AMARILLO, TEXAS -- If you’ve been having problems getting ammunition you’re not alone.
Several local gun dealers are reporting a difficulty getting the amount of ammunition they want. Those who do get ammunition are having to charge more for it. Some attribute the supply/demand imbalance to a series of factors, including the end of the year practice of eliminating inventory only to have to react to a sharp demand following the shooting incident in Connecticut. Also, the 35 annual shot show is underway in Las Vegas.
More than 60,000 buyers and sellers are attending and much ammunition is on display. Locally, some gun stores have limited ammo.
Charlissa Stokes of Panhandle Gunslingers says "it’s been hard to get and it’s going up. Our costs are going up, which drives the customer’s cost up."
Panhandle Gunslingers say they are limiting sales of ammunition to two boxes per sale. The difficulty of getting ammunition and related supplies is starting to cause a pinch at some small businesses.
Mike Orr owns Orr’s Gun and Reloading Supply. He says some consumers are afraid they won’t be able to get the ammunition they want and are turning to reloading bullets. Orr sells many of the supplies, but like many reloaders, he’s now having trouble getting sufficient brass. He’s also seeing difficulty obtaining other items from his distributor.
Orr said, "I’m really getting low on bullets, as well. I'm having to limit the quantity of the primers is sell to people, so I can go another couple weeks. I'm on the verge of going out of business."
