.223 Shortage?

Wholesale Sports is saskatoon had a bunch of boxes of .223 they came in 200 round boxes and were yellow in color. I didn't look too much closer as I don't own a .223 and only saw these cause it was by the .22-250 ammo. They had about 10-15 boxes on the shelf.
 
It is no mystery what is going on, the answer has already been provided, in the Institue for Strategic Studies document that was linked earlier.

But the underlying truth was a dwindling war reserve and a reduction of the country’s capability
to produce munitions. The gap between required and funded ammunition rates is very evident
starting in FY92 and continues through FY02. These dates roughly correspond to the end of the
Cold War (realization of the peace dividend) and the ramp up following the terrorists’ attacks of
2001.
The reduction in funding during these years also affected the United States’ ammunition
production capability resulting in a steady decline since the Cold War. Since 1989, there has
been a 68% decrease in the capacity of the munitions industrial base. The number of facilities
mirrors this decline. Government owned facilities fell from 28 to 13, and privately owned
facilities decreased from 163 to 69. The production of small arms ammunition has been
consolidated in a single government owned facility at Lake City Army Ammunition Plant at Lake
City, Missouri.


When the cold war ended, the peaceniks assumed there would be no big wars in the future, and they reduced ammo purchases and consolidated and closed ammo production facilities. The result was a drawdown in war stores, and no capacity to quickly restore it if and when it was needed. There are now a total of only 82 ammunition production lines in the U.S. (probably counting just counting metallic centrefire). During Vietnam, there were probably over 200.

It also states in this document (dated 2005) that over 350 million rounds per year are being purchased from commercial sources. If you don't think this means Remington, Federal and Winchester, it is you with your head up your arse.


You're confusing the issue here.

Commercially manufactured ammunition for civilian consumption has absolutely NOTHING to do with military procurement or ammunition stockpiles. Name (1) manufacturer that has gone on record as saying there'll be civilian ammo shortages as a result of the campaigns in Afghanistan or Iraq.
 
You're confusing the issue here.

Commercially manufactured ammunition for civilian consumption has absolutely NOTHING to do with military procurement or ammunition stockpiles. Name (1) manufacturer that has gone on record as saying there'll be civilian ammo shortages as a result of the campaigns in Afghanistan or Iraq.

I will say it again:
It also states in this document (dated 2005) that over 350 million rounds per year are being purchased from commercial sources.

In other words, commercially manufactured ammunition has EVERYTHING to do with military procurement and ammunition stockpiles. The U.S. DoD relies on sources such as Federal and Winchester for about 20% of its ammunition requirements.

Announced December 21, 2007:
Olin Corp., Winchester Ammunition, East Alton, Ill. is being awarded a maximum $29,000,000 firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for 5.56 mm ammunition used by the Navy and Air Force as training rounds.
Federal Cartridge Co., Anoka, Minn. is being awarded a maximum $17,000,000 firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for value for 5.56 mm frangible ammunition used by the Navy and Air Force training rounds.

June 5, 2007:
Federal Cartridge Co., Anoka, Minn., is being awarded a maximum $19,500,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for 5.56 mm linked frangible ammunition.

January 19, 2007:
ATK Federal Cartridge Co., Anoka, Minn., is being awarded a maximum $8,533,200 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity contract for minimum 373 box/max. 19,500 box, A191/ .300 Winchester Magnum Ammunition. A191 ammunition will be used by U.S. forces engaged in combat, and by the Navy in match team competition. Work will be performed in Anoka, Minn

September 27, 2006:
Federal Cartridge Company, Anoka, Minn., is being awarded a potential $16,991,600 firm-fixed-price, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract, for a maximum 30,000,000 rounds of .40 caliber jacketed hollow point and 30,000,000 of .40 caliber ball ammunition. The 40 caliber ammunition will be used in support of the United States Air Force and will be used for training purposes.

September 1, 2005:
Olin Corp., East Alton, Ill., was awarded on Aug. 30, 2005, a $10,886,363 firm-fixed-price contract for 5.56mm short range training ammunition. Work will be performed in East Alton, Ill., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2010.

I could not find any contract announcements for ammunition from Remington.

Those are recent, active contracts for 5.56, .300 Win Mag and .40 S&W ammunition. That ammunition will be loaded with the same presses, material handlers, conveyor lines, inspection and packing stations that would otherwise be making ammunition for the police and civilian markets. Military orders to commercial ammo makers has a HUGE impact on the availability of ammo to civilian shooters.
 
