![]() Savvy gun owners know this and tend to store excess ammo for these periods, which can also lead to a run on ammo. In short, if gun owners think their guns are going to be taken away, they stock up. By contrast, Republican presidents bring demand down, and contested elections restart the cycle: Olin Corporation’s February 2020 operating results announced that during the third quarter, their “Ammunition business delivered positive revenue growth for the first time in eleven quarters.” In other words, ammunition sales were down for nearly three years under President Trump, but started rising as the election approached. Partisan fearmongering is a great industry advertising strategy.ĭemocrats in the White House have historically led to more demand President Obama was often credited with being the greatest gun salesman of all time. Hunting season drives annual changes in demand, but multiyear changes are largely based on the election cycle. THE AMMUNITION INDUSTRY is particularly prone to shortages because it is highly cyclical. So monopolization in this market can lead to higher government costs, and shortages can cause problems for training, readiness, safety, and mission accomplishment. With diminished public capacity, when the military or police need ammo, they must go to these firms. The ammunition monopolies do not just supply the hunter or sportsman, but the government and law enforcement, including the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, the Secret Service, and the FBI. It looks like the problem could get worse, not only in the commercial shooting market, but where it really matters: for our national security. ![]() And it’s producing a massive shortage, just as demand for ammunition picks up. This consolidation in the small arms ammunition market by corporations and private equity firms is hurting businesses, consumers, and workers. What most customers do not know, however, is that they are all owned by the same two entities: Olin Corporation and Vista Outdoor. Winchester bills itself as “ The American Legend” and has been in business for over 150 years, while Remington has been making guns and ammo for over 200 years and states that their company is as “ boundless as the American spirit.” These companies associate their brands with freedom, independence, and toughness. The ammunition monopolies do not just supply the hunter or sportsman, but the government and law enforcement.Īt a glance, Americans appear to have a variety of ammunition companies to choose from: Remington, Winchester, Speer, CCI (Cascade Cartridge, Inc.), Federal Premium. There is a scheme to control the ammunition market, though it’s not a particularly colorful one. It got so bad that the president of the biggest ammunition producer in the U.S., Jason Vanderbrink of Vista Outdoor, made a YouTube video because he was “tired of all the hate mail.” Vanderbrink walked through Vista’s production process and told angry gun owners that hearing about the conspiracy theories related to the “so-called ammunition shortage” is “getting really old.” The video has nearly two million views.īut the conspiracy theorists are in one sense right. ![]() Gun magazines and websites discuss the “ Great Ammo Shortage,” which started during the pandemic, but which is projected to last into 2022.įolks on the internet speculate that ammunition plants have shut down, and that companies and/or the government are stockpiling bullets to drive up demand and prices. Any other day of the week, the shelves are empty. If you find yourself driving by at quarter to nine on one of those days, you will see a line of people snaking along the side of the building, waiting for the opening and their chance to buy rounds. Consolidation in the small arms ammunition market by corporations and private equity firms is hurting businesses, consumers, and workers.Īmmunition comes to the local sporting goods store in Waco, Texas, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |