Did anyone see it coming?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Did anyone see it coming?

Posted: 3/1/2006 2:02:55 PM EDT

I've been unable to shoot an SKS that I have for quite some time now due to lack of cheap 7.62x39. Yeah, if I really get the itch I can pay more but I'm not willing to at this point. My question is ... Did any of you guys see this coming?

What's really causing it (if anyone knows)? I've heard:

1) Our military is eating it up
2) Iraqi military is eating it up
3) There IS no shortage ... Relax ... The shipments are just right around the corner ...

Starting to get irritated.

Posted: 3/1/2006 2:32:14 PM EDT

[#1]

I have heard the shipment is right around the corner for the last 6 months or so, so there is one down.

Posted: 3/1/2006 5:01:56 PM EDT

[#2]

That's really my main gripe ... We're constantly told that another shipment is arriving ... I guess it could be that the shipments do get here but are immediately bought out again because people think to themselves, "I'll never be short of 7.62x39 again..."

I have no clue what the real deal is all I know is that it's a minor irritant.

Posted: 3/1/2006 5:11:07 PM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
That's really my main gripe ... We're constantly told that another shipment is arriving ... I guess it could be that the shipments do get here but are immediately bought out again because people think to themselves, "I'll never be short of 7.62x39 again..."

I have no clue what the real deal is all I know is that it's a minor irritant.

minor, aye? That's a better attitude than I have man, I would classify myself as very annoyed and paranoid. I bought my first AK, an SLR-105 A1R, about a month ago and I am already questioning that choice. I was blessed to find a 1000 rounds of 5.45 after much searching, and I am worried that is all I will have to shoot for a long, long time. I'm becoming a bit concerned that 5.45x39 and 7.62x39 are on their way to becoming very hard to find calibers, at least at affordable prices.

Oh, and my guess about the 7.62x39 issue is that a lot of it is going to the new Iraqi National Guard, as well as many other militaries (and unfortunately some terrorists probably). Just a guess though.........

Posted: 3/1/2006 5:18:00 PM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
Quoted:
That's really my main gripe ... We're constantly told that another shipment is arriving ... I guess it could be that the shipments do get here but are immediately bought out again because people think to themselves, "I'll never be short of 7.62x39 again..."

I have no clue what the real deal is all I know is that it's a minor irritant.

minor, aye? That's a better attitude than I have man, I would classify myself as very annoyed and paranoid. I bought my first AK, an SLR-105 A1R, about a month ago and I am already questioning that choice. I was blessed to find a 1000 rounds of 5.45 after much searching, and I am worried that is all I will have to shoot for a long, long time. I'm becoming a bit concerned that 5.45x39 and 7.62x39 are on their way to becoming very hard to find calibers, at least at affordable prices.

Oh, and my guess about the 7.62x39 issue is that a lot of it is going to the new Iraqi National Guard, as well as many other militaries (and unfortunately some terrorists probably). Just a guess though.........

Well, I say minor irritant because in the grand scheme of things it's relatively unimportant. BUT, yeah, it is annoying when the stuff was as plentiful as it was around this time last year.

I guess you could be proven correctly in terms of availability for the long haul but I'd be surprised if the shortage kept up longer than one year from now as the best conclusion I can draw right now is that people are just ape crazy for the stuff because of a perceived shortage*.

*Disclaimer: If China invades Taiwan or if the Iranian reactor situation turns into a full scale military conflict, all bets are off

.

ETA: Oh yeah, and don't sweat your choice for rifle (unless it's the only one you got

). I'd like to buy one of those in the future. I'm also fortunate in the sense that I only have one rifle that eats 7.62x39.

Posted: 3/1/2006 5:38:21 PM EDT

[#5]

I've heard that Venezuela purchased a bunch of AKs, and a bunch of ammo from Wolf. Don't know how true that is. There was a thread a week or so ago with a link.

