Gun, Ammo Sales Up 14 Percent

[SwordOfShannarah]

http://www.buckmasters.com/bm/Resources/Articles/tabid/135/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/158/Default.aspx


Gun, Ammo Sales Up 14 Percent; $70 Million For Conservation [Click to print]

From National Shooting Sports Foundation

-- Sales by gun and ammunition manufacturers grew by 14 percent in the first quarter of 2007 compared to the same period a year earlier, according to one of the firearm industry's best economic indicators.

The statistics are taken from the latest Pittman-Robertson federal excise tax collection report. Excise taxes are calculated as a percentage of wholesale receipts, paid quarterly by firearm and ammunition manufacturers, and earmarked for state wildlife conservation and habitat restoration programs.

From January through March, $70 million was generated for conservation, compared to $61 million in 2006. The latest tax collections suggest overall sales of $653.9 million during the quarter, not including retail markup or final retail sales.

The increase was seen across the board in sales of handguns, long guns and ammunition.

Firearms and Ammunition Excise Tax Collections
(calendar year)
First Quarter 2007 (January-March)
Handguns $19,004,400.42
Long Guns $28,467,262.71
Ammunition $22,562,173.44
Total $70,033,836.57

First Quarter 2006 (January-March)
Handguns $14,474,018.18
Long Guns $26,763,118.85
Ammunition $20,088,599.72
Total $61,325,736.75

Source: U.S. Department of Treasury

[Hook]

Like rats on a ship I guess. People know something is coming up.

[Razmear]

I'm wondering if sales numbers have gone up or just prices.
Ammo costs have gone up a lot since the war. Used to get a case (1000rds) of 7.62x39 for about $90 now its closer to $140.

eb

[Shellshock1918]

oh no! this is terrible! crime will rise!!! (sarcasm)

[ksuguy]

Mostly they are scared of the democrats. People panic buy because they fear bans should the democrats win. We also have the same situation if Romney or Giuliani win.

Ammo costs have doubled or tripled. 7.62x51 is approaching $400-500 a case if you can find it. I wish I could find 7.62x39 for $140, it's a lot more than that. Even 9mm is $200 a case now. This is due to a variety of factors. The war is part of it, all the major ammunition companies are devoting their capacity to military orders. Commodity prices are also very high. The UN is putting pressure on other countries to destroy surplus instead of selling it to us. The crappy value of the US dollar also makes import costs higher. Finally, there is a lot of panic buying due to fear of further price increases or a bad election outcome.

Electing Ron Paul would really help get my ammo costs under control!

[john_anderson_ii]

You can probably attribute about 2% of that increase to yours truly. ;-)

Just kidding, but I have purchased 3 new guns in the last 7 days, and about 500rds of ammo.

As far as the war causing prices to go up, that would really only count for 5.56 & 7.62 NATO rounds. And the 5.56 ammo prices are definitely going up in the near future due to lack of supply. I've no change in prices of .40 S&W, which is my self defense round of choice.

However, the sales of guns are not affected by the war at all. Hell, a responsible citizen isn't trusted enough by the government to have access to the same weapons a common soldier carries.

It's pretty crazy when the corrupt ones don't trust the honest ones.

[Lord Xar]

hmmm. I can understand this. I will be buying some guns soon, and a ton of ammo. Something is coming, I can feel it. I can't explain it -- but something in my bones is telling me to stock up...

so, I will add to that statistic.....

never underestimate the human intutition...

[Lord Xar]

You can probably attribute about 2% of that increase to yours truly. ;-)

Just kidding, but I have purchased 3 new guns in the last 7 days, and about 500rds of ammo.

As far as the war causing prices to go up, that would really only count for 5.56 & 7.62 NATO rounds. And the 5.56 ammo prices are definitely going up in the near future due to lack of supply. I've no change in prices of .40 S&W, which is my self defense round of choice.

