Since 2020, one of the most increased Google searches among avid shooters has been “Why is ammo out of stock?” and “Why is there an ammo shortage?”

Being the source of all things ammo here at Ammo Planet, we may have some answers for you.

Why Is There An Ammo Shortage?

On both a national and international level, the last few years have brought about some significant changes to both the firearms industry and society as a whole.

Most people’s minds jump immediately to COVID, as it has been a source of massive shifts in many arenas of life. However, the coronavirus pandemic is only one of many “puzzle pieces” that make up the perfect storm of ammo shortage.

In 2020, you had extreme global civil unrest and uncertainty, and there is nothing like uncertain times to direct people’s attention to the idea of planning for the worst.

Such a shift can cause a type of herd panic to “secure” every possible aspect of life–even in some odd ways (case-in-point: toilet paper shortages).

This preparation mentality also affected the firearms industry, causing a widespread scramble to acquire as much ammo as people could get their hands on. Skyrocketing demand gave rise to the ammo shortage we have been experiencing.

As some of the world’s biggest fans of guns and ammo, we would obviously never say you can have enough ammo. However the preparation (or even all-out “panic mode”) of some arms enthusiasts made a significant impact in the firearms industry.

How Did the Ammo Shortage Start?

Between the events surrounding the presidential election, social justice unrest and riots, and some new international trade tariffs, almost 10 million new gun owners joined the queue for ammo in the USA alone.

In spite of the fact that many people were buying guns in preparation for the worst, in 2A terms, this is a great thing! Such a large number of new gun owners means more of our fellow citizens are spending time at a range, discovering training, and becoming more confident, responsible gun owners.

An increase in gun owners does, however, mean an increase in demand for bullets to fill those spiffy new pew pews. And, without a corresponding surge in supply to match it, we entered into a shortage.

Why Is Ammo So Expensive?

The sudden uptick of both quantity and size of ammo orders led many companies and small gun shops to raise prices in order to attempt to balance out the gap between supply and demand.

Gun prices rose by 30% (sometimes even more), and ammo more than doubled in price.

Even with the surge in sales, some ammo manufacturers were still struggling financially. Many found themselves unable to hire workers and source materials to keep production going and get products to gun stores.

For some very large companies, this meant they had to sell and be absorbed into other large ammo manufacturers.

An example of this is when CCI purchased Remington ammunition in 2020. This move allowed Vista Outdoor (the parent company of CCI as well as Federal Premium, Speer, Hevi-Shot, etc.) to up their production by 40%!

However, even with this growth of almost double their factory and workforce, they struggled to keep up with orders and sales.

It's even reported that some gun shops would put an order in for 100 boxes of a caliber through a year and only receive 1 box.

Probably one of the largest contributing factors to the ammo shortage for both gun manufacturers–and private citizens who handload–is the problem of sourcing raw materials for ammunition components to build.

Couldn’t People Just Handload To Avoid the Ammo Shortage?

If you’re not familiar with ammunition, a rifle round is made of about four different components: the primer, case, gun powder, and the projectile (the components and structure are a little different for shotshell or rimfire rounds like a .22).

For reloaders and manufactures, getting primers–the bottom of the bullet that the firing pin hits to start the explosion–has proven difficult. This problem isn’t limited to one caliber or even rare ones; even some common rounds are harder to get ahold of.

Then there’s the shell–the part all the components are held together with. This is made from several materials like steel, aluminum, or brass (most common). The raw material prices for brass (made from copper and zinc) have gone up, and even gunpowder (a blend of potassium nitrate, sulfur, and charcoal) has seen price inflation too.

Lastly, the cost of making the bullet itself–a lead-antimony alloy encased in a soft brass or copper-plated soft steel jacket–bore the effects of brass and copper inflation.

Thus, handloaders and even industrial-scale manufacturers are fighting an uphill battle to keep the cost of reloading manageable.

Is the Ammo Shortage Ending?

You’ll find any number of forecasts all over the internet about if and when the ammo shortage may end. Suffice to say, the laundry list of variables that contribute to an ammo shortage are so vast and unpredictable, it’s impossible to say for sure.

The next time you find yourself wondering “Why is ammo so expensive?,” however, hopefully this breakdown gives you some “ammunition” in your knowledge “arsenal” about what might cause prices to rise.

As always, we will do our best to bring you the best prices and selection of ammo, right here at Ammo Planet!