LongTom
Active Member
A few days ago I was speaking with some friends about ammunition availability in the US and abroad and which types of ammunition would be readily available in the event of a catastrophic disaster. There were some conflicting opinions about which types were most and least available.
Let me start out by saying that I am not here to offer you kooky information about the end of the wold. If that's what you're looking for, read elsewhere. I'm a realist. A realist says hurricanes, earthquakes, and terrible tsunami such as the one in Japan could very well rock our region. Let us not forget Hurricane Katrina. A realist says that the United States is not immune to the ever looming threat of attack however small the probability may be. A realist also says that peace and stability of the governing body is not a guarantee, such as evidenced during the LA Riots.
Sure, you're going to say that everyone should have a personal reserve of ammunition. But some of us aren't fortunate or wealthy enough to stock nearly as much as we would like to. The damn gun costs enough as it is!
We could discuss "what if" all day but that's not what I'm here to do.
So what calibers are the MOST common? If you had to run out to Wal Mart and buy (or scavenge) some ammunition, what would you probably find when you got there if not picked clean already? Most likely you're going to find nothing and ammunition will be in short supply nationwide. Looters and law enforcement will be cleaning house first.
What ammunition would your neighbors, friends, or other citizens most likely be carrying? If you lived near a warehouse or distribution center, what's on the shelves? It makes sense to me to carry a common caliber to allow friends and neighbors to pool resources.
I called several leading ammunition and weapon manufacturers to find the official answer. During the calls I asked three simple questions and I will present the answers to those questions below, in simple summary form so as not to single out any one company.
Bear in mind that each representative was also asked to rule out ammunition sold to Foreign export, Military, and Law Enforcement and keep their answers strictly to the civilian market.
Companies who were contacted:
Winchester (wonderful tech support!)
Remington (the guy from Remington was a raging dick, sorry if that offends anyone)
Blazer - Said they would call me back (Still waiting)
Federal - declined to respond
PMC (Super nice and willing to speak at length)
Question Number 1.
What are the most common calibers in terms of sheer number in the United States TODAY. Some of the answers were surprising and others were pretty common sense.
Answer:
FOR RIFLE
1. 22LR
(Not surprisingly, I was told two different times that 22LR beats everything else by such an enormous landslide that it's rediculous)
2. .223 and 5.56
(I asked each about 7.62x39 and the general consensus was that, at least in the United States, 7.62x39 and .308 were not even in the ballpark of .223 in terms of availability and civilian market reserves and should not be considered for a "top five." I am not disputing that it is a fine caliber.)
3. 30-06
4. 30-30
(It is unclear whether 30-06 or 30-30 is more popular than the other and it varies by region)
5. .270
(also very close to #3 and #4, varies by region)
Close honorable mentions - 300win short (gaining popularity), 308 Win and 7mm
FOR PISTOL
1. 9mm
(by a landslide. Nothing else even half as much)
2. .45ACP
(Can anyone say 1911? )
3. .40 S&W
4. 357 & 38 special
5. 380ACP
(This one was surprising to me that it would be so close as to be in the top 5)
Honorable mention - 357 SIG (although barely)
BUT WHAT ABOUT SHOTGUN?
1. 12 gauge. 2&3/4 - PERIOD
(Duh, right? )
Question Number 2.
Is ammunition availability different depending on where you go in the United States? If so how different?
Answer:
It differs a little bit but not by any significant margin overly noticeable to the consumer.
Question Number 3.
Can I get an example of some well known calibers that should be avoided?
Answer:
45 Long Colt and 5.7x28mm (for the FN Five-Seven) for example
Another interesting comment I had received was that the Taurus Judge was a run-away success. 410 is "fairly" common but 45LC is pretty rare. It is yet to be seen whether the Judge will continue to proliferate the market or eventually die and fall to the wayside.
Out of those that I called - Technical support from Winchester and PMC were by far the most helpful. They were a real treat to speak with and it is a testimony which I will consider upon my next firearm purchase. If you can't reach tech support or the warranty is sheisty, don't buy the ****ing gun, no matter how shiny it is!
The man from Winchester also said something interesting that I would like to repeat here. He said "Follow Wal Mart. If you're going to buy a gun and Wal Mart doesn't stock it, don't get it. It's that simple. If they don't stock it, you're shit out of luck in a disaster."
Conclusion
I'll still have my trusty .45 and I'll still have my AR15 but it is interesting to note that in terms of sheer numbers 22LR and 9mm are expectantly well on top of the heap. This should be no shocker. I do not own a 9mm myself (being a .45 man) but for those of you considering a caliber for self defense or home protection and not a lot of money, you may want to think again about about that old 22 rifle in the closet or a 9mm! Both are fine rounds and will serve you well.
You can poo poo the 22 and 9mm all you want to but I do not know a man alive who would willingly put his life on the line and stand in front of one. You can find some extremely reliable weapons in both calibers. I own an old Marlin 39a and it was (and still is to this day) it is one of the finest lever action 22s EVER made, bar none.
.223 and 9mm each respectively dominate the market in terms of sheer numbers (not counting 22LR). .223 particularly, it was said, is so far above the next most popular that there is no question as to it's availability from a consumer standpoint.
This was not a technical survey. Although I put a lot of time into this, varied manufacturers focus sales to different market niches. Plus of course actual sales figures are company proprietary secrets so I didn't ask but it's interesting to look at the answers given.
