Thread: NM-Worried gun owners stockpiling up on ammunition

Worried gun owners stocking up on ammunition

By Amanda L. Husson
Sun-News reporter
Posted: 06/05/2009 12:00:00 AM MDT

LAS CRUCES - Firearms enthusiasts are feeling the pinch of a national ammunition shortage as many area stores struggle to keep their shelves stocked.

Gun owners in southern New Mexico are buying up ammunition in response to fears of possible action by the current administration and Congress to restrict sales, as well as concerns about Mexican drug cartel violence in the border region.

Emerson Gates, gunsmith at Custom Cartridge Co. in Las Cruces, said people he's talked to are worried that the gunplay that's a daily occurrence in Juárez and other border cities could become a real threat on this side of the border.

"It's definitely a factor," Gates said. [b]"People are concerned that the violence across the border will spill over. Many think it already has, but it's being underreported by the media."[/b]

Guns and politics

"Worries about the current political climate are also to blame for the stockpiling that has depleted the supply nationwide", said Ron Cook, owner of Rough Country Outdoor Gear in Silver City.

"It's the fear factor," Cook said. "It's basically panic-buying because of the stance the Democrats have had in the past about firearms."

Firearm sales continued to surge across the U.S. for the fifth straight month in March, extending a trend that began after the November elections, according to a news release provided by the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

Data from the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System show background checks on the sale of firearms jumped 29.2 percent in March when compared to March 2008 and were up 27.1 percent for the first quarter of 2009 over the same quarter last year, according the news release.

Correspondingly, ammunition manufacturers are reporting record sales across the country as demand continues to outpace supply.

Bad for business

For Cook, supplies are so lean that it's dramatically impacted his business.

"You can't sell what you can't get," he said. "There's nothing to be had. I can't even get .22(-caliber) ammunition, which was never an issue before."

He said sales of firearms-related items had been up significantly, but with nothing to stock his shelves, sales have dropped off almost completely.

"I don't even go shooting myself," he said. "You can't keep yourself tuned up. You have to shoot sparingly."

Custom Cartridge Co. has a few boxes on its shelves, but no back stock at all. Gates said in the past it was not uncommon to have 10,000 rounds of 9 mm ammunition in inventory. Thursday, there were just 900 rounds available.

"One customer can clean you out of that," Gates said.

Hunter Ron Samaniego, 52, a technician at NASA, said he couldn't find shells for his shotgun last week at Wal-Mart or Kmart. He said if manufacturers aren't able to catch up with the demand, it could cause trouble when the fall hunting seasons begin.

"People are just going to have to get their ammo early, or maybe buy it online," he said.

Rationing rounds?

Despite reports that Wal-Mart stores in some border cities are limiting customers to six boxes of ammunition per purchase, Curtis Rosemond, store manager of the Walton Drive location of Wal-Mart in Las Cruces, said his store is fully stocked with ammunition and won't be imposing similar restrictions.

Kmart on El Paseo Road was also well-stocked, though the store doesn't carry all types of ammunition, according to assistant manager Claudia Ramirez.

Gates said he doesn't expect the shortage to reach a level at which rationing of ammunition would be necessary.

"I don't really see having to do that," he said. "Eventually, the supply will catch up to the demand, or the government will just restrict it."

Cook noted that, while all caliber of ammunition are in short supply now, just which types will become available most quickly is really up to the manufacturers. However, he doesn't expect to see the shortage ease for him for at least six more months, as manufacturers work to restock big box stores and wholesalers, leaving less for smaller businesses like his.

Rosemond said Wal-Mart is keeping extra stock ready, but it is flying off the shelves.

"When it comes in, it does blow out," he said. "All of it's selling very well."

Amanda L. Husson can be reached at ahusson@lcsun-news.com; (575) 541-5460

http://www.lcsun-news.com/ci_12522603?s ... ost_viewed

Rosemond said Wal-Mart is keeping extra stock ready, but it is flying off the shelves.

I haven't been able to get any .22 ammo for well over 6 weeks from Wally World near here. I was one box shy of my stockpiling goal. ONE box!