So... how much should one buy (hoard)?

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
When it comes to ammo... how much is enough?

If I would have bought every round of .40 target ammo that I've seen locally in the stores in the past month, I'd have around 3000 rounds.

But I didn't. Should have I?

How much is enough considering the current environment?

Should one buy now, assuming that things are only going to get worse, before they ever get better?




Maybe the Bureau of ATF is monitoring this website? By the way ATF guys I have zero guns/ammo but more than one large dog.

 

[Sunnyinhollister]

It's real easy go through 100 rounds during one trip to the range. For the one's I use at the range, I would say to stock up IF you can find it. The ONLY handgun caliber I've seen in stock lately has been 45 colt, .38, and 9 mm one time only and it was gone the next day. I was at WM the other day and the only thing they had in stock that I could use was 10 rounds of 12 gauge 00buck. No .223/5.56, no .45, no .44, no .30 carbine, no 22 mag, no .40. Most places online are also out of stock on almost everything. If you can find it, buy it.

 

[zerosoma]

Originally Posted By: Sunnyinhollister
It's real easy go through 100 rounds during one trip to the range. For the one's I use at the range, I would say to stock up IF you can find it. The ONLY handgun caliber I've seen in stock lately has been 45 colt, .38, and 9 mm one time only and it was gone the next day. I was at WM the other day and the only thing they had in stock that I could use was 10 rounds of 12 gauge 00buck. No .223/5.56, no .45, no .44, no .30 carbine, no 22 mag, no .40. Most places online are also out of stock on almost everything. If you can find it, buy it.


Wife is going to kill me but I saw one pack of 9mm ammo today and jumped on it. Everybody else is out. It's silly!

 

[Astro14]

In addition to ammo, I would consider adding a few spare magazines for each of your guns (if you don't already have them). They're hard to find right now, and the guns won't work without them...

 

[Panzerman]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
Originally Posted By: Panzerman
I go for 1000 rounds for each caliber. Thats plenty for anything from Zombies to Civil war.In the event of a Civil war, you wont even want your gun, you ll want the what the U.N troops have, they are select fire and nicer than anything we can buy, go figure. 1000 rounds should be enough to get you through anything. You probably have the best barter tool during a event, you could have though.


The problem would be, during a civil war, the UN is going to be going against US. WE won't be on the side of the UN.
Yeah, I wasnt talking about taking guns off the guys on your side, I was talking about taking his gun afer you shot him with your "inferior weapon".

 

[Mystic]

You have enough ammo when you have enough to last through the panic. How long will the panic buying last? It depends on what happens in Washington DC. If they are actually able to start trying to get some radical insanity through Congress the panic buying will continue. But if Congress throws out at least the more radical nonsense things will probably settle down. Obama can do some things by executive order but he still needs Congress for a lot of things and he does not control the House of Representatives.

I am not too worried if all we get out of this is an assault weapons ban (what exactly is an assault weapon?) and a ban on high capacity magazines. A good old 30.06 rifle is still pretty decent and I will keep my high capacity magazines unless they make all high capacity magazines illegal including the ones people already have.

If they made all high capacity magazines illegal except for the military and police (and criminals who don't care what the law says) I would get me a revolver (probably .38 Special or .357) and a 1911 .45.

I doubt if they will ever be able to get through Congress complete bans on all hanguns which Obama and the main stream news media wants.

Remember, 30.06 rifles is basically what the military had before assault rifles like the M-16 came into existence. They will have a hard time banning all hunting rifles. And a hard time banning all shotguns.

It will be a long time if ever before America is like Europe or Canada.

 

[Mystic]

Always remember-an American sniper armed with a 30.06 or .308 rifle and a .45 and a .38 is still a major weapon. You don't necessarily have to have a AR-15 (or M-16 if in the military). There was an American sniper in Vietnam who defeated 6 enemy soldiers armed with a bolt action sniper rifle and a .45 and a .38. People can still fight back if all they have is bolt action rifles and shotguns and revolvers.

 

[Astro14]

I would like a hunting rifle - one in .308 would be about perfect for a variety of game. Of course, it has to be accurate, and to fit in my truck, it would need a collapsing stock...and a shorter barrel would be useful for the same reason...since I might target shoot with it, or use it for home defense, a few extra rounds in magazine capacity sure would help...

You know, something like this: http://dpmsinc.com/COMPACT-HUNTER_ep_151-1.html

Just a nice hunting rifle...not one of those "high-powered" "Assault weapons" in the fearsome .223/5.56mm caliber...just a regular old rifle...

