Why is the Department of Homeland Security buying so many bullets?

[ExactlyMyPoint]

It is all so clear now. All my fears of a conspiracy have been alleviated.

Why is the Department of Homeland Security buying so many bullets? | Fox News

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[usnmustang]

This must be why I can't find any .223 or .45ACP.

[Nmuskier]

Why is it that every time the gov. releases that it buys large quantities of ammo, my grocery store runs out of tinfoil?

[Arborigine]

I managed to score a few bricks of .22LR yesterday. Plinkin' time!

[chuckusaret]

What bothers me they use training and large buys to reduce costs as the reason, but why train with HP ammo if the goal is to reduce cost? I don't know what the HLS annual gun training requirements are but if it is a billion rounds over a five year period they are providing much more marksmanship live fire training then our military gets.

I have attempted to find what the HLS's past ammo buys were to no avail.

[F350]

OK..

Homeland Security Department use as many as 15 million rounds every year, mostly on shooting ranges and in training exercises.
Dixon said one of the contracts would allow Homeland Security to buy up to 750 million rounds of ammunition over the next five years for its training facilities.

Let's say I take them at their word, it's just for training.... BUT 750,000,000/15,000,000 = Anybody? Anybody? Bueller? Bueller?......



So they are buying a 50 year supply over the next 5 years for training???? OK yea I'll buy that

[bmcgilvray]

I'll guarantee ya' that if I could lawfully print off money willy-nilly like the entity that legitimizes, supports, and finances the Department of Homeland Security, I'd be buying ammo in such quantities too.

[kb2wji]

I cant speak for the Feds, but it makes good economic sense. Ammunition isnt easy to get for ANYONE. Civilians, LEO's, Feds....everyone is having a rough go at it lately. Smart departments will be buying far more than they need for annual training / duty use. Think about it...we all know ammo prices will not go back to where they were a year ago. They'll go down, sure, but not as low as they were. How many of us have been trying to buy as much as we can? Departments are doing the same. This way they have (A) enough ammo to last them through a drought and (B) they are always shooting ammunition bought at "yesterdays prices". It's not a big conspiracy. It's what every one of us are doing.

If you are used to using say 200 rounds per month, and this ammo shortage happens, would you not buy 1000 rounds at the next availability? You betcha.

[CLASS3NH]

OK..



Let's say I take them at their word, it's just for training.... BUT 750,000,000/15,000,000 = Anybody? Anybody? Bueller? Bueller?......



So they are buying a 50 year supply over the next 5 years for training???? OK yea I'll buy that

That's an awful lotta Zombies to put down.
Geesh, I hope it's not for the breathing who currently walk the streets.

[BugDude]

The Gubmint is buying up a bunch of ammo before they drive the prices up and make everyone go through a background check and be registered to buy it.

[Gene83]

Government agencies are buying as much as they can of stuff that they know they are going to use before the dreaded mandatory spending cuts take place. Ammunition stores well and keeps for years. Nobody wants to be carrying around an empty gun because there's no money in the budget to buy ammo.

That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

[mcp1810]

Lets get out the Reynolds wrap.

What bothers me they use training and large buys to reduce costs as the reason, but why train with HP ammo if the goal is to reduce cost? I don't know what the HLS annual gun training requirements are but if it is a billion rounds over a five year period they are providing much more marksmanship live fire training then our military gets.

I have attempted to find what the HLS's past ammo buys were to no avail.

You train with the issued carry ammo so there will be no difference in function of the weapon. The muzzle flash will be the same, the recoil will be the same. Also if someone forgets to unload and reload all of their magazines they are not hitting the street with FMJ training ammo. The info is out there if you have the time to look, but you might be surprised when you see the numbers. Many contracts that some are touting as being for hundreds of thousands of rounds actually only commit the government to purchase ten thousand. The big number is the maximum number of rounds the bidder is committing to sell at that price.

OK..



Let's say I take them at their word, it's just for training.... BUT 750,000,000/15,000,000 = Anybody? Anybody? Bueller? Bueller?......



So they are buying a 50 year supply over the next 5 years for training???? OK yea I'll buy that

If you all read carefully,

Dixon said one of the contracts would allow Homeland Security to buy up to 750 million rounds of ammunition over the next five years for its training facilities.

Up to= maximum= no more than. The contract is not buying 750 million rounds of ammo. It is guaranteeing a price from a vendor and guaranteeing that vendor that government will hold them to that price for no more than 750 million rounds. If the price of brass, powder and lead triple during the term of the contract the vendor is on the hook for no more than 750 million rounds. After that they get to negotiate a new price.

The referenced ICE contracts have been discussed in other threads. Again, most of those are "up to" contract numbers. The 176,000 rifle rounds on their own contract was "sniper ammo." That was for training and duty use. When you consider how many rounds are typically fired during a school and how large the agency is that huge purchase is actually pretty small. If you don't even put anyone through a school (at 1,000 rounds per) you don't even have enough for 200 people nation wide to have twenty rounds per week for practice and qualification.
and

--40 million rounds of rifle ammunition a year for as many as five years, for a total bullet-buy of 200 million rounds

So that 200 million rounds again is a maximum. They say as many as but not as few as. So this contract described as being for 200 million in reality is probably only for 40 million.

But how exciting is that?

ETA: Here is an excerpt from a DHS solicitation for Commercial Lead Training Ammo

This contract is for commerical leaded training ammunition (CLTA) in accordance with this document. When the Government requires CLTA covered by this contract, delivery order(s) will be issued: delivery instructions will be included therein. Prices include all delivery cost and Federal Excise Tax (FET) . The minimum guarantee the Government will order is 1,000 rounds per contract year. Unit price is per 1,000 rounds.

That is from HSFLGL-12-B-00003 Dated 07/18/12 The .pdf is available through FedBizOps.gov if you look under homeland security and Glynco.

[mprp]

They're just trying to keep up with the Joneses. If by Joneses you mean all of us ammo hoarders.

[1010]

I wish these ammo makers would, tell our gov to back off on the AW ban, or we might cut the GOV off on the ammo..

This BS would all go away, over night..

[sixgun]

I managed to score a few bricks of .22LR yesterday. Plinkin' time!

Lucky you.