#1: How much 7.62x39mm Russian made ammo does the US import in an average year?
#2: When did the last shipment of said ammo arrive in the United States before the shortage?

If we assume that the reason that Wolf and Barnaul cannot export ammo to us is because they can't get 'line time' at the ammo plants, this means the production plants que is completely full  and running at full speed [Russia never misses a chance to make money]. This leads me to my next question.

#3: How much 7.62x39mm ammunition can Russia's ammunition plants make per month when running at maximum non-wartime capacity?



Lets work together and attempt to awnser these questions... It may shed some light on the situation... among other things.

Good luck on any of that information. With all the different importers of Russian Ammo to the states, you would have to go through the ATF and find who compiles that information. I will give $20 to anybody that can accurately prove to me withing 1 million rounds the total ammo imported from Russia within 2005. Just is not gonna happen.

Hootbro

Russia is supplying the new Iraqi army.  Hugo Chavez ordered several 100,000's of new AK.  Together, these 2 could need 1 billion rounds. U.S. fell 3 billion short on 5.56 in 2005.   Cheap and/or surplus ammo supply has always  had extreme peaks and valleys.  Learn to get it when the gettin's good.    Incidently, (any) 7.62x39 was $1.00 per round in late 60's.  

Quoted: Russia is supplying the new Iraqi army.  Hugo Chavez ordered several 100,000's of new AK.  Together, these 2 could need 1 billion rounds. U.S. fell 3 billion short on 5.56 in 2005.   Cheap and/or surplus ammo supply has always  had extreme peaks and valleys.  Learn to get it when the gettin's good.    Incidently, (any) 7.62x39 was $1.00 per round in late 60's.

My understanding is that the Russian ammo plants can make over a billion rounds a month.

Seems like it's been a lot longer than that.

This shortage will pass.

Quoted: Russia is supplying the new Iraqi army.  Hugo Chavez ordered several 100,000's of new AK.  Together, these 2 could need 1 billion rounds. U.S. fell 3 billion short on 5.56 in 2005.   Cheap and/or surplus ammo supply has always  had extreme peaks and valleys.  Learn to get it when the gettin's good.    Incidently, (any) 7.62x39 was $1.00 per round in late 60's.

How did you know that??  

Quoted: This shortage will pass.

Yep.  Just hang in there.

Quoted: Quoted: Russia is supplying the new Iraqi army.  Hugo Chavez ordered several 100,000's of new AK.  Together, these 2 could need 1 billion rounds. U.S. fell 3 billion short on 5.56 in 2005.   Cheap and/or surplus ammo supply has always  had extreme peaks and valleys.  Learn to get it when the gettin's good.    Incidently, (any) 7.62x39 was $1.00 per round in late 60's. How did you know that??

I don't know about the '60s but I fired a Vietnam souvenier SKS in the late 70's (before the imports from China were available) and the owner told me the cartridges were $1.00 each.

Even as late as the early 80s,until a few months after the arrival of the Clayco AKs,7.62x39 was expensive.Shortly after I bought my first Clayco,I ordered three hundred rounds of brass and bullets and rolled my own for a while.

well, just sit down until the urge to shoot goes away

Back in 1986 I bought a Valmet 76, I chose the .223 over the 7.62x39 cause the ammo was so much more. 7.62x39 prices came down a few years later.

Quoted: Quoted: This shortage will pass. Yep.  Just hang in there.

Of course it will pass. Especially since peace and democracy is now blossoming in Iraq and spreading all across the Middle East.