Conservative. Idaho. Software engineer. Historian. Trying to prevent Idiocracy from becoming a documentary.
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Friday, July 25, 2014
The Insanity of .22LR Prices
Over at LuckyGunner.com, .22LR is 22 cents per round, but 9mm is 21 cents per round. I know that .22LR is not terribly profitable, and so manufacturers are reluctant to invest money in expanding production capacity for it, but this is silly.
I just bought some for the first time in a couple years. Last time I bought a box of 500 for 20$ or so. I just bought 250 rounds for $45. .40 was only 30 cents a round
Well, Match grade .22LR is typically .20 to .50 cents and can sometimes be even higher. That's mostly what I see on LuckyGunner right now. Now when the plinking/varmit grade stuff is going for that high, then yeah that is crazy. Unfortunately the scarcity of .22LR is allowing some to get away with charging match grade prices for plinking ammo.
I am told that at the local stores when the shipments are put out---usually just once per week before opening---often the same guys are lined up to get it. They must be reselling it as while there are no doubt some hoarders I suspect it is mostly resell profit motive going on. Since most people can't line up at 7AM to be there at 9AM when they have to be at work at 9AM and if they get desperate enough maybe they will pay the scalpers.
The ammo makers are better off enjoying the high prices and strong demand and not flooding the market as you say since millions of dollars investment in new lines will not likely pay off if demand were to drop off should they finally flood the market with it.
The local stores are only getting a few bricks a week (over the last year I've never seen anyone get more than maybe 10-20 bricks and most of the time a lot less) and are mostly selling it at 50 round boxes (2-3 box limit). Some buyers will bring spouse, and a brood of kids to get the limit per person and so the ammo goes quick.
I have seen retailers desperate for any ammo take match grade stuff like Ely and Lapua---stuff that few retailers will carry since it is so expensive (and a waste of money in the majority of 22LR guns with bores looser than Anschutz, Walther, Hammerli, etc). Even at $10 to $25 per 50 round box that such ammo has always gone for it flies out the door. Now that amazes me! What a waste of such ammo, but I'm sure those Germans and Brits that make that ammo are happy to see ammo that probably sits for ever in a warehouse save for the few cases they sell to the US shooting team sell like that.
I do know some places in Ada and Canyon County that may have it if you are looking for it or know someone who is in the area who is looking--email me if that is the case.
This has been going on for over a year now. Wondering how much longer it can last. Crazy and amazing and concerning and frustrating all at once!
Wish I had the millions to get into the ammo business. Ammo is our weakest link to our 2nd amendment.
Sadly 22 seems to no longer be the practice/beginner/affordable/new shooter/kid's first gun caliber anymore. That's bad for the future....And the anti-gun crowd no doubt is celebrating this terrible news.
There's always air guns--till they declare lead pellets an environmental hazard!
Try this site, one of the features that I like is the ability to set the price point per round. http://www.wikiarms.com
Just about every day there is there is 22lr at your price point. You still have to figure out your price per round that you are willing to pay with shipping costs added and even then there are many that show up that are still under 10 cents per round.
They already have declared Lead pellets an environmental hazard, and are pushing alloy pellets. OTOH, those pellets are pretty good.
(Just picked up a GAMO airgun recently. Although it claims to have some sort of noise reduction gizmo on the end of the barrel, it still sounds like a .22 going off, since it claims to produce 1300 FPS.)
The Firearms Blog has a weekly rundown of ammo prices as well. I see .22 is up from .11 to .14 this week. http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2014/07/25/ammo-prices-07252014/
I just bought some for the first time in a couple years. Last time I bought a box of 500 for 20$ or so. I just bought 250 rounds for $45. .40 was only 30 cents a round
ReplyDeleteWell, Match grade .22LR is typically .20 to .50 cents and can sometimes be even higher. That's mostly what I see on LuckyGunner right now. Now when the plinking/varmit grade stuff is going for that high, then yeah that is crazy. Unfortunately the scarcity of .22LR is allowing some to get away with charging match grade prices for plinking ammo.
ReplyDeleteI am told that at the local stores when the shipments are put out---usually just once per week before opening---often the same guys are lined up to get it. They must be reselling it as while there are no doubt some hoarders I suspect it is mostly resell profit motive going on. Since most people can't line up at 7AM to be there at 9AM when they have to be at work at 9AM and if they get desperate enough maybe they will pay the scalpers.
The ammo makers are better off enjoying the high prices and strong demand and not flooding the market as you say since millions of dollars investment in new lines will not likely pay off if demand were to drop off should they finally flood the market with it.
The local stores are only getting a few bricks a week (over the last year I've never seen anyone get more than maybe 10-20 bricks and most of the time a lot less) and are mostly selling it at 50 round boxes (2-3 box limit). Some buyers will bring spouse, and a brood of kids to get the limit per person and so the ammo goes quick.
I have seen retailers desperate for any ammo take match grade stuff like Ely and Lapua---stuff that few retailers will carry since it is so expensive (and a waste of money in the majority of 22LR guns with bores looser than Anschutz, Walther, Hammerli, etc). Even at $10 to $25 per 50 round box that such ammo has always gone for it flies out the door. Now that amazes me! What a waste of such ammo, but I'm sure those Germans and Brits that make that ammo are happy to see ammo that probably sits for ever in a warehouse save for the few cases they sell to the US shooting team sell like that.
I do know some places in Ada and Canyon County that may have it if you are looking for it or know someone who is in the area who is looking--email me if that is the case.
This has been going on for over a year now. Wondering how much longer it can last. Crazy and amazing and concerning and frustrating all at once!
Wish I had the millions to get into the ammo business. Ammo is our weakest link to our 2nd amendment.
Sadly 22 seems to no longer be the practice/beginner/affordable/new shooter/kid's first gun caliber anymore. That's bad for the future....And the anti-gun crowd no doubt is celebrating this terrible news.
There's always air guns--till they declare lead pellets an environmental hazard!
Try this site, one of the features that I like is the ability to set the price point per round.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.wikiarms.com
Just about every day there is there is 22lr at your price point.
You still have to figure out your price per round that you are willing to pay with shipping costs added and even then there are many that show up that are still under 10 cents per round.
(Sorry if this is a duplicate)
ReplyDeleteThey already have declared Lead pellets an environmental hazard, and are pushing alloy pellets. OTOH, those pellets are pretty good.
(Just picked up a GAMO airgun recently. Although it claims to have some sort of noise reduction gizmo on the end of the barrel, it still sounds like a .22 going off, since it claims to produce 1300 FPS.)
The Firearms Blog has a weekly rundown of ammo prices as well. I see .22 is up from .11 to .14 this week.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2014/07/25/ammo-prices-07252014/