However, the sales of guns are not affected by the war at all. Hell, a responsible citizen isn't trusted enough by the government to have access to the same weapons a common soldier carries.

It's pretty crazy when the corrupt ones don't trust the honest ones.


what did you buy? I am thinking of the sig 9mm or the baretta cheetah 22lr, in addition to a shotgun...

[austin356]

I will be buying lots of guns and a closet full of ammo.

I had a random uninformed redneck guy Saturday tell me he "feels something" and I agree.

[Man from La Mancha]

Do you realize how the media can make gun owners look nuts, I can go thru 300 rounds in a practice target shoot. And if I wanted to practice every day like a musician, I would go thru 9,000 rounds in a month, but if the media reported that I would be made to look like a nut for having so much ammo. It is always cheaper to buy in bulk.

[Lord Xar]

I will be buying lots of guns and a closet full of ammo.

I had a random uninformed redneck guy Saturday tell me he "feels something" and I agree.

hmm, I posted on "sunday" so I am assured you ain't talking about me...hahhahhah...
But, how do you know he was uninformed?

Cause I am feeling something too!

[austinphish]

As far as the war causing prices to go up, that would really only count for 5.56 & 7.62 NATO rounds. And the 5.56 ammo prices are definitely going up in the near future due to lack of supply. I've no change in prices of .40 S&W, which is my self defense round of choice.

.

ammo isn't made in a vacuum. manufactures are dedicating more to military rounds and the resources that make a military bullet are the same resources that could be used to make other bullets.

[McDermit]

I've never shot a gun in my life, bb gun excluded, and I've recently found myself fighting the urge to buy one (or two.)

And just tonight, a completely uninformed acquantice said he was buying his first gun because it felt like he might need it... And he suggested I do the same. Weird.

[john_anderson_ii]

what did you buy? I am thinking of the sig 9mm or the baretta cheetah 22lr, in addition to a shotgun...

The weapons I bought this week were Glock 23 (.40 S&W compact), HK P2000SK (.40 S&W subcompact w/ LEM trigger), Walther P22 (.22 semi-auto SA/DA pistol for my 9 year old daughter. :))

Guns you should have for a given situation.

Survival:

A .22lr rifle and a 12ga shotgun w/ bird shot. This will allow you to take small game and still have enough left of them to eat. A .270 or .308 will likely not leave very much of the squirrel or rabbit, and it's very hard to take birds with a .22, thus a shotgun is necessary. Besides, 12ga shells and .22 ammo is cheap and accessible everywhere.


Home Defense:

12ga w/ buckshot or other loads designed to stop an intruder. Get a flashlight and a mount. Know what you are shooting! Take a class on local gun laws. If you live in a "retreat first" state, move.


Personal Defense:

This is topic of much debate, so I'll not start anything that goes into caliber wars, or one stop shot statistics or any other nonsense. Carry the biggest round you can safely fire and control. In reality, anything smaller than .38 special, or bigger than .45ACP is useless or overkill respectively. However, a .22 in your pocket is more effective than a .44 magnum in your trunk. All that being said, I'm very partial to .40 S&W. There is a reason why law enforcement agencies all over the world are switching to this round. It gives the shooter the best of the 9mm world (high velocity) and the best of the .45 world (heavy round). Don't waste your time on novelty calibers (.44 magnum & .50AE). Though very powerful and effective, recoil could make any follow up shots unpredictable, and over penetration could cause serious harm to a bystander. You want a caliber that won't exit.

Most import things about self defense are not the caliber of the round. Round strikes off target are dangerous, and they don't save your life. Shot placement, ammo capacity, and concealability are the most important aspects of personal defense. So find a weapon you can shoot quickly and accurately, and conceal well. If you live in a state that "shall issue" concealed carry permits, get one. Then take a class on local laws of engagement. That will save you prison time if you have to defend yourself. For me, these weapons happen to be the Glock 23 & the HK P2000SK. I prefer the sub compact platform for concealability.