 

[Panzerman]

They are not getting any bans through on anything and we should not tolerate anything being banned. A Bushmaster M4/A3 wouldnt be my choice of weapon, although it feels sexy and bad, thats about it. The population more armed than ever and what their armed with is exactly what they want to ban, so it isnt happening. The NRA is now too powerful. As far as I am concerned, The Kentucky Long Rifle was the Original Assualt Weapon. Iam not giving up anything.

 

[Astro14]

Well, New York has already banned a variety of guns, banned magazines over 7 rounds (wonder why it was 7? Perhaps because NYC cops took 7 rounds EACH to shoot one guy outside the Empire State building?) and required registration for those guns that are now banned. In addition, there are now background checks for ammunition purchase and "The system will also help flag customers who buy large amounts of ammo."...

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=169389350

 

[JHZR2]

But what makes all this so ridiculous, and why you cant compare gun violence numbers in a COUNTRY like Canada or the UK to a city like Chicago or NYC, is because just a few miles away the laws are different. Not 75 miles from NYC, people can go into any sporting goods store on the PA side of the delaware river and buy all the ammo they want. Sure, guns are a bit different, but residents there can straw purchase without any restraint.

All this stuff makes it back to NYC and all the laws become irrelevant.

It would be like saying that London crime gangs drive to Portsmouth and buy ammo and then drive back. They dont. Or that Montreal citizens drive to Quebec City and buy ammo and then commit crimes.

Until people actually start comparing the scenarios on an analogous basis, its just all stupid and ridiculous.

 

[Astro14]

Straw purchases of firearms are illegal. http://www.nssf.org/factsheets/PDF/strawPurchase.pdf

Virginia gets a bad rap on straw purchases, but background checks were required in 1989 to ensure that purchasers followed Virginia law and were residents of Virginia...and the myth persists nearly 25 years later that anyone can buy a gun in Virginia - when it's simply not true.

As a resident, I can buy a gun, but a non-resident cannot.

How is ammo a contributory factor in all this? Sure, anyone can buy ammo in most states, but it's the gun itself that we were discussing...so, where do the guns that are used in crimes come from? They're not legally obtained in the first place...they're stolen, illegally bought, smuggled...let's look at those vectors for guns in the wrong hands before you start banning my rifle or handgun.

 

[Shannow]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
But what makes all this so ridiculous, and why you cant compare gun violence numbers in a COUNTRY like Canada or the UK to a city like Chicago or NYC, is because just a few miles away the laws are different. Not 75 miles from NYC, people can go into any sporting goods store on the PA side of the delaware river and buy all the ammo they want. Sure, guns are a bit different, but residents there can straw purchase without any restraint.

All this stuff makes it back to NYC and all the laws become irrelevant.

It would be like saying that London crime gangs drive to Portsmouth and buy ammo and then drive back. They dont. Or that Montreal citizens drive to Quebec City and buy ammo and then commit crimes.

Until people actually start comparing the scenarios on an analogous basis, its just all stupid and ridiculous.


OK, in Australia, about as far away from wandering across the border as any, the .40 Glock has NEVER been legal to own for any Australian resident. Cops and Military have imported the entire legal crop.

They are increasingly being used in gang/drug crime in my state...

Either the Police are corrupt and selling the guns on the black market, or they are getting here regardless of borders, oceans, and laws.

Bear in mind that this particular firearm post dates nearly every law against it (no war relics etc.), but miraculously appears in crimes

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
But what makes all this so ridiculous, and why you cant compare gun violence numbers in a COUNTRY like Canada or the UK to a city like Chicago or NYC, is because just a few miles away the laws are different. Not 75 miles from NYC, people can go into any sporting goods store on the PA side of the delaware river and buy all the ammo they want. Sure, guns are a bit different, but residents there can straw purchase without any restraint.

All this stuff makes it back to NYC and all the laws become irrelevant.

It would be like saying that London crime gangs drive to Portsmouth and buy ammo and then drive back. They dont. Or that Montreal citizens drive to Quebec City and buy ammo and then commit crimes.

Until people actually start comparing the scenarios on an analogous basis, its just all stupid and ridiculous.


OK, in Australia, about as far away from wandering across the border as any, the .40 Glock has NEVER been legal to own for any Australian resident. Cops and Military have imported the entire legal crop.

They are increasingly being used in gang/drug crime in my state...

Either the Police are corrupt and selling the guns on the black market, or they are getting here regardless of borders, oceans, and laws.

