Best/Worst story fed to you during the ammo/firearms shortage since Dec 2012?

[Gibson90]

I'm curious what your best story is that someone has fed you or crazy prices (LGS to remain anoynomous please!) during the shortages over the past 10 to 11 months. A couple of my favs have been walking into a LGS on the westside and seeing winchester 555 round boxes broken out into 50 round ziploc bags for $9.95.

Also when inquiring recently about price on a 9mm kel-tec sub2000 and beign given a price of $459 and being told that Kel Tec has raised their prices greatly. Meanwhile at the same time another LGS on the southside had a new one listed for $329.95 (it obviously sold very quickly).


I hope everyone remembers those LGS that treated their customers with respect during all of this craziness and contnue to give them their business. I will also remembe those that could tell bold-faced lies straight to me....... They will not be getting any of my business.

The cake winner of me was at the winter Indy 1500 last year........A dealer with a sub2000 9mm NIB for $1059!!!!! When I laughed at the price HE got offended!!!!

 

[in625shooter]

Walked up to the "empty" gun counter at the Crawfordsville Big R back in June while a lady employee told a fellow "well we don't have any ammo until the Government releases it, and we will get our FFL back sometime but the President is holding it up". I kept to myself realizing it was futile to make a comment. I couldn't help but chuckle out loud while I was leaving the store, and while driving away.

 

[indiucky]

As an owner of a gun shop the best story I had was from an occasional customer of mine. He came into the shop breathlessly holding two bricks of .22 ammo that he had just purchased at Bass Pro for $25 or so each....He said, "I bet you are looking for some .22 ammo?" I told him I would be interested and he said, "I'll take $75 for both, they are going for $100 online." I told them that I would not SELL ammo in the shop at panic prices and as a consumer I would not BUY anything at panic prices...His elation dropped a notch or two and he could tell I was a little put out.

I had a Springfield Armory single shot .22 on the rack that I had $124.99 and he said, "Hey...I am going to come back and get that little .22 from you." I told him that was good and asked him to hand me the gun from the floor rack. When he did I pulled out a sharpie and changed the price to $169.99 and said, "Did you want to put any money down on it?"

I have not seen hide nor hair of him since....

The point being...It wasn't just people that try to scratch out a living at a LGS charging panic prices....It happened on both sides of the counter.

 

[Tyler-The-Piker]

Best story?
I walked in to Highsmith and guy behind the counter said to me
"hey I know you're lookin for some .22lr and we got some in yesterday"
I said, "how much you want for a brick?"
he said, "same price as always"

 

[metaldog]

Don't know the validity of this one:
Was told by a retailer: "The govt. has put restrictions on the manufactures, so ammo is now allotted. They are only allowed to make so much per year. So, if you can get it, consider yourself lucky."
Really??? I din't buy the idea of it. Ummm, how about... demand was greater than supply?

 

[indiucky]

Best story?
I walked in to Highsmith and guy behind the counter said to me
"hey I know you're lookin for some .22lr and we got some in yesterday"
I said, "how much you want for a brick?"
he said, "same price as always"

 

[Thrown Hammer]

LGS tells me he has some steel cased. 223 in the back. Says he won't put it on the shelf because no one wants it, and it voids the manufacturers warranty.

I tell my AR was homebuilt, so I am the warranty. So how much?

$20 per box of 20...

 

[kiddchaos]

The one where the GM employee was selling ammo in a white truck, behind GM.

And here's a pic I took in April 2013.

 

[Gibson90]

Keep 'em coming. These are all funny and ridiculous. I know there are many more good stories out three just waiting to be told.

Kiddchaos, I haven't heard about the GM employee sellign ammo from his truck...... Please give more details (I'm assuming your pic above is from teh Castleton GM???).

 

[aaron580]

I had a Springfield Armory single shot .22 on the rack that I had $124.99 and he said, "Hey...I am going to come back and get that little .22 from you." I told him that was good and asked him to hand me the gun from the floor rack. When he did I pulled out a sharpie and changed the price to $169.99 and said, "Did you want to put any money down on it?"

I have not seen hide nor hair of him since....

If I was interested in a gun for a price that is clearly on the gun when I walk into the shop and they raise the price right in front of me, I would never set foot in that shop again either. That is very bad business.

