I'm not complaining but why do countries sell good ammo as surplus?

[easyrider604]

I don't understand why countries will sell-off so-called surplus ammo, then buy new?

Nothing wrong with shooting 40 year old CZ surplus IMO. I have not had a single failure to feed, to eject or to fire using CZ surplus.

At the very least, they can use their old ammo for training purposes.

Ideas?

 

[Woodbeef]

Probably to spend the budget monies,and generate business within the country. Once stockpiles are large enough they sell off. Either to make $$$ or rotate out after a certain age.

 

[colinjw]

For some countries selling their arms and ammunition brings in major cash. Then making new ones creates jobs.

 

[Styrak]

Militaries have expiry dates on their ammo I believe. Once it's up, out the door it goes.

 

[Drachenblut]

I understand it that most NATO countries rotate their ammo stocks every 15 years max, and 30 years for "obsolete" cartridges, a lot of it is sold off to the civilian market and to other countries to generate some revenue. If you think about it, if you had made 50,000 rounds 30 years ago, and you sell it today, instead of having it sit around for another 30 years, you might as well sell it off and take those funds, make new, better ammo. I hear the Brits did that in the 1960's with a lot of their .303 stock, since it was obsolete compared to their 7.62 NATO

 

[PerversPépère]

Too bad it takes so much longer to rotate ammo than yogurt stocks!
PP.

 

[westrifle_sks]

It is basically sell it or destroy it. In Canada most of ammo is destroyed. You don't see Canadian surplus as often. Sometimes there is 9 mm from police surplus. Other wise it is out the door.

Good day.

I understand it that most NATO countries rotate their ammo stocks every 15 years max, and 30 years for "obsolete" cartridges, a lot of it is sold off to the civilian market and to other countries to generate some revenue. If you think about it, if you had made 50,000 rounds 30 years ago, and you sell it today, instead of having it sit around for another 30 years, you might as well sell it off and take those funds, make new, better ammo. I hear the Brits did that in the 1960's with a lot of their .303 stock, since it was obsolete compared to their 7.62 NATO

 

[Calum]

Many health and safety regs have changed among various Militaries of the world the past decade.
Not everyone wants to expose their troops to the more toxic ammo of yesteryear.

Kudos to the Swede for never using corrosive ammo, and for refusing Russian made ammo when they bought Arms from Russia a while back.

 

[greendoh]

By definition it is surplus to their needs. Take it case by case - The Czechs stockpiled ammo when they were in the eastern bloc, preparing for a war with the west. Not much chance of that happening now, so the stockpiles become surplus.

 

[easyrider604]

The ammo may be surplus to their needs, but I think storage space is cheaper than selling off the still good ammo then buying new?

And Canada destroys surplus ammo? That's a total waste of taxpayers money. Perhaps CGNners could lobby our government to sell their surplus to us?

 

[westrifle_sks]

The idea of government own factories is that government owns them. it is not buying for them it is transferring stock.

Good luck with Canadian surplus.

The ammo may be surplus to their needs, but I think storage space is cheaper than selling off the still good ammo then buying new?

And Canada destroys surplus ammo? That's a total waste of taxpayers money. Perhaps CGNners could lobby our government to sell their surplus to us?

 

[NiceRice858]

Instead of destroying ammunition, why don't we just let the troops go to town with it on the range? Couldn't hurt. That or we could give it to some friendly third world place like Ethiopia, etc.

 

[Calum]

Instead of destroying ammunition, why don't we just let the troops go to town with it on the range? Couldn't hurt. That or we could give it to some friendly third world place like Ethiopia, etc.

How it was explained to me is money can be made by destroying and remaking ammo.

Old surplus was probably state/taxpayer funded and made in state factories. New stuff is private contract, pay by taxpayers.

Consider how many US leaders have their hands in the private contract industries and one can see why this sort of thing would happen.

It's waste based on greed IMHO.

 

[Julius Caesar]

follow the money and find the answers

 

[Drachenblut]

It makes alot of sence, to make money off of that. Same as the recycling business. The amount of electricity saved from recycling one pop can compared to making a new one would run a T.V. for over 15 minutes. Now, of course, there is money to be made in recycling metals, cases and bullets etc and the powder can be re-used. I never knew the Swedes never used corrosive. Wow.