FROM THE STAR/TRIBUNE
Bullet-makers are working seven days a week and still can't keep up with the nation's demand for ammunition.
Shooting ranges, gun dealers and bullet manufacturers say they have never seen such shortages. Bullets, especially for handguns, have been scarce for months because gun enthusiasts are stocking up on ammo, in part because they fear President Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress will pass antigun legislation -- even though nothing specific has been proposed.
Gun sales spiked when it became clear Obama would be elected a year ago and purchases continued to rise in his first few months of office. The FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System reported that 6.1 million background checks for gun sales were issued from January to May, an increase of 25.6 percent from the same period the year before.
"That is going to cause an upswing in ammunition sales," said Larry Keane, senior vice president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a trade association representing about 5,000 members. "Without bullets a gun is just a paperweight."
Americans usually buy about 7 billion rounds of ammunition a year, according to the National Rifle Association. In the past year, that figure has jumped to about 9 billion rounds.
"We are working overtime and still can't keep up with the demand," said Al Russo, spokesman for North Carolina-based Remington Arms Company, which makes bullets for rifles, handguns and shotguns. "We've had to add a fourth shift and go 24-7. It's a phenomenon that I have not seen before in my 30 years in the business."
"I call it the Obama effect," said Jason Gregory, 37, who manages a gun store outside of New Orleans. Gun control legislation "always happens when the Democrats get in office. ... Ammunition will be the first step, so I'm stocking up while I can."
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This makes me so mad! On top of everything else that's going on in this country, we have to worry about our President taking away our guns. Guns are used for more than just illegal things! I mean, this is absolutely ridiculous. Ammunition sales have skyrocketed because people are feeling the need to go over and beyond just to save their guns. I do believe, however, that they are going a little bit 'over-the-top' but, I can see where they are coming from. My thoughts are, that if people are trying this hard to 'stock up', the leaders of our country will see this happening, and know that just simply not allowing us to BUY them is not enough. That might push them to go to the extreme and actually take them from our very hands.
ReplyDeleteI think people are being ridiculous about this whole thing. It isn't such a big deal that they're controling guns for the safety of our people. And they'll probably just make it a bit harder to get a liscence to own a gun. It's not a huge deal if he puts more enforcement on gun control. You never know what kind of lunatic could get ahold of a rifle and do terrible, terrible things. With school shootings and mass murder, no wonder they're trying to enforce gun control. People are acting really childish about this. It's no big deal if they get their guns taken away. Unless a man feels that they're only as big as their rifle, which is a sad thought.
ReplyDelete- Hailey F2
I understand why all these people are stocking up on ammunition. I am a gun owner myself and guns are a big part of my life and many other people’s lives. If something threatened something you cared about wouldn't you do something to keep it a part of your life? Only a small percent of guns are used for crimes. So why should all gun owners be punished because a couple people chose to use a gun in a crime. ("A gun is a bad thing in the wrong hands but in the hands of someone that uses it properly poses little threat to people".) The guns that are being used illegally are hand guns and semi-auto and automatic rifles which take different ammunition than other guns that are used for hunting. So I ask why should all guns be taken away? I think that the government should pass a law to make it harder to acquire these "machine guns" and ammunition for them. If a gun can't get in the wrong hands there is little chance it will hurt somebody.
ReplyDeleteAs an avid hunter and gun-user, i think it's horrible that our president could even think of taking away guns. Because of this possibility, my family has stocked up on ammunition ourselves. With all kinds of people doing exactly what we did, prices have gone up like crazy, and now you need to be willing to spend a ridiculous amount of money to get any. Also, I strongly disagree with Hailey. Taking away guns would not solve anything as criminals would still find a way to get them, and that would just keep law-abiding people from being able to hunt and do other shooting-related sports.
ReplyDelete-Austin S5
To tell the truth, things like this just kinda irk me. Not because I'm a weapon-bound gun fanatic, just the small little problem of encroaching on our right to bear arms. This situation in particular reminds me of a few small towns in the south. One of them put a full scale ban on all firearms, and the other required every family to won at least one. Now, which one would you rather try to break into? As you can probably imagine, the "anti-gun" town had crime rates blowing through the roof! Simply because people were given little to no means of self-defense. Taking this into account, lets just think about what could happen if this were to occur throughout the entire country! Now, the unavailability of automatic weapons is understandable, but you'd think our own constitutional rights would allow for at least a simple revolver or a rifle. Besides that, whatever a criminal can't get in the US, they'll find on the black market. Or the Russians; they're always loaded with that stuff. And Hailey, is it really that childish to be prepared for possible future outbreaks? What if a militia force must be formed and nobody has any weapons with which to do so because America's socialistic media-child ordered them away? In my eyes, if guns kill people, then spoons make people fat. But since that's not the case, I say just leave the whole thing alone, and keep doing it like we've been always done it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Austin and David, but people need to understand that it's not the hunters in the world it's people making bad decisions about how they use their guns. For example; like the inner-cities people shouldn't need to have machine guns, but they should be allowed to have normal rifles for like hunting and stuff. But the price of ammo is getting a little ridiculous...$50 a box of 300 short mag bullets is a little expensive.
ReplyDeleteI think that banning ammo is not right. I think its not right because its not the hunter making bad decisions about how they use there guns. I think they should let hunters keep there guys and also i think that the price of some boxes of bullets are getting ridiculous, I personaly think they should lower the price.
ReplyDeleteI myself hunt with guns and collect them. I think obama or anyone else should'nt be able to mess with guns or there prices cause if they do some honest people will lose there guns.Now in my eyes he should take stuff like the Intratec TEC-9 wich is a semi auto hand gun that can be concealed,but we should just raise the security of the background cheks.I also think ammunition shouldnt be raised in price cause i own a .223 which is used in most military guns that civilians can own. Earlier this year i boght a $28 dollar box of shells that should have been about $15. And that is basically what i think about what is happening.
ReplyDeleteMe as a hunter things it is ridiculous to take away guns. We are stocking up on ammunition as well and the prices have skyrocketed. Taking away the gunsn won't do anything gang members and people doing crimes will still have ways to get guns. I thinks it is stupid.
ReplyDeleteIm with matt as a hunter you take away guns that takes away the sport and then we have to worry about over poppulation with some animals.Taking them away gangs will buy them even more leading to more violence.Not to mention its taking away or right to bear arms.As a kid i grew wating to get to shoot my dads guns it was an activity for him and I. Now your taking that away for other people
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ReplyDeletei Agree with Grace, why do we need to worry about taking guns away when there is so much more to worry about in this country now days. Guns do serve a purpose like hunting and maybe some others but there are no real use for them. I think that people are over thinnking this hole thing.
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