Flippers and Preppers and Uncle Sam: Which one is worse?

[Streetgang]

My Soul will stay in my body longer because I has the ammo.

This... The man doesn't want us not to defend ourselves... We're his sheep, not sheeple.

 

[jonnyl]

I'm not sure what category I'm in either. Not a prepper, although I'd like to be but I'm to much of a procrastinator... Not an opportunist because I've never sold any ammo... Not really a panic buyer because I haven't paid the extraordinary markups that were out there.

But, whenever I'd see some ammo available at a decent price I'd buy it. My current stocks are probably 3 times any previous peak (but would be laughably low to most folks here).

So, I can probably shoot the rest of the year without replenishing, but I'll continue to buy if I see ammo at a decent price. May get some MRE's too while I'm thinking about it...

 

[SpruceJPG]

After picking up a few boxes here, and a few boxes there I've found I have enough to cover my needs, and enough to lend a hand to friends in need at the pre-panic prices.

My vote would be the flippers though, who seem to be prolonging the insane prices by sniping the walmarts/ sporting good stores and buying all the stock up at the current "reasonable" prices, leaving nothing but empty shelves for the shooters that just want to be able to get the the cobwebs out of their barrels.

 

[Kbroc2]

There is no tinfoil conspiracy at Walmart the stores either stock the shelf after they open between 6-730 am or as it comes off the truck 5-8 pm different stores have different policy's show up regularly and you will be rewarded I work overnight so it's convent for me to stop by at either time. I hoard a little and trade and get ammo for friends because I like the thrill of the chase about it. I've even sold a box for profit, probably not after fuel, blame yourselves for not doing enough legwork to find it or pay the inflated price or wait till its like the old days until then you'll see me at Walmart or the range. So I blame the Internet hitman who crys about everyone but himself, maybe if he got off the computer and got in the car he find some. I've seen more phones ring off the hook asking if any ammo is in while buying ammo, it make your head spin, while the guy says yes and by the time anyone shows up its likely gone.

 

[Kbroc2]

In my opinion which is unfounded but I believe that Walmart probably gets more ammo on a daily basis now than they did before all this happened so there is no manufacturing shortage with that being said I have more ammo in storage now than I've probably ever shot. So call me whatever you will

 

[T'Challa]

It sounds like sour grapes to me, we get angry at those all be them unscrupulous resellers of commercial ammo, but they took the time to go to Walmart or where ever at 7 in the morning to ensure they could do that does it make you a dick, yes because shooters need to stick together in this climate not F--- each other. But at the same time its like buying milk at 7-11 you pay more but you can get it anytime of day. And its capitalism, you want to see their prices come back to earth STOP buying it. Preppers, Im not preparing for the end of the world, or the Zombies but I am making sure that when my girlfriends mom decides she wants to learn to shoot, IM not paying range prices for 9mm and 22lr, does that make me an *******? I dont think so, I think it makes me someone who makes sure the only reason I cant go to the range is because I dont feel like it. This whole idea reminds me of the sick guy with the Umbrella going into Walmart and helping the old lady load her groceries, all while people watched and asked to use his umbrella once he was done. The guy he said no to probably thought he was a jerk for saying know all the while knowing he could have spent 6 bucks to get his own.

Wow Im sorry this struck such a sour tone with me.

I never called anyone a name other than prepper and flipper. Who has time to troll the big box stores each day for several hours? I have a job and my wife has stuff for me to do like mow the lawn and take Jr. to his soccer game etc. I don't shoot every week. I honestly do not like shooting that much. I practice enough to be proficient with each of my guns. I'm the shooter that whines and moans about lack of ammo because I am never going to stock pile thousands or troll stores in the wee hours of the morning. With that said, a guy like me wants to shoot once a month or so to stay sharp. We would like to be able to buy a few boxes while we are out doing honey-do things etc. Sour grapes? Probably but of course you can see why.

 

[T'Challa]

After picking up a few boxes here, and a few boxes there I've found I have enough to cover my needs, and enough to lend a hand to friends in need at the pre-panic prices.

My vote would be the flippers though, who seem to be prolonging the insane prices by sniping the walmarts/ sporting good stores and buying all the stock up at the current "reasonable" prices, leaving nothing but empty shelves for the shooters that just want to be able to get the the cobwebs out of their barrels.

What he said!

 

[pitpawten]

Some are just getting into it and came at a bad time

I think theres a lot of us in this boat.

I put it off, waiting for a better time with my family, then all this happened and forced my hand.

Its a shame, but its now a pay to play market.

 

[Kbroc2]

Another brass keeping non reloader with intentions to one day get into it

 

[Docster]

I have plenty.

Who is the worst? I think you left one out.

They are called the crybabies who are a day late and a dollar short. They often use the word "gouge".

I use the word "punk bitches".

THIS! The so-called 'flippers' fill a role. Nobody forces you to buy from them. They have lots of $$ tied up and are assuming risk of being stuck with ammo when supplies return to normal. They've got the time to find it, most don't.

The smart ones have been buying regularly over time for a long time. I'm still finding ammo regularly.....

