I like Backfire. While it is focused on bolt action hunting rifles, the channel reviews of things like optics are outstanding.
This video presents some alarming news that will likely affect ammo supplies, namely:
Vista Outdoors sold its entire ammo line (Federal, CCI, Speer, etc) to a Czech company run by a 20-something. The success-rate for companies run by 20-somethings is sketchy.
The ATF has ratcheted up its efforts to ban foreign-made ammo, like Tula. It’s a reasonable projection that Czech-made ammo (the new owners of Vista Outdoors) may be on the endangered list.
If you don’t already, it’s time to learn to reload.
Technically Michal Strnad is 30, but, as for success-rate…he did just spend $1,910,000,000 on that acquisition. There must be a degree of success to, well, be able to drop $1,910,000,000 on an acquisition.
Seems to me it’s fair to say this guy isn’t one that falls into the middle of the bell curve of success.
In 2022, the holding’s consolidated revenues reached 25 billion CZK. CSG operates across five strategic business segments covering aerospace, ammunition, defense, mobility and business projects. I am having to Google but I believe that surpasses $1 billion USD revenue last year.
Success?
Being owned by a Czech company doesn’t make it Czech-made ammo when it’s made in the United States, same as it has been
Whose primers will you buy that are made in a different location than the ammo is made?
I think buying stuff to make ammo is good, but, I think having ammo is best, personally…components are good too, but, you can’t shoot them yet and primer supply, as well as preferred powder supply, ends up being just as limited as ammo, often, it seems. Plus there is the time factor, scheduling your time and availability into the future
I think the big supply concerns now are the big election year coming up, the lake city plant production to civilians/not, and wars eating supply. I still don’t see how US made ammo that is owned by a foreign entity gets banned from importation when the plants are in the US
I vote ammo. Complete cartridges, ready to use (yet they store for decades just fine…easier to store and transport than the components, even)
What my reloading bench does is provide continuity when it comes to inexpensive range ammo.
If I can’t buy it (this has happened every time there i an ammo shortage) I can make it, as long as I have the components and the components are easily stored.
1,000s of primers take up less space than a box of factory loads
A 4# jug of smokeless takes up less space than a 5qt jug of motor oil
Brass is a by product of shooting factory ammo–free for the taking.
Bullets can be cast from lead sifted out from berms at the range, lead that came with the brass you’re recycling.
Yeah it’s time consuming. Sure it’s not cheap buying bulk (even though brass and lead can be recycled) but you’ll know you’ll at least have range ammo to train with when you want to.
That’s something that’s too late to consider when the dealer’s shelves are like Mother Hubbard’s pantry.
Reloading allows me to shoot when ammo is unavailable. I buy primers whenever I see them as they were in short supply/expensive during the last ammo shortage.
He inherited his position as CEO from his father, so it’s a bit early to claim that he’s a 20-something business savant who built his wealth from his own ideas and work. The family company started as what I think of as a junk processor and grew to be a European military hardware seller. It owns Fiocchi, but has little to no experience dealing in US markets or lobbying in the DC-centric gun world. If I had to guess, he’ll own Vista Outdoors for a few years and sell it as it has little to no synergies to share with the other divisions of his family business.
That’s why I recommend buying factory ammo to train with ahead of time.
In neither case should one be dependent on buying anything in order to be able to keep training
Buying ammo allows me to keep shooting when there isn’t any on the shelves, same as buying primers and powder allows one to make ammo in order to then shoot when there isn’t any on the shelves.
As long as one is stocked for either, or both, that’s what matters
Buy ammo while you can, 'cause the day will come when you can’t (e.g. I’m traveling to CA this winter and, as a non-resident, it is illegal for me to buy ammo) or you’ll have to go through a background check to do so, where your name is bounced against a government database maintained by morons to determine whether you are entitled to buy ammo, or there will be a tax surcharge on ammo designed to make it unaffordable.
Physically an option, albeit illegal so…move out of CA? Or order it online and have it shipped to an FFL in CA where you undergo a background and pay a fee and hope they don’t incorrectly deny you which seems to happen a lot
My understanding is there is no way for out of State residents traveling in CA to legally purchase ammunition there. Not sure how that is not a 2A violation?
But I haven’t been able to find any law stating that there is a limit to how much ammunition out of State residents can bring into CA. Though CA LEOs have a history of arresting people on firearm related charges for laws that do not exist. Perhaps this is not entirely their fault since the hundreds of anti self defense laws that do exist are so convoluted and contradictory that no one there could possibly know and comprehend them all. This forces the charged person to hire an expensive lawyer to prove their clients were falsely charged.
IIRC, as an out of state resident, you can bring ammo in for your own use.
Residents of CA cannot legally do that without going through an FFL.
But I’m not a lawyer and I admit that I don’t understand gruesome Newsom’s most recent tyrannical flatulence posing as law, but it might be worth checking it out.
I haven’t even started to look into the 23 new anti self defense laws he passed last month. Not sure how anyone can carry a self defense tool in CA without a specialized lawyer following them around to tell them what they are allowed to carry and do in any given spot and how many of those laws have changed since going to sleep last night.
Meanwhile the prosecutors in some CA cities are deciding not to enforce some gun related charges against violent criminals actually using the mostly stolen guns to commit crimes. Violent criminal gun ownership appears to be fully sanctioned in CA but they don’t want to let any of you “dangerous” law abiding citizens there carry any tools to defend yourselves from all the armed criminals they are putting back on the streets🤪
I really enjoy reloading. I reload 9mm, 45 acp, 5.56- and 12-gauge shotgun with slugs and buckshot. The shotgun slugs are copper coated slugs, 1.25 oz. and the buckshot is either 00 or #4 buckshot. 5.56 ammo is 69 grain Sierra Match king boattail hollow point. Going to the range anytime I want and anytime I can are no different because of the reloading.
The main thing out of it is the hobby of mastering the reloading. Nothing worse than reloading 100 rounds and finding out that you did not adjust your load right or your primer did not seat at all, and you have rounds without primers. Trying to go too fast and not checking frequently. I keep the gauge to test the rounds as I go.
It has been an investment that has been paying for itself after a lengthy amount of time. I got the press and dies for 250.00 along with the brass cleaner, powder, bullets and two reloading manuals. I even got a brand-new XL-750 press and gear for a Christmas present!
My understanding is that non-residents cannot buy ammo in CA whether they go through a background check or not. Ranges can sell ammo for use on the range, but I don’t know whether purchase and use at a range requires a background check. That means that I will have to bring ammo with me when I visit CA and hope to go somewhere to shoot that does not sell ammo, or if I want to just buy a box of ammo.
I reload 9mm, 380, 38 special, 357 magnum, 223, 308, 30-30 and 30 carbine. Over the past several years, reloading made the difference between shooting and not shooting. It also allows me to try bullet/cartridges that are simply unavailable as loaded ammo (e.g., ARX polymer bullets or 30 carbine HP). I buy components and tools as they go on sale and add them to my reloading closet and desk. I’ve not delved into casting my own bullets as working a bucket of molten metal is risk I’m not willing to take.
