I was at the local gunshow this weekend and found even the big ammo dealers had no 9mm under $9.00 a box, and most was much higher. So I went by Walmart to see if their Winchester whitebox 9mm was still $15.72 per 100 rd. box ($7.86 per 50 rds.), as it was earlier in the week. Fortunately it had not gone up yet, as it has at many other Walmarts. I talked to the sporting goods manager (a decent, gun savvy guy, not your usual idiot some Walmarts have in the sporting goods area). He said the increases have just started. He said Walmart has been informed by the big ammo companies to expect ammo prices across the board to go up 250 to 300% over the next 18 months. For example, he showed me a 100 round box of Federal 12 gauge promo shells that was $16.79 last week, that are now priced at $20.89. He told me they are projecting that load will be at $25+ per 100 round box by May, and much higher by the time the next dove season opens in August. He says hunters are going to s**t bricks when they come in expecting the old $14 per 100 round box of 12 gauge, and find $30 per 100 round boxes instead.

This is not just ammo though. He raised the price on Ruger Mini-14's from $508.00 to $608.00 just this past Thursday. He said all of the firearms Walmart regularly stocks are going up by 15 to 25% over the next month. He says everybody is blaming the war, but he says they have been told by the ammo companies that the real culprit is the Chinese buying up all the brass, copper, and other basic metals used in ammo and firearms production, driving the prices sky high.  

In 9mm, the Wally World WWB is the best deal going right now. Their Blazer Brass .45acp used to be the lowest til they raised the price to $14.88, now the WWB 100 count is about the best deal going. I'm betting Winchester will go up soon also, just the nature of the beast.

That's sad.  Time to get a new hobby for me.

556man