Index  •  FAQ  •  Search  

It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 2:45 pm

This is a static archive the Twin Cities Carry forum, maintained as a public service by the current forum of record, The Minnesota Carry Forum.

All times are UTC - 6 hours




Forum locked This topic is locked, you cannot edit posts or make further replies.  [ 1 post ] 
 Ammo still in short supply. Dems get blame 
Author Message
 Post subject: Ammo still in short supply. Dems get blame
PostPosted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 10:11 am 
Longtime Regular
User avatar

Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2008 12:53 am
Posts: 725
Location: New Ulm area
Quote:
http://www.standard.net/live/news/169483/
Friday, April 10, 2009
Ammo in short supply; Dem takeover gets blame
By KRISTINE SHAWKEY
Standard-Examiner staff
kshawkey@standard.net

OGDEN -- With firearm dealers struggling to keep ammunition on their shelves, it seems the gun and ammunition business has been stimulated in a way few people expected.

The minute Barack Obama stepped into the White House, people scrambled to gun stores to buy as much ammunition as they could get their hands on. Now, there's a shortage of ammunition all over the country as demand is three times the supply.

"It's been a huge topic since the election," said Mike Casey, vice president of Smith & Edwards in Farr West.

"Ammunition is hard to come by, and the demand isn't getting smaller. Even with production increases, it is extremely difficult to get ammo."

Casey has been out of several calibers of ammunition for more than six weeks now, with no expected date of delivery.

He receives 20 calls for these items every day and continues to tell customers there's still nothing on the shelves.

Jeff Spencer has worked in the gun business for more than 30 years as part owner of Kent Shooters Supply in Ogden, but he never anticipated such a high demand for ammunition.

With Democrats in control of the House, Senate and presidency, he knew things would get crazy.

"That party is very anti-gun and anti-Second Amendment. All you have to do is look at what they've said and done in the past and you know what they're gonna do again," Spencer said.

Some of the laws that have been discussed within the party infringe on citizens' Second Amendment right to bear arms, Spencer said. He believes that's the reason people are buying as much ammunition as they can.

Since the election, Spencer said, three or four comments by Democratic leaders along those lines have bumped his sales.

"Every time a comment is made, there's a spike in buying," he said. "It only takes one day and we're wiped out."

From Jan. 1 through the end of March, 63,348 people in Utah have gotten the background check necessary for obtaining a firearm, according to data on an FBI Web site.

In the past 10 years, the state has averaged 90,000 people a year getting those background checks. If this year continues at the same rate as its first three months, Utah would have nearly met its yearly average of background checks by the end of April.

Kent Shooters Supply has a waiting list of 135 people who want to buy the Ruger LCP .380-caliber pistol.

When the guns were in supply, Spencer sold 100 in two days. Even if he had the guns, Spencer has no .380 ammo to sell because producers are swamped.

One manufacturer, Winchester, has back orders for 200 million rounds of .45-caliber bullets.

The company's machines produce 1.6 million rounds a day, which puts them more than 120 days behind.

That same machine makes .380-caliber bullets, but the manufacturer can't shut down production of the .45-caliber bullets on back order to make other ammunition, Spencer said.


And it's getting tougher to make your own bullets, too. Reloading supplies sell out nearly as fast as they hit stores, Spencer said.

Recently, Kent Shooters Supply received a shipment of 80 pounds of gunpowder. That amount, typically a six-month supply for the store, was sold in three days.

"It's crazy. The guy in the past who bought a pound of powder is now buying all I have on the counter," Spencer said.

The run on ammo is an irrational fear driven by paranoia, said Todd Taylor, executive director of the Utah Democratic Party.

"There is no question there are Democrats who are concerned about gun crimes, but most of these people buying these things are not felons and don't have mental problems," he said.

"Nobody's talking about doing anything that would harm someone from protecting themselves or even for sporting or hunting purposes."

When Obama did make gun-control proposals, Democrats like Jim Matheson did oppose it, Taylor said.

"I think the Utah Democratic Party represents the nation's Democratic Party accurately in that we support the Second Amendment."

Law enforcement has not been seriously affected by the shortage, though some say there have been short delays in receiving orders.

The Ogden Police Department orders large amounts of ammunition two or three times a year through a state contract.

The terms of the contract state these buyers have priority in receiving their orders because manufacturers deal with law enforcement differently, said Ogden Assistant Police Chief Randy Watt.

Spencer spends his evenings on the phone and computer searching for suppliers with ammo for sale. He doesn't think it's going to get better anytime soon.

"Judging from the back orders, we're looking at 18 months before we see improvement," Spencer said.

"What worries me is, half the population of Utah doesn't have an idea what's going on because they don't shoot actively.

"They pull the gun out for hunting season, and they're going to be grossly disappointed when they show up in October and can't find ammunition."

_________________
The only downfall to a 1911A1, is actually a plus: You can have it your way, and can put an unreal amount of money into em'.

Squeeze trigger, BANG, repeat. Kind of boring, but I never cared for drama.


Offline
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Forum locked This topic is locked, you cannot edit posts or make further replies.  [ 1 post ] 

This is a static archive the Twin Cities Carry forum, maintained as a public service by the current forum of record, The Minnesota Carry Forum.

All times are UTC - 6 hours


 Who is online 

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 45 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron


 
Index  |  FAQ  |  Search

phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group