At any rate, it's food for thought and I've posted the information given as best I could so take this with a grain of salt. Please don't take it as any more than that.
Let me start out by saying that I am not here to offer you kooky information about the end of the wold. If that's what you're looking for, read elsewhere. I'm a realist. A realist says hurricanes, earthquakes, and terrible tsunami such as the one in Japan could very well rock our region. Let us not forget Hurricane Katrina. A realist says that the United States is not immune to the ever looming threat of attack however small the probability may be. A realist also says that peace and stability of the governing body is not a guarantee, such as evidenced during the LA Riots.
Sure, you're going to say that everyone should have a personal reserve of ammunition. But some of us aren't fortunate or wealthy enough to stock nearly as much as we would like to. The damn gun costs enough as it is!
We could discuss "what if" all day but that's not what I'm here to do.
So what calibers are the MOST common? If you had to run out to Wal Mart and buy (or scavenge) some ammunition, what would you probably find when you got there if not picked clean already? Most likely you're going to find nothing and ammunition will be in short supply nationwide. Looters and law enforcement will be cleaning house first.
What ammunition would your neighbors, friends, or other citizens most likely be carrying? If you lived near a warehouse or distribution center, what's on the shelves? It makes sense to me to carry a common caliber to allow friends and neighbors to pool resources.
I called several leading ammunition and weapon manufacturers to find the official answer. During the calls I asked three simple questions and I will present the answers to those questions below, in simple summary form so as not to single out any one company.
Bear in mind that each representative was also asked to rule out ammunition sold to Foreign export, Military, and Law Enforcement and keep their answers strictly to the civilian market.
Companies who were contacted:
Winchester (wonderful tech support!)
Remington (the guy from Remington was a raging dick, sorry if that offends anyone)
Blazer - Said they would call me back (Still waiting)
Federal - declined to respond
PMC (Super nice and willing to speak at length)
Question Number 1.
What are the most common calibers in terms of sheer number in the United States TODAY. Some of the answers were surprising and others were pretty common sense.
Answer:
FOR RIFLE
1. 22LR
(Not surprisingly, I was told two different times that 22LR beats everything else by such an enormous landslide that it's rediculous)
2. .223 and 5.56
(I asked each about 7.62x39 and the general consensus was that, at least in the United States, 7.62x39 and .308 were not even in the ballpark of .223 in terms of availability and civilian market reserves and should not be considered for a "top five." I am not disputing that it is a fine caliber.)
3. 30-06
4. 30-30
(It is unclear whether 30-06 or 30-30 is more popular than the other and it varies by region)
5. .270
(also very close to #3 and #4, varies by region)
Close honorable mentions - 300win short (gaining popularity), 308 Win and 7mm
FOR PISTOL
1. 9mm
(by a landslide. Nothing else even half as much)
2. .45ACP
(Can anyone say 1911? )
3. .40 S&W
4. 357 & 38 special
5. 380ACP
(This one was surprising to me that it would be so close as to be in the top 5)
Honorable mention - 357 SIG (although barely)
BUT WHAT ABOUT SHOTGUN?
1. 12 gauge. 2&3/4 - PERIOD
(Duh, right? )
Question Number 2.
Is ammunition availability different depending on where you go in the United States? If so how different?
Answer:
It differs a little bit but not by any significant margin overly noticeable to the consumer.
Question Number 3.
Can I get an example of some well known calibers that should be avoided?
Answer:
45 Long Colt and 5.7x28mm (for the FN Five-Seven) for example
Another interesting comment I had received was that the Taurus Judge was a run-away success. 410 is "fairly" common but 45LC is pretty rare. It is yet to be seen whether the Judge will continue to proliferate the market or eventually die and fall to the wayside.
Out of those that I called - Technical support from Winchester and PMC were by far the most helpful. They were a real treat to speak with and it is a testimony which I will consider upon my next firearm purchase. If you can't reach tech support or the warranty is sheisty, don't buy the ****ing gun, no matter how shiny it is!
The man from Winchester also said something interesting that I would like to repeat here. He said "Follow Wal Mart. If you're going to buy a gun and Wal Mart doesn't stock it, don't get it. It's that simple. If they don't stock it, you're shit out of luck in a disaster."
Conclusion
I'll still have my trusty .45 and I'll still have my AR15 but it is interesting to note that in terms of sheer numbers 22LR and 9mm are expectantly well on top of the heap. This should be no shocker. I do not own a 9mm myself (being a .45 man) but for those of you considering a caliber for self defense or home protection and not a lot of money, you may want to think again about about that old 22 rifle in the closet or a 9mm! Both are fine rounds and will serve you well.
You can poo poo the 22 and 9mm all you want to but I do not know a man alive who would willingly put his life on the line and stand in front of one. You can find some extremely reliable weapons in both calibers. I own an old Marlin 39a and it was (and still is to this day) it is one of the finest lever action 22s EVER made, bar none.
.223 and 9mm each respectively dominate the market in terms of sheer numbers (not counting 22LR). .223 particularly, it was said, is so far above the next most popular that there is no question as to it's availability from a consumer standpoint.
This was not a technical survey. Although I put a lot of time into this, varied manufacturers focus sales to different market niches. Plus of course actual sales figures are company proprietary secrets so I didn't ask but it's interesting to look at the answers given.
At any rate, it's food for thought and I've posted the information given as best I could so take this with a grain of salt. Please don't take it as any more than that.
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