Most important issue about personal defense. Practice, practice, practice.

Go to a gun club, not a gun store, and see if you can rent or try out different models in different calibers. Concealability is important. First off you don't want to scare the sheep. You get weird looks and more than one police officer showing up if you open carry and someone gets scared. Second, any gang banger could decide he wants your gun more than you do, and sneak up on you with a baseball bat. Don't make yourself a target if you are trying to protect your self.

Overthrowing Tyranny:

Handguns are useless here. Get a semi-auto rifle chambered in 5.56mm (.223) or 7.62mm (.308). If you want a backup pistol get something in 9mm. I have no sources to site for these recommendations because there is no history to base this on. This isn't a war of ballistics, it's a war of logistics. The calibers I mentioned are the calibers used by NATO and thus the United State's military. I would hate to be in a revolution looking around for .30-30 or .303 British or any other weird load, when all this .223 and .308 was laying about.

P.S. -- No one tell Dirty Harry I was dissing the .44 magnum. I don't want him to take offense to it.

[john_anderson_ii]

ammo isn't made in a vacuum. manufactures are dedicating more to military rounds and the resources that make a military bullet are the same resources that could be used to make other bullets.

Ammo, most of it anyway, is already stockpiled. When warehouses dip into their stockpiles, the prices of that particular load go up. When the stockpiles are depleted and a production crunch is felt, then ammo prices will go up across the board.

So far, the only mention of price hikes I'm hearing among the Arizona shooting community is that of .223, with a possible hike for .308. So I think the wholesalers are dipping into stockpiles at this point.

[noxagol]

I recommend a .45 firing jacket hallow point rounds. That will really mess a person up if they get hit in the torso. Get a hit on the chest and they are not likely to live. That being said, the .45 has a hefty recoil. The .40 is a good compromise.

I recommend a 7.62 NATO round because it has a better chance of penetrating body armor. Current Interceptor armor can't handle a 7.62 NATO (.308 winchester) round, according to some of my ex-marine friends. Problem with this is cost. The ammo is expensive and so are the guns that use it. You can get an M14/M1A, a .308 chambered M4, or an HK91, or FN-FAL. Most of those are a grand minimum some even more.

[LibertyOfOne]

How long of a shelf life does ammunition have?

[john_anderson_ii]

Keep away from moisture!.

As long as it's stored properly in a humidity and temperature controlled place the shelf life of military grade ammo is pretty much indefinite. Almost all ammo sold in the U.S. by a respected manufacturer is "military grade".

Rounds that you carry for personal defense, or rounds that are not stored in a controlled condition, last 6 to 18 months or more depending on climate. In AZ, I carefully inspect my carry rounds (Federal Hydra-Shocks) every 6 months. I replace them every 2 years, whether or not they look like they need them. Someday I may have to bet my life on these rounds, so $50 bi-annually for 40 Hydra-Shocks is a small price to pay.

In short, keep ammo as long as you need to, but if they've been mothballed for a while be sure you visually inspect them. If they are corroded, knock of the corrosion with some steel wool, if the corrosion has pitted the metals, they are useless and dangerous.

[noxagol]

Keep away from moisture!.

As long as it's stored properly in a humidity and temperature controlled place the shelf life of military grade ammo is pretty much indefinite. Almost all ammo sold in the U.S. by a respected manufacturer is "military grade".

Rounds that you carry for personal defense, or rounds that are not stored in a controlled condition, last 6 to 18 months or more depending on climate. In AZ, I carefully inspect my carry rounds (Federal Hydra-Shocks) every 6 months.

In short, keep them as long as you need to, but if they've been mothballed for a while be sure you visually inspect them. If they are corroded, knock of the corrosion with some steel wool, if the corrosion has pitted the metals, they are useless and dangerous.

Yeah, I had a catridge blow a hole in it in the chamber because of a weak spot once. It jammed my rifle good. And that was ammo made in ww2.

[Darren McFillintheBlank]

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