Defensive Carry banner

Purpose of stockpiling ammo?

16K views 109 replies 74 participants last post by  cmdrdredd 
#1 ·
Just curious about this. Unless you live under a rock as a gun owner you likely realize that ammo is getting hard to find in most popular calibers. Lots of board members here and people I know are stockpiling thousands of rounds. I am just curious as to why people are doing this? I mean, if they outlaw guns completely (not gonna happen.......yet) then you will be forced to either break the law or hand in your weapons and ammo. So what other reason would people have to store up 1000 rounds. I mean, you aren't going to stave off military action against yourself with 1000 rounds of 9mm handgun ammo are you?

Don't get me wrong, I have a small stash for myself. But I want to go to the range dang it, and it is hard to do without ammo. If everyone would stop buying so much, maybe I could get in my weekly 100 rounds at my range........

Thoughts?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mecread
#2 ·
Certain kinds of ammo are being stockpiled because if certain kinds of guns are banned, finding the ammo will be very difficult. It's good to have a stash for when those times get tough. Stockpiling ammo in bulk now (or before prices sky rocketed) is also a good idea so that later on if/when prices are even higher, you'll already have a good amount.

Also, buying in bulk is just cheaper.
 
#11 ·
Certain kinds of ammo are being stockpiled because if certain kinds of guns are banned
I'm glad you mentioned that, and I can understand buying up .223 or .556. But why in the heck is there no 9mm or .45acp on the shelves? Handguns aren't under attack........YET!

As for stockpiling, I guess I consider 1000 rounds to be a stockpile. I have a monthly budget (4 kids, 1 wife, 1 meger income) and cannot afford to spend $250 a pop on ammo. My $50 weekly budget (total cost for 100 rounds of .40 and range time/targets) is about all I can swing.

I guess I don't understand why anyone would need a 1000 rounds of handgun ammo. I mean, I always keep a few mags full of my SD ammo for home/personal defense and then just buy and shoot range ammo as needed. Never really felt the need to buy "stores". So why do you all keep 1000 rounds in your cars or houses? For a war? (not being funny, trying to make up my mind if I am missing something and need to devote some money to adding more ammo to my cache)
 
#9 ·
It's just panic more than anything else. People are buying firearms at a record pace, so obviously you gotta have bullets for those firearms. Now add all the guys that aren't panic buying anything but are watching the ammo dry up; so now they have to stock up too.

Our economic model of supply and demand is usually a well balanced seesaw. When you get a rush of people to one side, it's easy to get totally off balance.
 
#10 ·
All the fear mongering have a buying frenzy going on. No different than any other frenzy through out history. Stock market, gas crisis in the late 70's or the best one was the 'Tulip' mania that occurred back in the 1600's.

Funny it is... people who talk about the 'sheep' are the ones who act the most like sheep.
 
#15 ·
IMO, the purpose depends on the goals of the person in question.

For myself, "stockpiling" is merely a bad-dog euphemism for having enough on-hand in case of the supply pipeline either drying up or getting so expensive it's irrelevant. How much is enough is a judgment call, based on many factors and perceptions, many of which are outside of my control.
 
#17 ·
OKay, great point. Now let me ask you this. Say you have 1000 rounds of your given carry gun ammo. And the supply line goes dry. Do you have this extra 1000 rounds so you can keep practicing like you normally do (i.e. 100 rounds a week) until more is available, or do you hoard what you have? If the latter, why hoard 1000 rounds?
 
#26 ·
With a family of 6 adult children, 26 grandkids, and 9 going on 10 great, we go thru a 5000 round brick of 22 lr in the first month of summer! As for training I go thru 4,000 rounds of 9mm ever 3 months! So I need 16,000 round of 9mm annually! Whats the stockpiling limit? According to the NFP Code it is 10,000 rounds within a structure (unless you have a storage magazine**), so until you exceed that you're not hoarding!

Yes I reload, but that is for my hunting rounds as I don't have time for the training ammo and working!