The rest just keep bitching......

 

[AlpineDude67]

Am I happy about the price of ammo right now? Nope. Am I angry at the guys flipping ammo on gunbroker? Nope. That is CAPITALISM. Those guys are in a position where they can make a profit and they do. Good on them for being smart enough to have a stockpile of ammo when there was a shortage. I have even bought a LITTLE bit from them when I decided I didn't want to wait for the shortage to break. It sucked, but at least I could get it somewhere and have a little range time. If people want to stockpile ammo like crazy, let them. It is a free country. I think if you have 20 million rounds of ammo filling your garage and cases of Spaghetti-Os buried in your backyard under the petunias but no retirement savings, then you are an idiot, but whatever. I also think that the government is not directly responsible for the shortage of .22lr. I doubt they are buying much of that stuff - it is speculators and the Spaghetti-O crowd causing that particular bubble, along with general fear of gun control by the rest of us.

The good news is that speculative bubbles always burst. This one will be no different. Soon the Wal-Mart aisles will be awash in bulk packs of .22lr again, making everybody but the flippers happy. Those guys will get theirs - moaning about how they are stuck with a bunch of inventory they can't sell for what they paid for it. Fortunately, the flippers getting screwed when the bubble bursts is capitalism too.

 

[MauiWowie]

I have plenty.

Who is the worst? I think you left one out.

They are called the crybabies who are a day late and a dollar short. They often use the word "gouge".

I use the word "punk bitches".

I'm with him
Who cares who is worse... This entire situation is bad

 

[Peartree]

I'm relatively new to gun ownership but have always been interested in shooting. Just before the last election, my wife and I decided it was time to make a few purchases that we had been talking about for some time. Looking at the state of things we we were not alone... Well, as you know, if you have guns, you want to shoot them! So, off we go, joining the hunt to find ammo. Yes, I've been in line at 6am and hung around stores for them to unload the truck just to see if we could get a box or two. Over time, we now have enough of each .22, 9mm, .380, and .223/5.56 to go to the range and not feel that we're going to run short. Somebody on this site said "shoot one, buy two" and you'll never run out. To each their own; store, horde or sell it.

 

[llkoolkeg]

I'm an insufficiently prepared whiner. I have enough ammo to get the job done with any caliber I own but not enough to go shooting regularly which really, really sucks. My level of readiness in terms of sufficient recent practice is deplorable. I blame myself most for not having enough dispensable income to drop on large chunks of ammo when available for less than anal-rape but that doesn't keep me from wishing ill karma on prick-assed profiteers who piss the punchbowl their comrades have gathered around. Guess what- I also hate BB&T for sneaky small-print hidden fees and I hate petroleum companies for their price collusion while my 401k evaporates and health-care costs go through the roof. Rest assured that I have plenty of ire in the bank to spread around quite generously.

 

[flyingblind]

If you do shoot a lot then its a perfect time to get into reloading, I started 7-8 years ago, fire it up once or twice a year in 45, and I have ammo to shoot. 9mm is newer to me so Im fiddling with loads, Im trying to find a plinking grain amount for unique so I can leave the powder measurer alone and just pop out 9's like I do the 45's and with 223 getting up there Ill probably grab dies and give it a shot, the only thing I have that I wont load for is the FN57 sorry but I have fat fingers.

 

[rem87062597]

I get the appeal of having a lot of ammunition. I only have a couple hundred rounds of .223 but I had the strangest experience the other day. After months of buying as much as I could get (but only at reasonable prices) I was at Walmart. There was one box of Tulammo 55gr FMJ .223 left sitting on the shelf. I walked away from it, and I remember thinking to myself that it wasn't worth the effort of finding the guy with the ammunition cabinet key. It was a really good feeling knowing that I didn't need it that badly. So preppers - I understand where you're coming from. Gougers, I understand where you're coming from too and I understand the appeal, but I still reserve the right to think it's slimy.

 

[ProShooter]

I haven't had much trouble at all getting ammo, although all I bought was .22LR and .40S&W, and the 9mm that was donated to us. I just buy enough for business use to help our students out when training for our classes.

I just heard of a VA gun store selling 525 rounds of .22LR for $79 - the same box I bought last week for $30 +/- at Cabelas. That's excessive, but if people will pay it, I guess that's free enterprise at its best.

 

[Moon]

No one needs to buy from a flipper. All of the retailers have ammo, in varying quantities, at various times, and for various prices, but it's out there. Flippers should be as extinct as the Dodo.

The bottom line is that gun owners have finally realized that the government wants to disarm them. Demand for firearms and ammunition has increased accordingly. People will run out of money to stockpile eventually, but unfortunately, the government is never going to give up on its desire to disarm us.

 

[Multifaceted]

Which is worse? What's worst is not having ammo. What's best is to make sure you keep ammo on the ready, and buy what you can when you can even during the sunnier days. I don't have an impressive stash, but I have a reserve for times like this. If you like to shoot, then why the hell wouldn't you?

 

[T'Challa]

Gotta remember that.