Posted: 3/1/2006 7:56:58 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:

I've been unable to shoot an SKS that I have for quite some time now due to lack of cheap 7.62x39......
....... I'm also fortunate in the sense that I only have one rifle that eats 7.62x39.

You've only got one -- I have five in this caliber!

DK

Posted: 3/2/2006 2:11:17 AM EDT

[#7]

I got 4 7.62 AK`s and one of them refuses to eat HP`s!

Posted: 3/2/2006 2:40:43 AM EDT

[#8]

Yeah, well, I guess I'm just the dumbass they were looking for - at a show last week I paid $140.00 for 1k of wolf fmj. I sure didn't wanna, but I was dangerously low...... Bet I don't let THAT happen again, shortage, or no. Personally, I think the WHOLE thing is manufactured to boost profits!

Posted: 3/2/2006 3:51:38 AM EDT

[#9]

It is times like these that I'm glad I stocked up on ammo when I did. I'll admit that I didn't stock up on as much 5.45 as I should of, but I have plenty of 7.62.

Whenever the SHTF discussions and ammo stock piling would come up, my response was always that you never know how long the ammo supply or pricing would last. I stock up for those reasons, not for zombies.

Posted: 3/2/2006 4:17:13 AM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
It is times like these that I'm glad I stocked up on ammo when I did. I'll admit that I didn't stock up on as much 5.45 as I should of, but I have plenty of 7.62.

Whenever the SHTF discussions and ammo stock piling would come up, my response was always that you never know how long the ammo supply or pricing would last. I stock up for those reasons, not for zombies.

This should be a lesson to all of us ... I once believed that yes, you could have too much ammunition. But, I have to admit, I never saw this shortage coming. Never even thought about it to be honest with you and I'm willing to bet that I'm not in the same boat.

"Only tin-foil types stock pile ammunition..." Well, the tin-foils are out there, sure, but I've learned there's now more than one reason to stock pile cheap ammo.

I guess another way around this is to look into reloading? Don't know what you could get the price per round down to but I'm willing to wager that after the intial cost of getting the equipment set up and experimenting with components a guy could to pretty good.

There are two calibers that I've never considered getting into reloading to make ... One is 9mm (Winchester white box) and the other is 7.62x39 due to previously plentiful, cheap, sources.

Posted: 3/2/2006 4:48:49 AM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
Quoted:
It is times like these that I'm glad I stocked up on ammo when I did. I'll admit that I didn't stock up on as much 5.45 as I should of, but I have plenty of 7.62.

Whenever the SHTF discussions and ammo stock piling would come up, my response was always that you never know how long the ammo supply or pricing would last. I stock up for those reasons, not for zombies.

This should be a lesson to all of us ... I once believed that yes, you could have too much ammunition. But, I have to admit, I never saw this shortage coming. Never even thought about it to be honest with you and I'm willing to bet that I'm not in the same boat.

"Only tin-foil types stock pile ammunition..." Well, the tin-foils are out there, sure, but I've learned there's now more than one reason to stock pile cheap ammo.

I guess another way around this is to look into reloading? Don't know what you could get the price per round down to but I'm willing to wager that after the intial cost of getting the equipment set up and experimenting with components a guy could to pretty good.

There are two calibers that I've never considered getting into reloading to make ... One is 9mm (Winchester white box) and the other is 7.62x39 due to previously plentiful, cheap, sources.

I'm one of those tinfoils, thank you very much, and you won't see me paying outrageous prices for what used to be dirt cheap ammo. I can out-wait most shortages and even have some to sell to folk who didn't stock up (for a tidy profit of course). Learned my lesson, I did, with magazines, the AWB, and various ammo "shortages" over the years. Advantage of being an old fart.

Posted: 3/2/2006 4:56:47 AM EDT

[#12]

I can't say that I saw it coming but I have always kept a stockpile of any ammunition that is imported. I remember the effect of the ban on Chinese ammo.