** for those in Pahrump, NV, a "storage magazine" IS NOT A CLIP NOR A MAGAZINE FOR A FIREARM! :wave:
 
#29 ·
I just bought 100 rounds of CCI Mini-Mag from my LGS. $29.99!!!! Yikes, that hurt. I'll either stop shooting or look somewhere else. I questioned him about it, and he stated that his cost has gone through the roof... He's the only place around the area that has any ammo???
 
#30 ·
I wish I had more ammo. I did go to the gun show here in Mesa this weekend and it was crazy. The longest line we have ever seen. I was looking for some 1911 mags and some reloading stuff, but not much there at reasonable prices. I did get some bullets though at a good price, sucked I had to carry them around for awhile though, didn't want to miss out and have them all sold out. LOL!

Be safe!
 
#33 ·
4 words. Pew pew pew! 'Murica!


I have about 1000-1200 rounds of 9mm sitting in my closet just waiting to be burned through! The only reason I bought so much at one time (5 day period) is because I knew it would be at least a month or two of dry shelves
 
#35 ·
My definition of stockpiling is; 1k rnds per weapon plus 250-500 rnds of JHP for each SD weapon, other than antiques. This is not the definition used by many of my relatives and friends, most believe that there is always a need for more ammo regardless of present supply. Up until recently on my normal range trips I expended at least 1k rounds per month.
 
#37 ·
I load up on as much ammo as I can within reason. I have a minimum threshold for each caliber I own, for example 1,200 quality SD 9mm and .45 rounds each, 1,500 5.56, 500 .308, 2,000 .22 ...Anything above is typically FMJ and my recreational ammo. When my personal thresholds are hit, I stop taking the kids to the range and I stop going and depleting my ammo. Its just my method right or wrong. I really enjoy shooting for fun and like most of us, have built up my ammo stocks over an extended period of time and have been disciplined. Just 2 cents.
 
#38 ·
Really does depend on what a person considered stockpiled ammo. Where I live I have never, and still never, have a problem finding ammo. I get the cheap stuff, 9.99 to 11.99 a box blazer 9mm to plink with. I went in a week ago and bought 14 boxes and while I was there a guy was picking up .223 and didn't seem to have a problem getting it, at least this is what one guy was saying to the other guy he was with. To my husband 14 boxes is stocking up lol. To me 14 boxes is a nice day at the range with friends lol.
 
#40 ·
Also, some of us belong to outdoor ranges that don't sell ammo. Why run to the LGS when you can buy a case and use it for a month or so? If it was on sale, why not stock up? Have you not seen the top couponer show where people have a year's supply of soda?

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2
 
#42 ·
Agreed. Also, not everyone is "stockpiling" in huge quantities. Many people, like myself, buy ammo on an as-needed basis. Sure I have a box or two of SD ammo, but not a lot for practice. I'm used to hitting the local store and buying what I need for the day. Well, with all of the hooplah talk and legislation proposed, I thought I could use a little "reserve" of ammo. As in, buy a few boxes for the guns that I own. Nothing crazy, just a little extra that I don't normally have. Multiply that same attitude across the country, and there is a lot of ammo being bought up. It isn't just the guys (and gals) buying in huge bulk quantities.
 
  • Like
Reactions: aus71383
#45 ·
Hey all, thanks for the lively discussion. Good points I didn't think about (especially the competitive shooters). I feel better knowing that I am not missing the boat so to speak with my relatively small hoard of bullets (200). For me, it is more than enough. I guess I just wanted to make sure I didn't need to run out and buy another 1000 rounds cause I didn't know something. I feel better.

As for roving gangs doing home invasions, well, if that happens I am going to bug out and head over to my buddies house. He stockpiles AR's and ammo like I do donuts and coffee cakes :)
 
#46 ·
One of the most sensible threads I have read so far. I guess some ppl think if they have a certain number of rounds that they are gonna keep the gov't from taking their whatever, If they send the military after you I promise no one will be able to stand up do that, some fools have even put videos on the net stating "they will start shooting ppl" Well, go ahead and see what happens.
 
#47 ·
What gets me is the majority of folks scarfing up all the ammo probably aren't regular shooters, only those afraid they might miss out on something. The Keeping-up-with-the-Jones effect. I may have about 1000 rounds of ammo in various calibers, mostly reloads, more than enough for my purposes as I can't get out to shoot as often as I'd like.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top