Guns, Ammo Still Scarce And The Effect It Can Have On Your Training
A few days ago I ran back out to the local sports store to make an attempt at finding some ammunition. What I saw, or, rather, didn't see was kinda crazy. The shelves were utterly bare.
They had some 10mm and some .40S&W, but as far as semi-auto calibers go that was it. For revolvers? It was actually even worse as the only “common” caliber I found was .44 magnum.
Sure, there were some really oddball calibers that almost nobody shoots, like 25 ACP and .454 Casull, but really, the shelves were bare. Rimfire ammunition was also just about non-existent as was what I'd call the “personal defense rifle rounds” like .223 and 5.56 NATO.
They had the major hunting and long distance calibers like 6.5 CM, .308 Win, and .30-06 Springfield but that doesn't really help you unless you need those calibers. The only personal defense rifle rounds they had, which doesn't help me much because I don't own one, was 300 BLK, and even then, there were only a handful of boxes.
A bit different from the last time I went was the emptiness seen inside the gun case. The glass case had a few straggler guns strewn about, and there were also a few shotguns. But, for the most part, there were almost zero guns for sale.
This is a big store that is called Sportsman's Warehouse. It's not quite Cabela's big, but it's a big outdoor department store about the size of Dick's with a, usually, large selection of ammunition and guns.
They were sold out. This creates a huge problem for me as someone who shoots on a weekly basis, or at least used to.
Because of this lack of ammo in the stores and even online, I have personally not been to the range since the COVID-19 lock downs have started.
This simply means that my live fire training, and even just static target practice (the two are different) have taken a hit.
Don't get me wrong, I still have a lot of ammo. I'm just afraid to shoot it out of fear that I won't be able to replenish it.
This can have a major, negative impact on your training and preparedness for self-defense purposes. That's why we're here, after all.
The only way forward for me is dry fire practice. We've got a lot of different resources for dry firing and it really is beneficial.
Shop Talk – Dry Fire Reloads and Malfunction Clearing
BarrelBlok – #1 Dry Fire Safety Tool
Ultimately, continuing on with your training is of extreme importance. If you cannot train because you're afraid to shoot away your ammo without being able to replenish it, dry fire practice is really the only other option. This is something you should be doing already, anyway.
Leave your thoughts on this in the comments below.
Ammogedden
I live near a Cabela’s and it’s the same story. They stock the shelves and within a few days it’s nearly bare. Getting hard to find the popular caliber stuff like 9mm and even shotgun rounds. I have found smaller stores with a decent amount of ammo.
12 gauge shotgun with 00 or 000 buckshot rounds works pretty well for home defense. Some of the online stores that has or had ammo recently have started gouging with increases of over $100 plus for the same amount and type of training ammunition prior to the COVID-19 appearance on our shores.
The only sage advice I can give you younger people is look into reloading your own ammunition. Lord knows most of the unemployed folks should of gotten a chance to go to the local library or find some local reloaders to help you out and get you on the path to self sufficiency. Or just buy a bunch of ammunition the next time it looks like a disaster might be coming our way.
There are plenty of online vendors that sell bulk calibers. Try Cheaper Than Dirt, or Classic Firearms to start.
Learning to reload is an option. You would be surprised what you will learn.