Ammo rationing at Wal-Mart as panic buying sweeps US

[Unholykrumpet]

Eh, my grandpa used to do shows for Smith&Wesson, so he has a machine that he makes his own bullets with. And even if he didn't, I don't even have a firearm, so it doesn't really make that much of a difference.

 

[Mcface]

It's actually understandable.
if you look throughout history, dictatorship starts when the people cant defend themselves.

but who the hell buys ammo at wall mart?
Last I checked they didnt carry Banana mags

And the right to bear arms isn't for hunting, it was created for protection, much less personal protection, but more protection against an unjust government.

Like I said, I understand the second amendment and why it's in place in the US, but what I fail to understand is why there is a panic about an ammo shortage concerning civilian use. It's not like every single person in the US is engaging in daily death matches are they?. Where is the demand coming from to entice a panic from a supply shortage?.

"dictatorship starts when the people cant defend themselves". - When a panic ensues because people can't buy ammunition for home-owned guns then I think it's best to wonder what people really want to defend themselves from?.

When I said hunting, I was not implying that it is made possible because of the second amendment. Rather I was wondering, once again, what possible activities could cause such an alarming rate of ammunition consumption to have people in a buying sweep.

It's hardly a panic.
people are worried as they see their rights constantly, slowly, but constantly going down the drain.

I know for a fact you can fire well over a thousand rounds in a single outing.

Hell, me and my buddies fired off 200 bucks worth of ammunition in 2 hours.
Its a hobby, and its a skill everyone should have.

 

[asinann]

Apparently, classic .45 ACP pistol ammunition is especially scarce - a fairly good indication that it is in fact conservative Middle America rather than, say, inner-city criminals buying up all the ammo*.

Why?

Most inner-city "gangstas" use 9mm rounds. The .45 is very hard to use in a drive by and the .45ACP is hand gun ammo for what is basically a hand cannon.

 

[johnman]

Apparently, classic .45 ACP pistol ammunition is especially scarce - a fairly good indication that it is in fact conservative Middle America rather than, say, inner-city criminals buying up all the ammo*.

Why?

Most gangs prefer the cheaper 9mm weapons and ammunition, rather than the bulky and more expensive .45's

 

[asinann]

There's this thing called the 2nd Amendment in the US. The problem is, when it was written, guns could shoot maybe twice a minute at most (more, maybe, I wouldn't know). Now, guns can unload enough the bring down an elephant in that time. Some weapons need to be banned, but its ok for people to have smaller weapons.

Keep saying that when the government decides it's time to stop holding elections.

 

[Chipperz]

It's actually understandable.
if you look throughout history, dictatorship starts when the people cant defend themselves.

And the right to bear arms isn't for hunting, it was created for protection, much less personal protection, but more protection against an unjust government.

This is why people in the US, gun owners or not, should be worried. Additionally, Democrats in the country usually are those in favor of cutting or restricting access to firearms. I don't even own a gun myself (yet, at least), but any government making moves to take arms away from its people is a government to be carefully and suspiciously watched. Knowing the previous actions and methods by which the U.S. operates, they won't pass a law banning the sale or possession of weapons altogether, they'll do it in a gradual and covert manner as possible.

I... Genuinely don't know if this is a joke or whether you guys are just that FUCKING STUPID. Living in one of the many countries that don't have guns at all, I can safely say that my freedoms aren't being taken away, and that people aren't being dragged off in the night to have secret experiments on them done by our "evil" NHS (is that still being spewed around by Fox?)...

There is a secret police though, but we know about them, so I guess it's not hugely secret.

 

[Sparrow]

Like it matters. When the nuclear apocalypse comes there will be ammo for anyone! Or atleast those alive anyway.

 

[bodyklok]

Spoiler

That is assuming this is a response to his gun policy, which I don't know for certain.

Of course, some people argue that it can hardly be denied that his Gun policy has made some people very anxious about their rights to own guns, and that as a result of this they've been buying more guns since it's much harder for the state to take away your guns before they are your property.

But hay--I'm British so I a) don't know a lot about this, and b) can't say it effects me that much anyway. So don't take my word for it.

