22 Ammo Shortage | Lessons From The Recent Ammunition Shortage

An ammunition shortage will render your gun stash useless. Read on to know the hows and whys of an ammo shortage and what to do then.

RELATED: The Best Way To Store Your Ammo

In this article:

1. Realizations from the 22 Ammo Shortage of 2008 and 2014
2. Facts About Gun Ownership
3. What to Do When There's a 22 Ammo Shortage

What You Need to Learn from the 22 Ammo Shortage

Realizations from the 22 Ammo Shortage of 2008 and 2014

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The shortage of 22 ammo between 2008 and 2014 is a popular topic among gun owners. Many consumers were surprised by the phenomenon because they never faced this situation.

Their favorite gun or firearm is without caliber .22 rounds to sell at the grocery store. In fact, shelves were mostly empty and those who run out of rounds to use for shooting or hunting did not know what to do.

We found some great advice from different sources on how to find ammunition during the shortage. Now with the horrible period over, we take a look at how to best handle a shortage of ammunition in the future.

We know it can happen again! Catastrophic world events and political uprisings by themselves are enough to get people stampeding like cattle to the nearest supply store.

Shelves can be cleaned out in minutes. Then, what do you do?

Facts About Gun Ownership

Before we explore the solution, let's look at a few things which could play a part in shortages. Why is there a 22 ammo shortage?

First, let's look at some facts about gun ownership. There are four key factors at play affecting the price of ammunition.

Most of which affects just about everything in our daily lives: the economy, overall gun ownership, background checks, and that bane of annual events that tramples shoppers of all stripes: BLACK FRIDAY SALES! AAHHHHHHH!!!!

1. Ammo as a Commodity

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The cost of ammunition goes up every year due to inflation. Gold and gas go up, milk goes up; it all seems to go up and up and up.

This cost also tends to rise in conjunction with both unemployment levels and the overall rate of gun ownership.

2. The Rise in Gun Ownership

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2010 saw a 6% rise in overall gun ownership in this country. That was the largest jump we saw in nearly two decades.

3. Background Checks Hit Record-High

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2011 marked a peak on a long rise in background checks conducted by the FBI.

4. Black Friday! Curse You, Black Friday!

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RELATED: Here’s Why You Need To Bulk Up On Ammo Purchases Now

Now check out this stupid-long infographic:

Okay, now you know a little background on firearms and ammunition and how they are affected by the economy and other forces, let's explore:

What to Do When There's a 22 Ammo Shortage

1. Know When Things Are Shipped

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The local gun shop or other supply chain is your friend. Talk up the owner and find out the details of their shipping schedule.

Merely knowing when the trucks pull up with their loads will be a huge aid in planning when to buy your ammunition supplies.

2. The Gun Shop Is Your Friend

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When you chat the gun store owner up about shipping schedules, making it a way to introduce yourself. It is a business like any other, and they take an interest in good customers and good customer interaction.

As such, they want to maintain your business, so being friends with the people who work there is a surefire way to keep you in the know.

3.  Plan for Back Ordering

Days of empty shelves do happen. In these kinds of situations, you can give up, or you can remember to plan your buying well in advance.

This will get you first-dibs when things do go to back order and will also help you lock in existing prices.

4. Notify Yourself! Tech Is Your Friend!

If you are shopping online, most ammo supply stores have a sign-up where you can be notified when something gets re-stocked. If you have a smartphone, you can also usually get notifications directly so you can act fast even when on the move.

Watch this video from sootch00 for tips on how to find ammunition in case of ammo scarcity:

Will there be another ammo shortage? Now, it is no longer a question of will there be another 22 ammo shortage, but when is the next ammo shortage.

Use these tips to stay on top of the game and always prepare for ammunition shortages in the future. Store your ammo and firearms properly so you always keep them in tip-top shape.

Also, take note, be aware of hoarding ammunition laws and follow the rule of law!

If you have any additional tips on how to stay prepared, we'd love to hear them in your comments below!

Up Next: 

• Unlimited Ammo Special Report Helping Gun Owners Preserve Ammunition
• Common Core Takes Shots At 2nd Amendment
• Ammunition Shortage Is No April Fools Joke

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Disclaimer: The contents of this article are for informational purposes only. Please read our full disclaimer here.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on April 7, 2015, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.