HD Tactical

Why is .22LR still MIA?

The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Gulf Coast States

Member Benefits:

  • Fewer Ads!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • JackH

    Shooter
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Joined
    Mar 6, 2013
    Messages
    94
    Points
    8
    Location
    United States
    Just out of curiosity, can anyone explain the fever pitch still surrounding 22LR even as everything else starts to come back into regular supply?
     

    Burnt Drag

    Marksman
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Joined
    Sep 28, 2012
    Messages
    729
    Points
    0
    Well, as soon as some reasonable .22 ammo hits either the internet or local shelves, "businessmen" for lack of a better word, buy it up and take it to the gun show
    or sell it on here for twice what they paid. As long as some of us are foolish enough to keep paying 40- 60 bucks a brick, this will keep on going. Quit paying the "businessmen" for the ammo, (like alot of us have done) and this will pass.
     

    FrankT

    6.8 SPCII Hog Slayer
    Rating - 100%
    3   0   0
    Joined
    Sep 26, 2012
    Messages
    17,360
    Points
    113
    Location
    Crestview/Hwy 90E/Shoal River
    Hoarders, cheap ammo and lots of 22 guns out there. you still see people asking 2 and 3 times what it is worth here, still gouging and selling it.
     

    Crazydoc68

    Almost a doctor
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Joined
    Apr 20, 2013
    Messages
    3,368
    Points
    83
    Location
    Fort Carson, Colorado
    I use gunbot as a blue book value for the average pricing of what I'm looking for. If it's above what I can go online for or somewhere near me I just pass it up. No reason to be paying 2-3X's what it's worth. Just saying!
     

    2ndAmendmentShooting

    Master
    Local Dealer
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Joined
    Oct 2, 2012
    Messages
    1,296
    Points
    0
    Location
    Niceville, Florida
    There are three main factors:

    1. Most ammo manufacturers only produce .22LR twice a year.
    2. Most manufacturers at this time are concentrating on catching up on their more profitable ammo. .22LR is the least profitable of all ammo.
    3. Some manufacturers have pushed back .22LR production until their more profitable ammo is caught up with.
     

    JohnAL

    Master
    GCGF Supporter
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Joined
    Sep 27, 2012
    Messages
    7,108
    Points
    0
    Location
    Whitehouse Forks, Alabama
    Winchester's .22 ammo factory in Oxford, MS was running two shifts, five days per week, year round in normal times. Since the panic they have been running 24 hours per day seven days per week. I would bet the other factories are doing the same. A .22 production line cannot make .223 or 9mm or whatever so they have not switched products for profit. They also have a dedicated .223/5.56 line at that plant. I understand it is running 24/7 as well. Other than running around the clock, there is no way to increase capacity other than building an entire new assembly line for multi-millions of dollars. They are not going to spend megabucks to fix a temporary situation.
     

    Burnt Drag

    Marksman
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Joined
    Sep 28, 2012
    Messages
    729
    Points
    0
    Winchester's .22 ammo factory in Oxford, MS was running two shifts, five days per week, year round in normal times. Since the panic they have been running 24 hours per day seven days per week. I would bet the other factories are doing the same. A .22 production line cannot make .223 or 9mm or whatever so they have not switched products for profit. They also have a dedicated .223/5.56 line at that plant. I understand it is running 24/7 as well. Other than running around the clock, there is no way to increase capacity other than building an entire new assembly line for multi-millions of dollars. They are not going to spend megabucks to fix a temporary situation.

    Good explanation, John. In my mind, many guys and gals realised after the shelves were emptied that they were caught with their pants down. Even though I had over 3000 rounds when the shelves became empty, I still paniced. I found enough to sooth my worries and have moved on. Many are still looking though.
     

    FrankT

    6.8 SPCII Hog Slayer
    Rating - 100%
    3   0   0
    Joined
    Sep 26, 2012
    Messages
    17,360
    Points
    113
    Location
    Crestview/Hwy 90E/Shoal River
    Who is winchester selling to then, it is not on the shelves. I would say the main reason is lack of components are slowing the manufacturers down more than anythings else.
     

    JohnAL

    Master
    GCGF Supporter
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Joined
    Sep 27, 2012
    Messages
    7,108
    Points
    0
    Location
    Whitehouse Forks, Alabama
    The only number I can find is CCI is producing 4 million rounds of 22 LR every day.
    =28 million a week
    =1.456 billion rounds per year
    divide that by just the 80 million gun owners in the US (everyone has a 22, right?)
    That's only 18 rounds per person per year from CCI and this does not take into account that CCI and all the others are sold world wide.

    18 rounds is all you get this year Frank.
     

    JohnAL

    Master
    GCGF Supporter
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Joined
    Sep 27, 2012
    Messages
    7,108
    Points
    0
    Location
    Whitehouse Forks, Alabama
    See! It's all the Franks in the world is the reason there is no .22. :smile:

    That's about what I have too but I bought mine before the last presidential election.
     

    Seanpcola

    Moderator
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Joined
    Sep 29, 2012
    Messages
    10,876
    Points
    0
    Location
    Pensacola, FL (Beulah)
    Good explanation John.

    Also, how many folks do you think regularly bought a brick of .22? I mean before all this panicking. Of the hundreds of thousands (or more) that just got into shooting in the last couple of years how many bought a .22 for cheap shooting? I'd say this is like any other event that makes something desirable. I know I hadn't bought a single round of .22 in my life until 2006. Since then I've amassed rounds in the 5 digits. Pretty sure a lot of new guys have bought even more.
     

    Members online

    Top Bottom