AimSurplus sold out of over a million rounds of 5.45x39 in around three hours today. An obscure online retailer tore through two CONEXes of corrosively primed ammo in an obscure Russian caliber in less time than it takes to watch a football game. Imagine the enormous volumes being moved in common calibers like 9mm, 45 ACP, 5.56, etc.
Right now there are three kinds of ammo:
- Ammo sold at MSRP, which is all out of stock.
- Ammo sold at prevailing market prices, which may be in stock.
- Fudd ammo in calibers like .270 and .410 shot.
There is not a choice for "large quantities of normal MSRP ammo." That is simply not an option. If it were an option, some industrious citizen would go buy it up and sell it on GunBroker for market prices and make a ton of money or hoard it in their basement, and then someone who REALLY needs a box of ammo would have no options. Right now at least someone who must have a box of ammo can at least get it. Moreoever, a lot of retailers have no idea when they will get resupplied from their distributers or what that resupply will cost? When their shelves are bare, they may have no product for awhile. How are they supposed to keep the doors open, pay their staff, and restock if they don't get resupply for two weeks and if they didn't sell their inventory at prevailing market rates? What incentive is there for manufacturers and distributors to put on another shift and ramp up production if there's no more profit itn it?
I'm surprised at how many gun people are demanding that "someone" control the prices to prevent the "gouging." Its called supply and demand in a free market.
I buy a ton of gun stuff on the internet and am skeptical of local gun stores that gouge in the good times, but now is not a normal time. Shopping for gun stuff now is like trying to find plywood, a generator, and five gallon gas cans in Florida a day before a hurricane. Don't complain because you failed to foresee the storm coming and figured you didn't need a few gas cans or sheets of plywood stashed away and you are now getting charged the market rate to stock up at the last minute. Heck I'd be glad that there's even any ammo available at all! It'd be like finding the last few sheets of plywood for sale before the hurricane hits.
