In 2020, there were over 21 million background checks for the sale of firearms.
It’s estimated that 40% of those, or about 8.4 million are first-time gun buyers.
This means there are about 8.4 million people who not only bought a firearm, but needed to buy ammunition as well.
At even a box or two apiece, that’s a lot more ammo flying off the shelves…
And to make matters worse, the ammo shortage that started in 2020 is still ongoing as everyone knows.
The influx of new shooters doesn’t help…
But one of the main drivers of the ongoing shortage are the so-called “ammo scalpers.”
These are people that buy commodities in bulk, and then sell them at marked-up prices.
This practice messes up the normal market and makes it harder for everyday purchases.
These resellers started by purchasing ammo in bulk online, then resold it to local brick and mortar stores.
For example, the original buyers would buy ammo for fifty cents a round…
Then they would go to their local store and resell it to them for seventy-five cents a round…
Finally, the brick-and-mortar store would mark up the ammo to make their profit.
By the time everyone in the chain stacks on their profits, you have very high-priced ammo that is still immediately selling out.
These resellers are constantly searching the internet for ammo and as soon as an online retailer has any, they buy it all up.
One popular ammo retailer reported their ammo had sold out within three minutes of being posted online as in stock.
The resellers even use bots to wait for when ammo becomes available.
Once it is in stock, the bots buy the ammo in high volume on behalf of the scalper.
For instance, let’s say a reseller wants to make their money on 9mm ammo.
They set bots to watch popular online ammo retailers for the ammo.
As soon as it comes available, the bots snatch up as many boxes as they can.
They pay the regular retail price and resell it for a higher price on the secondary market.
So, how can you find ammo before it’s all gone?
Here are a few things to consider…
Avoid resellers:
Scalpers are buying ammo in massive amounts.
These days, resellers in some cities are selling ammo out of the back of a van like you would see in a movie.
As much as these price gougers are to blame for the ammo shortage, it is also the people who are buying from them.
I realize finding ammo is tough, but avoid supporting these resellers.
At the end of the day, if they no longer have a market for the marked-up ammo they will likely stop the practice.
Online retailers:
It’s a good idea to check with numerous online retailers to find ammo.
Yet, checking each website multiple times a day is time-consuming.
For this reason, the best thing to do is to sign up for notifications from each website (either text or email notifications).
You can set up alerts for different brands and calibers so you can get exactly what you need.
Even better, consider creating an account with the website and add the ammo you want to your cart.
This way, when the ammo comes in stock, you should get a notification and can login and complete the order.
Ideally, you can do this before it’s all bought up.
I would check out websites such as Palmetto Start Armory, Cabela’s, and Lucky Gunner.
Social engineering:
You’ve heard me mention this before…
Social engineering is a way to get what you want.
In this situation, you should use social engineering at your local gun shop.
Put simply, be nice and make some friends.
If it’s a shop you’ve visited before, make it known that you are a customer and you love their products.
If you are buying a new piece of shooting gear, buy it from the same store.
Show the store how you are trying to support them during these times.
After forging a friendship, take the opportunity to ask when they are getting a shipment of ammo.
Yes, it’s true that everyone is asking them the same question…
But, if you spend money in their shop, you could be a priority.
Don’t neglect the “momma’s and the papa’s”:
Also, if you take a road trip consider stopping in a small-town hardware stores.
For example, a friend of mine was recently traveling through rural Nevada.
He stopped at a small-town True Value and found ammo. So, be sure to check everywhere you can.
Finding ammo anytime soon isn’t going to be easy…
But by using these tips, you may just be able to get the ammo you need to protect yourself and your loved ones.