Bear in mind that this particular firearm post dates nearly every law against it (no war relics etc.), but miraculously appears in crimes


Perhaps, but it still isn't many. So apparently there is some difference.

Australia gun homicide is 0.09, USA gun homicide is 3.9

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_firearm-related_death_rate#section_1

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Astro14
Straw purchases of firearms are illegal. http://www.nssf.org/factsheets/PDF/strawPurchase.pdf

Virginia gets a bad rap on straw purchases, but background checks were required in 1989 to ensure that purchasers followed Virginia law and were residents of Virginia...and the myth persists nearly 25 years later that anyone can buy a gun in Virginia - when it's simply not true.

As a resident, I can buy a gun, but a non-resident cannot.

How is ammo a contributory factor in all this? Sure, anyone can buy ammo in most states, but it's the gun itself that we were discussing...so, where do the guns that are used in crimes come from? They're not legally obtained in the first place...they're stolen, illegally bought, smuggled...let's look at those vectors for guns in the wrong hands before you start banning my rifle or handgun.


Agree, lots of things are illegal. You driving 56 in a 55 is illegal too.

But to pretend that this stuff won't happen if easy to do, is silly. And with misaligned laws between states and places with few laws and easy purchase not 100 miles away from highly restricted places, this stuff is bound to happen. Heck, I, legally able to own, go to MD and DE to buy ammo because of availability and cost.

The consistent strict regulations in first world nations like Canada or western Europe is a good reason why their homicide rate is lower. They still have drugs and gangs and violence, sure, but their numbers for firearms related effects are indeed lower because they cannot access easily with just a 50-100 mile drive down the interstate.

 

[Astro14]

JHZR2 - Ask Shannow about the total homicide rate (and does the US rate include those deaths that occur at the hands of police or law-abiding citizens defending themselves) as well as the comparitive rates of violent crime, which is on the decline in the US and on the rise in Australia...

Sure, with 310 million guns in the US, the differing rate of homicide by firearm doesn't surprise me...but what does that statistic MEAN? Who was doing the shooting? Who was doing the dying? And what are the rates of overall homicide? of violent crime?

You made the point (well-taken) that we have to compare relative rates and go apples - apples in comparing statistics....this wiki link is apples - pears...at best...

one other quick point: the rate of homicide in the US has steadily declined over the last 20 years, despite the increase in guns from 170 million to 310 million, and despite the repeal of the Assault weapons ban and the sale of over 10 million AR-based rifles during that time.

 

[JHZR2]

I get all that. But you were talking about Virginia getting a bad rap for straw purchases. And that point still stands. Tougher to do a straw purchase or flood ammo into an inner city when nobody in locations anyplace can get it in an easier manner.

And that's why you have a lower gun homicide rate, apples to apples in these other first world countries.

It has no bearing on total violent crime, I agree. Many people of all sorts are savages and will behave this way and that is another issue.

But the ability to deliver an effect and kill many people at many distances, in many directions, which really is the concern (since the idiots in the inner cities will remain violent) du jour, gets reduced, as does the ability to outfit the inner city idiots with guns and ammo from straw purchases and out of state easy access.

 

[zerosoma]

If you want to get a kick out of something check out how much all the SHTF peeps are stocking. One guy said he has something like 17,000 rounds in his basement. Unreal!

 

[GMBoy]

Ammo is like cash when the [censored] hits the fan. I stockpile a lot of ammo...been hoarding since the 1990's when 1000rds of 7.62x39 was under $100. I do a lot of shooting and it is getting harder to get any good deals right at the moment.

To answer your question of how much is enough? I have probably 30-40,000 rounds of all sorts of calibers. That is probably excessive. I recommend to my friends that they should have 1000-2000 rounds of their .223 or 7.62x39 rifle rounds, 500 of shotshells and at least 500rds of handgun ammo at all times as a minimum.

 

[zerosoma]

Originally Posted By: GMBoy
Ammo is like cash when the [censored] hits the fan. I stockpile a lot of ammo...been hoarding since the 1990's when 1000rds of 7.62x39 was under $100. I do a lot of shooting and it is getting harder to get any good deals right at the moment.

To answer your question of how much is enough? I have probably 30-40,000 rounds of all sorts of calibers. That is probably excessive. I recommend to my friends that they should have 1000-2000 rounds of their .223 or 7.62x39 rifle rounds, 500 of shotshells and at least 500rds of handgun ammo at all times as a minimum.



Slowly adding to my stash but funds are limited right now and I'm waiting for one of those shipments with the value packs. THEN I'll pounce.