Went in to Loudoun Guns yesterday. The gun racks, both new and used, were full. There were plenty of customers too; no sales staff were idle. There were boxes of GI-issue AR magazines, plus new PMags (marked “$39.95 $29.95″) and some Ruger factory magazines that appeared to be PMag clones. VERY LITTLE AMMO, at least that I could see. MDL just returned from a road trip to his ancestral home in the Rockies, to retrieve certain items that are longer “welcome” in that once-proud state, and which he had collected over the past few years. He texted me yesterday, “Just [...]

UPDATE: Loudoun Guns has a wide selection of firearms, including ARs and AKs, and at least one FAL, as well as the usual run of bolt-actions and shotguns. I was amazed. They said that sales are very brisk but their distributor has been good to them. Indeed! They also have cases of 45 ACP, running about 50 cents a round. Not great but not bad either, considering. I didn’t see any shotgun or rifle ammo but I didn’t look for it. I did see some 45 and 40 hollow-points, but not much. Oh, and a large box of new Gen3 [...]

Last weekend’s experience with John Murphy at FPF Training got me thinking about other opportunities in 2013. As a public service for the greater Op-For community, especially those in Northern Virginia, here is a selection of schedules from first-rate instructors that run the gamut from very military-oriented to civilian-oriented: FPF Training, all in Northern Virginia and just across the line in WV; note that John is starting to offering some different things, and is able to offer an ammo discount for certain courses. As you know, he always has my unequivocal recommendation. Pat Rogers’ EAG Tactical; I have not been [...]

Just got this is by email; Mr Farnam reports from Texas during a spot check on ammo availability. I don’t think his experience is out of the ordinary. Seek out local alternatives as best you can. Read and heed! 8 Mar 13 Update I stopped at a big Cabela’s south of Austin, TX this afternoon. Here is what I found: No 223, 308, 9mm, 40S&W, 38Spl, 357Mg, 22LR ammunition anywhere in the store. No high-performance, nor hardball. Some 30-06, some 30-Carbine Gold-Dot, some 7.62x54R (Soviet equivalent of the 308), Some 45ACP Gold-Dot, three 20-round boxes of 7.62×39 Lots of 410 [...]

See this report from our special shotgun correspondent, Rusty Bill. Slim pickin’s across the country, punctuated by some spotty surpluses. I maintain– go to your local and state Gun Trader boards, find out who has what you need, and what you have that they might need. You’re going to fill in some of the holes on your shelves, and you’re going to meet some interesting people, like-minded folk from all walks of life. Good people to know. Looks like both supply and demand are going to be this way, more or less, for a while. Do what you can to [...]

Perhaps you haven’t noticed, but there’s been a run on arms and ammunition lately. Here’s an excerpt from one report from my hometown gun show, posted on Rawles’ site: Once in the door the line went straight to the back where the ammo dealers were.  The dealers were advising people to not even shop for themselves but to simply line up for the cash register and tell their staff what ammo they wanted and it would be handed to them as they waited for their turn to pay.  No mention of brands, just calibers and quantities. … Shooter grade ammo [...]