.380 Shortage Answered

[gsneff]

At the NRA Annual Meetings last week in Phoenix, the news may have been on gun rights, but the talk on the floor was all about the ammo. Where is it? What's happened to it?
Same answer as always. You are buying it up. The ammo companies are making all they can create. Demand is just higher than it's ever been, and the loading companies can not ramp up fast enough to keep up with it.

I did get the word on what's going on with .380 ammo, though. First, you can't find it. Then, if you are lucky enough to score a box, you may pay as much as a buck a round! For .380!!!? I call this the LCP effect. Before Ruger brought out the cute LCP pistol, no one paid much attention to the .380 cartridge. Ammo companies ran .380 for a few weeks a year, and warehoused the full year's supply.

After Ruger sold a trillion (or something like that) copies of the LCP, .380 ammo flew off the shelves. So, just make more, right?

Ah, that's the problem. .380 is made on the same lines as 9mm, and with the huge demand for 9mm, companies aren't going to shut down those lines for .380. Something has to give.

Speaking of the demand, while Ruger did introduce its new AR-15 (with a piston) at the NRA, many new guns are being held back right now. The companies see no need to announce new guns when they can't keep up with the demand for the ones now in their lines. But, when this current surge in buying slacks off, expect to see a wave of new products.

I'm guessing that we'll see this at the SHOT Show next January.


-This is an Article from Tom Gresham's "Gun Talk" News Letter.

 

[beauxdog]

This doesn't sound quite right. That a pistol that has already been recalled once, caused all the 380 in the land to disappear. Mr. Ruger (now his company makes mags that hold more than 10 rounds) wishes this could happen. The part about not making any new sound about right. Remember 380, 32, & 25 are all made with small pistol primers. They are not high on the priority list for the manufactures to make at this time. I'm not saying Mr Gresham would miss lead us however I don't believe this information from him is correct.

Beauxdog

 

[shoalsfugro]

There is no ammo shortage only a fair price shortage, they learned from the oil companies.

 

[Bayoupiper]

So, are these ammunition prices here to stay?
Or will the supply eventually catch up with the demand and then prices come back down?
Or, will prices stay high regardless of a resupplied market?

I ordered 15,000 rnds for my dept. and it will be 5 months before it gets here.
So I'd say demand is still outstripping the supply.

.

 

[Bearco]

just like food increases from high gas costs. the gas went back down, but food did not and neither will the ammo.

 

[Bayoupiper]

I tend to agree with you.

While I haven't seen an increase in cost lately, it certainly hasn't come down.

.