Posted: 3/2/2006 3:44:49 PM EDT

[#13]

I heard rumors of an ammo shortage almost a year ago. So I bought as much 5.45 X 39 as I could. I have about 10,000 rounds in my garage. I also bought a .223 caliber Wasr-3 so I would be able to use American made ammo in it . I think the ammo will be back by the summer. Be pattient.

Posted: 3/2/2006 5:12:14 PM EDT

[#14]

Lets see, thousands, no Tens of Thousands of AKs have been purchased in the last year. Folks like to shot lots of rounds through them. I would think that this is the sort of thing that shortages are make of. It should have been like ink refills. Give us the AK and we have to purchase the ammo.

Posted: 3/2/2006 5:42:10 PM EDT

[#15]

I too am looking for 5.45 w/no success, but I have seen a lot of 7.62x39 in the past week at several shops. Some are out, but I have seen it in 5-6 places that have it as I have traveled around the state of Alabama the last few days. Have seen cases & individual boxes, but the best case price was $149.00.
Some places don't offer a quantity discount. I have never bought less than 500 rounds before, I would feel ripped off at $4.00 a box of 20.

Posted: 3/3/2006 8:13:46 PM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
... Did any of you guys see this coming?

Yep! And I also saw it leave

Posted: 3/4/2006 2:13:53 AM EDT

[#17]

Everyone bitching must not remember 1994 when it was a high $235 a case of 1,000 russian hollow point, wait till it gets back to that and you'll hear the wailing begin!

Posted: 3/4/2006 6:21:11 AM EDT

[#18]

I was ready.

Posted: 3/4/2006 3:04:13 PM EDT

[#19]

Us older guys have been through this before and live by the motto "buy it cheap and stack it deep".

Mags, ammo, tulips, whatever. These things run in cycles. Learn you lesson and stock up when the ships come in!

Posted: 3/4/2006 3:32:38 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
Everyone bitching must not remember 1994 when it was a high $235 a case of 1,000 russian hollow point, wait till it gets back to that and you'll hear the wailing begin!

What caused it to get so high in 1994? Was this because of the passage of the AWB? Was that what caused the spike?

Posted: 3/5/2006 9:07:42 AM EDT

[#21]

Here is the really bad part. When it does start becomming available, backorders will be filled first, and then other people who have not ordered will need to restock thier ammo piles at home which will eat up the ammo supply keeping the price up. Then there will be the ammo hogs, you know who I am talking about (myself included), people that buy cases upon cases of ammo as soon as it is available so it can get stuck in your ammo locker never to be shot until years and years later down the road, just incase this happens again, which will again will eat up any extra supply and again keep prices high. Then maybe, 6 months after the supply starts flowing well into the US again, we may see prices start to come down when people finally think they have enough. The wonderfull laws of supply and demand.

Posted: 3/8/2006 4:33:24 PM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
Quoted:
It is times like these that I'm glad I stocked up on ammo when I did. I'll admit that I didn't stock up on as much 5.45 as I should of, but I have plenty of 7.62.

Whenever the SHTF discussions and ammo stock piling would come up, my response was always that you never know how long the ammo supply or pricing would last. I stock up for those reasons, not for zombies.

This should be a lesson to all of us ... I once believed that yes, you could have too much ammunition. But, I have to admit, I never saw this shortage coming. Never even thought about it to be honest with you and I'm willing to bet that I'm not in the same boat.

The only time you can have too much ammunition is if you're swimming, or on fire.

I won't say that "I saw this coming", but since finding ARFCOM in 2002 I have taken the general advice espoused here of putting away thousands of rounds each year in ammo cans for any SHTF eventuality or shortage. The idea is to rotate your stock every five years. I think I'll wait a little longer between rotations.

Posted: 3/9/2006 6:50:59 PM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
Us older guys have been through this before and live by the motto "buy it cheap and stack it deep".

Mags, ammo, tulips, whatever. These things run in cycles. Learn you lesson and stock up when the ships come in!