 

[Noway Jose]

I think you're missing that it was the same customer who tried to sell him .22 bricks at $75 each.

 

[Tyler-The-Piker]

As an owner of a gun shop the best story I had was from an occasional customer of mine. He came into the shop breathlessly holding two bricks of .22 ammo that he had just purchased at Bass Pro for $25 or so each....He said, "I bet you are looking for some .22 ammo?" I told him I would be interested and he said, "I'll take $75 for both, they are going for $100 online." I told them that I would not SELL ammo in the shop at panic prices and as a consumer I would not BUY anything at panic prices...His elation dropped a notch or two and he could tell I was a little put out.

I had a Springfield Armory single shot .22 on the rack that I had $124.99 and he said, "Hey...I am going to come back and get that little .22 from you." I told him that was good and asked him to hand me the gun from the floor rack. When he did I pulled out a sharpie and changed the price to $169.99 and said, "Did you want to put any money down on it?"

I have not seen hide nor hair of him since....

The point being...It wasn't just people that try to scratch out a living at a LGS charging panic prices....It happened on both sides of the counter.

If I was interested in a gun for a price that is clearly on the gun when I walk into the shop and they raise the price right in front of me, I would never set foot in that shop again either. That is very bad business.

I think he was just trying to use that as an example to the customer

 

[aaron580]

I think he was just trying to use that as an example to the customer

Makes sense to me now. My mistake. Im an idiot.

 

[LonSch]

Last month at the valparaiso gun show a guy told me Obama banned steel cased ammo and I need to buy what he had.

 

[sparkyfender]

I really can't play. My usual LGS did nothing out of the way, really. When they had few guns, the guns they did have in stock pretty much stayed at the usual price point. When guns came in they were kept at the established profit margin. Same with ammo, which I always felt they were a bit high on in plentiful times. They kept pretty much the same pricing on that as well; if they were out, they were out. No obvious price kiting.


I AM enjoying these stories, however!

 

[Lebowski]

Wal-Mart store employee, when questions about when they'd have 45ACP in stock again said, "Whenever Obama lets us"... I "heh'ed" and turned around.


Good news is the last few times I've been to Wal-Mart they've had various 45ACP in stock. Seems like they get different brands of ammo in all the time as it's never the same brand being sold. I guess Obama personally and finally let this individual store in south eastern Indiana sell ammo again...

 

[SEIndSAM]

Small Mom & Pop gun shop in SE Indiana.

Gander Mtn and Dicks were both running a sale on a certain Marlin .22LR Semi Rifle. I like to support local business, so I stopped in to see if they had one. Dicks was $149 for this rifle, so I figured if the LGS was $180 or so it would be a wash with gas.

Me- Do you have any Marlin 795's in stock?
LGS- No, Marlin stopped making semi auto .22's!!
Me - What???
LGS- Heard they will not be shipping anything with 10 round mags because of the new New York law, so they quit making them.
Me- Huhh, that's funny, because Dicks and Gander has them on sale right now.

LGS owner was speechless. I just left.

But I have bought a couple things there since, figure he was just having a bad day.

 

[RH822-A]

You know that guy at work who has everything you have, but his is ay better because he "customized" it.... well that guy told me that ALL of the major ammunition manufactures stopped making .22lr for the next 2 years because they needed the product line to make 40 S&W and 9mm ammo for the government. The best part is, he heard this little tidbit from his buddy the ammo guy... Then his buddy the ammo guy was kind enough to sell him 5000 rds of almost impossible to get 22lr, at a slightly elevated price of course. There's one born every day.

 

[roadrunner681]

i seen a 1500 dollar wasr 10 in lima oh, thats certainly a new one.

 

[10-32]

Also when inquiring recently about price on a 9mm kel-tec sub2000 and beign given a price of $459 and being told that Kel Tec has raised their prices greatly. Meanwhile at the same time another LGS on the southside had a new one listed for $329.95 (it obviously sold very quickly).

Kel-Tec did hike up their MSRP on the Sub-2000. It was round the 300 mark when I bought mine in June of 2011. It's currently at 409.

SUB-2000 | Rifles | Kel-tec