 

[asinann]

There's a gun store in my town right on the main road. On the sign is the ominous tag, "Get 'em while you still can."

Now, look, there's no plausible reason to think that Obama is going to take away our guns or ammunition, but people within the firearm industry are going to feed those irrational fears to fuel the huge swell in sales. Fanning the flames to keep their water boiling, so to speak.

Other than the fact that he's back so many different types of gun control legislation in the past and has Dems in charge of both the house and senate in large enough numbers to push anything they want through.

 

[maddawg IAJI]

But seriously, it's a health reform not the spread of Communism. I knew that there were problems in this country, but when I saw that riot against Obama with pictures comparing him to Hitler then I knew that somthing was wrong.

And if people could stop watching Fox News and use their brains for once then they'd realize that. But they don't, so Glen Beck continues to get paid for saying shit like "anybody in the US Armed Forces is now effectively part of Obama's secret army" and Godwin's Law will continue to get invoked.

Anyway I think the point at which this entire ammo stockpiling craze made me realize people were seriously misinterpreting the second amendment was at the point I heard a story about a 65-year-old woman buying up ammo for an AK-47 because she was afraid Obama was going to take away ammo or whatever.

What. Does. A. Senior Citizen. Need. With. An AK-47? Bingo Night getting too agressive? Look I'm all for home defense but if you need an automatic rifle to defend your home you are living in the wrong part of town and should probably move. I also even understand the people who collect and fire off vintage weaponry. I know a couple people like that. They did not fly off the handle and start hoarding bullets.

So many thoughts ran through my head when I read that. 90% of them jokes about her having bad memories of crossing the Oregon trail. She wouldn't even be able to place in the cartridge due to arthritis. Is she expecting an all out war in the middle of the streets?

It's actually understandable.
if you look throughout history, dictatorship starts when the people cant defend themselves.

but who the hell buys ammo at wall mart?
Last I checked they didnt carry Banana mags

And the right to bear arms isn't for hunting, it was created for protection, much less personal protection, but more protection against an unjust government.

Like I said, I understand the second amendment and why it's in place in the US, but what I fail to understand is why there is a panic about an ammo shortage concerning civilian use. It's not like every single person in the US is engaging in daily death matches are they?. Where is the demand coming from to entice a panic from a supply shortage?.

"dictatorship starts when the people cant defend themselves". - When a panic ensues because people can't buy ammunition for home-owned guns then I think it's best to wonder what people really want to defend themselves from?.

When I said hunting, I was not implying that it is made possible because of the second amendment. Rather I was wondering, once again, what possible activities could cause such an alarming rate of ammunition consumption to have people in a buying sweep.

It's hardly a panic.
people are worried as they see their rights constantly, slowly, but constantly going down the drain.

I know for a fact you can fire well over a thousand rounds in a single outing.

Hell, me and my buddies fired off 200 bucks worth of ammunition in 2 hours.
Its a hobby, and its a skill everyone should have.

There is a diffrence between buying ammo in the name of protection and buying ammo because you think the goverment will take it off the selves. The Former could be protection from Criminals,Animals and the occasional zombie Apocalypse. The latter however is just people panicking because it won't be there soon.The goverment is cracking down on illegal firearms. If you bought it fairly and you go through the proper steps then you shouldn't lose your gun just because Obama (Who dosen't actually have that much power! "Wanna create a bill?" Gotta go through the Senate. Wanna create a law? Gotta make sure the Supreme Court support it, Wanna break the law? You can get impeached for lyeing.) dosen't like it. We have the Checks and Balances system to make sure that no one get's to powerful!

 

[WhiteTiger225]

The USA is suffering the most severe ammunition famine in living memory. Gun fanciers, fearing a Democrat crackdown on every American's right to pack heat, are clearing shelves at ammo shops and hoarding cartridges.

AP reports that the Remington Arms Company's factory in North Carolina is now working around the clock trying to supply insatiable demand for rifle, pistol and shotgun cartridges.

"We've had to add a fourth shift and go 24-7," Remington spokesman Al Russo told the news wire. "It's a phenomenon that I have not seen before in my 30 years in the business."

