in the country, or at least every gun shop that I went to. Some of the rumors included an executive order banning the sale of all rifle and pistol ammunition, others included: a complete ban on all lead-containing ammunition, a limit on the number of guns an individual could own, gun confiscation, gun registration, etc. As the shortage of ammunition continued, fear and rumors grew.

The ammunition affected by the DHS purchases have begun to reappear infrequently and in limited quantities on the shelves in gun shops and sporting goods stores...but, now a new situation has arisen; along comes the reseller and the hoarder. The reseller is motivated by huge profits and the hoarder is still motivated by fear, and both are causing the price of (primarily) .22LR ammunition to soar to outrageous prices; the reason being is that the .22 caliber rifle is the most common gun found throughout the United States. The other calibers are not affected nearly as much and general availability is hit and miss. As a previous poster stated, the reseller is typically someone with enough time on his hands to be waiting at the gun counter each morning checking on new shipments arriving. In my small community, I personally know of at least 6 individuals who hit up wallyworld and our one sporting goods store every morning at opening time. This does not include the sales clerks working at these stores, some of which are also resellers and of course have the best opportunity to purchase the ammunition first .

.22LR ammo sells for 10 cents per round on the black market here (it is illegal to sell ammunition here without a license, or so I am told). I hope it ends soon, but as long as there is a willing buyer, there will be a willing seller at these crazy prices.

 

[Stone]

Well I sold them to a buddy of mine for $10. He was having problems finding .22 LR around here and I don't feel comfortable ripping people off.

 

[xrunndonex]

Did someone really mean $400 a brick??!!!!! I can still get some .22's for like $30 a brick and CCI 100 round boxes for like $12

A couple months ago. It was really bad here local stores could only get like 5 or so a week and they'd be gone minutes after hitting the shelf

 

[TheCoinKid]

Things seem to be getting better here in North Texas. Was able to get 2 boxes (50 rounds each) of Remington high velocity round nose for $2.29 a box Thursday at the local Academy Sports. Returned Friday and was able to snag 2 more boxes.

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

I can't understand why anyone has to buy all these extra shells I was taught to shoot 1 bullet =1 kill. The guys that have these guns where they are spraying out bullets have never learned to aim. Like the gang bangers hitting everyone except who they were shooting at. Spend some of that time you are burning through 400 rounds on a weekend to actually try and hit a very small target with one shot and you will fill your pockets with all the $$$$$ you save and there wouldn't be a ammo shortage.

 

[DirtDiggerDaveinMD]

We buy all of these shells because we like to shoot more than once a year at deer season. Magazine capacity has no bearing on aimed fire, and spray and pray is Hollywood BS. That is the same things the fudds and the anti's like to claim about people with standard capacity magazines.

 

[NHBandit]

I can't understand why anyone has to buy all these extra shells I was taught to shoot 1 bullet =1 kill. The guys that have these guns where they are spraying out bullets have never learned to aim. Like the gang bangers hitting everyone except who they were shooting at. Spend some of that time you are burning through 400 rounds on a weekend to actually try and hit a very small target with one shot and you will fill your pockets with all the $$$$$ you save and there wouldn't be a ammo shortage.

Seriously ? Because shooting is a sport that alot of people enjoy. Do you go bowling and roll one ball and then go home ?

 

[slowwevo]

Buy a die and make em yourself,i myself checked and if needed could buy any round right now,i still cant believe the sheep fell for the GOV is comin for my guns b.s. .I can even get FN five seven rounds- •Caliber: 5.7x28mm

side note ...I am not calling anyone here a sheep...

 

[DirtDiggerDaveinMD]

Don't know of any manufacturer that makes reloading dies and tools for .22LR

 

[slowwevo]

A little bit of work and I found some ways,but I know this place,you probably want me to do your work for you,for those who still don't want to reload this way,switch to a dif cal is all I can say,there are plenty of rounds to choose from

 

[DirtDiggerDaveinMD]

No need to show me anything but I am curious how are you resizing and priming the case? With virtually no reloading data available for a .22LR cartridge, how are you safely putting the components together? What powder are you using? Do you still have all of your fingers?

 

[FFARL]

Sorry guys, I've got to close this because of the politics rule.