Monday, February 04, 2013

More on the Shortage

Speaking of the ammo shortage, John Hinderaker, at Power Line blog has a few thoughts.
So what is going on? In part, certainly, the perception of a potential shortage due to the policies of the Obama administration has led to the reality of a shortage, as everyone started to stock up. I can understand the mentality: if I wandered into a gun store and found that they had just put 1,000 9 mm rounds on the shelf, I would buy them all. But does that fully explain what is happening? How about the fact that government agencies are buying up billions of rounds? There have been lots of news reports and lots of rumors, but no clear explanation of why the federal government has invested so massively in ammunition–including the most popular civilian calibers–over the last year. One way or another, it seems that there is a story here. But for it to be pursued, we would need “reporters.” Remember them? Nah, that was a bygone era: you probably don’t.
Why is the United States buying billions of rounds of ammunition?  If you follow the link in the above paragraph, you come to an Examiner page which tells us, in part:
The DHS has so far refused to say why they are purchasing billions of rounds, as this is an unusually large amount. When more people started questioning these purchases, the DHS responded by classifying information, blacking out certain sections of a solicitation, including portions pertaining to 64 and 65 grain .223 ammo and the number being requested. 
So, if we ask the Government why they need all this ammo, they respond by classifying the information.  This is the most transparent administration ever.  I'm not a conspiracy nut, but this administration's penchant for secrecy is both confusing and damning.

8 comments:

Old NFO said...

That it is... And who/where is stockpiling all of it???

Rivrdog said...

Seems simple enough: the dot.gov feels it can print unlimited money, so it will effect ammo control by contriving a shortage by buying most of it up. Where this fails the smell test is, who the HELL gave them first-in-line buying priority in non-military calibers? Was that priority some sort of FedOSHA blackmail?

For that matter, doesn't DHS have a budget for ammo, and if that budget has been exceeded, how come that hasn't showed up on the radar in the Oversight Committee's office? Is Paul Ryan asleep in DeeCee?

Anonymous said...

The govt only bought 600 rounds per employee per year. I am not sure why this should be considered alarming.

Anonymous said...

Not true at all "Anonymous"! It works out to be closer to 90,000 per active gun carrying DHS employee! Tell me again why that isn't a big deal?

Anonymous said...

Non-military calibers, Rivrdog? 223 and 9mm???

Anonymous said...

Because HP rounds are nearly twice the cost of FMJ or ball ammo, no agency practices with HP rounds.

Anonymous said...

It's mostly .40S&W, which is not in service with the military.

Anonymous said...

Actually most law enforcement practices and qualifies with their full up duty ammo, how else can you prove you can shoot it. I'm on a DHS regulated security contract and the DHS CONTRACT requires we qual with same ammo as carried on contract. they just don't supply it. ( I wish) )