Twitchy regular and Second Amendment expert Stephen Gutowski has some bad news for gun owners across America: The “ammo supply is unlikely to return to normal anytime soon”:
Ammo supply is unlikely to return to normal anytime soon. I spoke with Winchester and Hornady, 2 leader ammo manufacturers, and they both have backlogs that stretch out over 2 years. https://t.co/ikKW1DjRQI
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) May 21, 2021
And there’s really no certainty regarding when it will return to normal:
“For those who shoot 9mm and 5.56 ammunition, which are both in high demand, it’s very uncertain how long it will be before people will consistently have ammunition readily available,” Winchester president Brett Flaugher told me. https://t.co/ikKW1DjRQI
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) May 21, 2021
Two and a half years?!
Jason Hornady, vice president of Hornady Manufacturing Company, told @TheReloadSite he isn't expecting a slowdown for upwards of two and a half years. That's how long his wait to fill back orders is. https://t.co/ikKW1DjRQI
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) May 21, 2021
And:
Lucky Gunner, one of the country's largest online ammo retailers, said the orders they are waiting on manufacturers for are up again this year. They're at "an all-time high" for the company. https://t.co/ikKW1DjRQI
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) May 21, 2021
“It’s almost impossible to adjust a mature manufacturing business to meet increased demand of that size in short order”:
It's fairly easy to understand what's driving the scarcity. Millions of Americans bought a gun for the first time over the last year. They all want ammo. It's almost impossible to adjust a mature manufacturing business to meet increased demand of that size in short order.
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) May 21, 2021
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There’s just too much demand right now:
“Our whole industry was up 30 percent-ish," Hornady said. "In the short term, you do what you can to maximize hours and maximize what you can. We got that 30 percent, and now the market is asking me for another, not just 30 percent, it’s asking for 80 percent.”
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) May 21, 2021
Unless, of course, businesses start building new factories:
"I mean, if the NFL all of a sudden had 9 million more people who want to go to games, what the hell are they gonna do?" Hornady told @TheReloadSite. "They’d have to build new stadiums. If they had to build new stadiums, how long is that going to take?” https://t.co/ikKW1DjRQI
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) May 21, 2021
Economics 101 at work:
Prices are up too. A round of 9mm that should cost 22 cents is selling for a dollar. And it's not just because of the imbalance of supply and demand. Material costs are also through the roof. https://t.co/ikKW1DjRQI
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) May 21, 2021
"Copper was $2.45 a pound a year ago," Hornady said. "Today it’s trading at $4.50. And that is, in my career of 51 years, the all-time high. We go through several hundred pounds of copper a month. Zinc is the same way. Steel is the same way.” https://t.co/ikKW1DjRQI
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) May 21, 2021
And once ammo does arrive, it flies off the shelf:
Lucky Gunner, one of the country's biggest online dealers, told me ammo is making it through to retailers. But it's going right out the door once it arrives. https://t.co/ikKW1DjRQI
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) May 21, 2021
The next few months should show if a reprieve is coming or not:
Could a reprieve be coming? Ammo sales have traditionally been seasonal and the summer is usually the slow season. The next few months should tell us a lot about where things are headed. https://t.co/ikKW1DjRQI
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) May 21, 2021
Read his whole report here:
There are a lot more details in the full post. Read the whole thing and then sign up for @TheReloadSite's free weekly newsletter to get even more. https://t.co/ikKW1DjRQI
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) May 21, 2021
And:
If you find reporting like this valuable, you can help support it by buying a Reload Membership. You'll also get access to exclusive posts like this one on how ammo hoarding is helping drive the shortage. https://t.co/BwW92zpzw0
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) May 21, 2021
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