At this time, I am not set-up to receive your .223 rifles, as I not enamored with the round as most are, I will how ever except any Remington 700 short actions, shipped prepaid, due to the lack of ammunition.
 
I would send you a free rifle but it is chambered in 556 and from what I have read on the internet and CGN it would not be much use in the realm of 223:p
 
The ammo "shortage" specifically .223, 7.62x39, and various popular handgun calibers has been going on for the last couple of years. I know some members of this board feel that some retailers/distributors and manufactures are conspiring together to raise the price at the retail level. It's still supply and demand that determines the retail price of any commodity. Trust me there is not one big meeting where we all sit down and try to determine how we can get the price higher. The goal of every merchant is to purchase at the lowest price with the best terms and then mark up the product as much as the market will bear. Retailers know that usually when the prices go higher then sales come down. We buy from multiple suppliers and will place larger orders with suppliers who have the best prices and the most reliable delivery. Having said that I just got a back order list from a large distributor of all the undelivered ammunition (and guns and accessories) that were not delivered during 2007 and would be cancelled. We will now have to reorder at the new improved prices. We bought very large quantities of .223 ammo from multiple suppliers at much higher prices than we paid previously a couple of years ago and have almost depleted this reserve. During this time we may not have been the lowest price in the country but almost always had it in stock. We don't' subscribe to the feast or famine style of marketing where we bring in a supply of a desired product, put the retail price lower than anybody else and then sell it all in a short time frame leaving no back up inventory for the next several months. Our customers like to know that we carry ammunition for the guns we sell but they are free to buy their ammo from whoever has the lowest price and often do. Having said that we have never sold as much ,223 and other military ammunition (and handgun ammo) as we have during the last two years. Phil.
 
Great I buy a .223 and I find this out.....Should of got the .22-250 instead. :(


did Walmart and Canadian tire carry .223 ammo before? I see they have .22-250, and .243

Some do, some don't. Alot of the southern Ontario wal-marts and CT stores are phasing out ammo completely. :mad:
 
Further to this discussion we now have been quoted wholesale pricing that is at or above our current retail price. This leaves us with the dilemma of either boycotting these inflated (for whatever reason) wholesale prices and waiting for the price to come down (if that ever happens) or to buy at a higher price and when it comes in try to explain to our customers why there is such a price increase from the last time they bought ammo from us. Also this seems to be a good time to get into reloading as some stores still have components at last years prices so the cost per round would be considerably less at this point. Be ready however for the new pricing on components that will be delivered this year and will reflect the current increased cost. Phil.
 
Too bad Imperial is gone. Be nice to have a supply of Canadian made ammo that is not the whim of the US market. Fortunately the brass is cheap and reloading is a real plus option. I have managed to save a lot of money buying bullets and odds off of the EE. I like to shop at home if I can.
 
Too bad Imperial is gone. Be nice to have a supply of Canadian made ammo that is not the whim of the US market. Fortunately the brass is cheap and reloading is a real plus option. I have managed to save a lot of money buying bullets and odds off of the EE. I like to shop at home if I can.

Imperial isn't really gone. It has morphed into I.V.I owned by Valcartier in Quebec. They manufacture military ammuntion.
I suspect they stopped manufacturing commercial ammuntion in order to garner Canadian Military Contracts from the Liberals. But that is just speculation.
There was a time when Dominion was considered one of the highest quality brands of ammunition manufactured. It was purchased by C.I.L. who changed the name to Imperial, then purchased by Valcartier industries who let the quality go down the toilet, then ceased commercial sales.
I have a Drulov target .22 rimfire ruined by I.V.I. .22 rimfire ammo loaded to too high a pressure. I have heard of others who have had similar problems.
 
Was out looking for .223 for gopher hunting and the only stuff I found was at WSS. All the Canadian Tires, including the one on Macleod (they sell guns) are out of stock, the guy called his suppliers and was told they are both out of stock and back ordered. Russells didn't have anything less than $20/20 either and didn't know when the cheaper stuff would come in.

Went into WSS and they had Winchester and American Eagle for $9/box and it was 10% off ammo day. I picked up 200rds, but probably should have bought more... I seen PandD was selling lots of 500rds at the gun show too, so the bucket isn't dry, but there maybe a bit of swirl forming as it goes down the drain.

No matter what the reason, it is getting a bit harder to find cheaper .223 here in Calgary.
 
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