The shortages are so bad that retail globocorp Wal-Mart has been forced to introduce rationing at the ammo counter in many of its stores. Depending on calibre, customers may be limited to purchases of just 50 rounds at a time. Apparently, classic .45 ACP pistol ammunition is especially scarce - a fairly good indication that it is in fact conservative Middle America rather than, say, inner-city criminals buying up all the ammo*.

According to the National Rifle Association, America's pro-guns lobby, the people of the USA normally buy about 7 billion cartridges a year (an average of 23 rounds per head). The past year has seen that figure jump to 9 billion. The FBI reports a 25 per cent climb in background checks made prior to gun sales.

The ammo rush has been dubbed the "Obama effect" by gun-industry people, but in fact there is no sign at present of any particularly aggressive move towards stricter federal gun laws.

Police forces across the States reportedly suffered from some ammo shortages earlier in the year, but this was in large part unrelated to the surge in civilian demand. Rather, heavy use by the US military overseas made it hard to obtain ammunition such as 5.56mm assault-rifle/intermediate-power cartridges, commonly used by plods and troops but much less so by civilian gun owners.

Meanwhile the ongoing shortages have seen ammo prices soar.

"Used to be gold, but now lead is the most expensive metal," one gun enthusiast told AP [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090923/ap_on_re_us/us_ammo_shortage]. "And worth every penny."

[Source: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/09/24/ammo_hoarding_sweeps_us/]

I never thought I'd see the day when the USA runs out of bullets but wow..this is some really scary stuff. Not merely because the the US is facing a bullet shortage but the fact that it's causing a panic. I for one understand the second amendment and the reasons behind it but surely, unless everyone in America is going hunting I don't see the reason for panic, let alone why the gun-industry people have to title such a thing as "Obama Rush".

Unless the dead start rising I think that this is a bit overrated and hardly calls for a civilian panic. Or am I missing something?.

This is what we call "The Change Effect" someone brings around a single, minor change thats different from the usual fare, and, one person screams "OMG DICTATORSHIP IZ ON EETS WAI!" a few people believe him, a few people believe those few people, a few people believe each of those many people, and it grows into a national crisis over something as simple as "We just want to make sure you are not bonkers before buying something that can kill someone easily"

 

[Wadders]

Heh, cant you make your own rounds anyway, as long as you keep the casings, you can just reshape the neck and the mold the bullets? Would seem like a more economical, cost effective way to make sure you can keep firing guns and having fun.

I know you can over here in England, so you must be able to in the USA. Or are people just too lazy?

Either way, the panic is probably irrational, but the ammo companies sure wont be complaining I'm sure

 

[Chicago Ted]

This is either because they fear Obama, or many people are now realizing the true effects of a Zombie Appocalypse.

 

[The_Splatterer]

So are they making less ammo or are people being shot more?

 

[syndicated44]

Gun shops here have already sold 3 years worth of ammo in a few months earlier this year. So no one has any ammo so no huntin. Haha to them I dont have to hear random gunfire from guns people shouldnt have in the middle of the forest.

 

[jboking]

Now it has never been clearer that the whole 'Obama will take my gun' thing was actually an insidiously clever ploy by arms and ammo manufacturers to put an impressionable populace in a panic-induced shopping spree. It almost makes me want to applaud them.

This is the only conspiracy theory I find plausible.

This is ridiculous. Why is it that the only reason this effect is taking place is because we have a democrat for a president. There isn't even legislation in office to increase gun control. Even if their was, the entire congress is so freaking bipartisan that it is unlikely it would get passed. This is simply asinine on every level. It just proves something I and many others have been saying for years:

People. Don't. Think.

 

[Logic 0]

If the stores run out of ammo just make your own bullets.

 

[Supreme Unleaded]

Why does this seem to fit here perfectly.

I swear I remeber seeing this excact WW11 poster except it said give your cans to the army so we can make bullets to kill our enemy or some shit. Too bad i couldnt find it.

[small] im not a giant america fan, that poster just fit.[/small]