Hunting for ammo during a shortage
HARVEY, Mich (WBUP) — Deer hunters may have noticed they are missing a key piece of equipment this year. The smoking gun to this mystery is that while manufacturers continue to make ammo, the supply isn’t meeting the needs of gun owners around the country.
As supply chains continue to get tested, gun owners are also noticing empty shelves. Ammunition has been in short supply for months.
Lake Michigan Armory is seeing nearly 80% of its sales going to first-time gun owners. This means that even though ammo manufacturers are still producing, the demand has increased to a point that isn’t sustainable.
Why You Should Buy Your Ammo in Bulk
Adding pressure to the situation is traditional hunters who are looking to get some ammo for firearm deer hunting season.
The ammo issue is not just local, but nationwide. Whether it is a pandemic, politics, or uncertainty in the near future, it doesn’t look like ammo supplies will increase to meet the growing demand of shooters.
One way to avoid ammo shortages is to buy uncommon calibers, according to Shooting Illustrated which is a National Rifle Association (NRA) Publication.
Unique or Uncommon Calibers:
At most local gun shops the centerfire handgun ammunition is arranged by caliber. The .32 ACP was popular for decades as a police round in Europe and, in its FMJ configuration, is about the smallest and lightest-recoiling load to offer adequate penetration.
Most gun stores will tend to keep on hand at least a few boxes of .32 Long or .38 S&W. Feeding an old Victory Model Smith wheelgun might be a winning proposition in an ammo drought.
The 7.62×25 mm (aka “.30 Tokarev”) and 9×18 mm Makarov handguns were plentiful on dealer shelves in the first decade or so after the Cold War ended, though not as much so now. While the .30 Mauser-derived 7.62×25 mm suffers from a lack of good defensive loadings, Hornady has offered its XTP and Critical Defense loads in 9 mm Makarov. More intriguing is the fact that Lone Wolf Distributors offers a 9×18 mm barrel for the Glock G42, making that little pocket .380 ACP a multi-caliber fallback in an ammo crunch.
Among the last ammo stocks to be affected in a crunch are the “connoisseur cartridges,” like .357 SIG, 10 mm and .41 Mag. It’s an unexpected side benefit of owning a handgun chambered for a niche caliber. For more information check out Beating Ammo Shortages with Uncommon Calibers.