Texas Sheepdawg wrote:Jim in Houston wrote:Hornady posted a press release a few days ago that stated that less than 5% of their output was to fill government contracts. I think all the cartridge components are being diverted from the reloading market to make complete cartridges. I know the government put out a massive order for delivery over the next five (or 10?) years, but it was still a small percentage of industry capacity.
I'm not seeing the black helicopters, the guys on the grassy knoll, or Dick Cheney sneaking into the World Trade Center with a box of C4.
So what are you saying exactly? That DHS is not buying up and hoarding ammo? That the empty ammo shelves at Cabelas and other sporting goods stores is just an illusion? That the "out of stock No back order" comments on Midway USAs web site are just figments of our imagination? That all of the price gouging is just a bad dream and in reality, there's absolutely no reason to question this administrations' admitted lust to destroy the Second Amendment? Are you suggesting that the billions of rounds of ammo to DHS is a hoax?
What are you saying exactly?
What I am saying is that demand for ammunition by the public has sucked up all the stock and is keeping inventory low or non existent. The increased demand is coming from regular shooters like us and from those millions (literally) of new gun owners who are now stocking up. I don't see any sinister plot by the government to suck up all the ammunition just to keep it out of the hands of the public. Hornady's statement that only 5% of their orders are going to the government supports this. Relate this to the gas lines of the 70's, when everyone rushed to fill up their tanks and keep them full resulting in a shortage of gasoline There was no government buy-up needed to keep supplies tight ; we did it ourselves. And yes, I know, the theory then was that the oil companies had tankers anchored offshore waiting for the price to go up. That never happened either.
Also, the government purchases are of .40 cal hollow points and possibly .223 (the links are unclear on whether or not this contract went through). So what accounts for the shortage of .38 cal, .45 cal, etc. Here is an explanation from the National Shooting Sports Foundation, not exactly an arm of the federal government (though I suppose they could be bribed):
http://www.nssfblog.com/clearing-up-rumors-about-government-ammo-purchases/. This pertained to the situation in April 2012, when the government orders went in. Here is the NSSF's latest from today -
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/02/16/ammunition-shortage/1919321/.
