TX: Full Shelves of .22 at Wal-Mart in Dallas

I just got back from the North Dallas Wal-Mart just off the George W. Bush freeway and Marsh rd, consistently had 5 cent .22 ammunition when I visited my Daughter in October.  When I checked on 29 November, there were five boxes of Winchester copper-plated .22 LR, 333 round boxes for $14.97.  That translates to 4.5 cents a cartridge.   I suspected that it was a fluke. 

Today, at 11:30 on 11 December, I checked again.  This time the shelves were full of .22 Long Rifle ammunition, including quite a few bulk packs.  The Remington ammo today was 4.9 cents a round; the Winchester ammo was  4.5 cents a round; and 4.9 cents a round. The Federal Auto Match was 5.22 cents a round. The CCI Standard velocity was about 7 cents a round. The box numbers and  prices were: 12 boxes of 525 rounds of Remington, $27.57, 10 boxes of 222 rds of Winchester $10.97, 6 boxes of 325 rds of Federal Auto Match, 16.97, 4 boxes, 555 rds Winchester, $24.77. At least 30 50 rd boxes of CCI standard velocity at $3.47 a box.  The 3 box limit per customer per day was still in effect.

Perhaps this is another fluke.  Maybe not.  I have expected the .22 ammunition bubble to last until a Republican president is elected; but maybe President Obama's ability to scare the ammo buying public is finally fading.  Maybe Donald Trump is having an effect on enough voters that they feel a bit more confident about the future.  The .22 ammunition bubble has been primarily a political one.  People saw the strident demands for more restrictions on Second Amendment rights.  They saw the Constitution being ignored and trampled on.  They saw the media cartel aiding the avoidance of the normal legislative checks and balances.  Those that did not have much .22 on hand decided that they needed a couple of thousand rounds instead of 50 or a hundred.  Shortages led to panic buying and online entrepreneurs purchasing bulk ammo before the public ever saw it hit the shelves, then selling it at gun shows or on the Internet.
 
Certainly, more people believe that the stranglehold on setting the agenda and determining the terms of debate, that the media cartel has had for decades, is being challenged, possibly broken, for the foreseeable future.  This means the chances of more infringements on the Second Amendment are poor.

The producers of .22 ammunition have been running full bore for three years.  They have not been able to meet demand, although nearly the entire production of .22 ammunition for the planet has been directed to the American market.  At some point, those who feel the need to have a stockpile of .22 ammunition will have their need satisfied.  At that point, the prices will drop and return to near "normal".   I expect sale prices of .22 ammunition, in bulk packs, to fall to 3 cents a round or lower.   This assumes that monetary inflation will remain low.  If it takes off, those prices would rise with other commodities.

Currently, the prices of lead, copper, petroleum and labor remain at or below what they were when .22 ammunition was available for less than 3 cents a round, so the prediction looks good.

This single sighting of  a full shelf of Wal-Mart .22 does not mean the bubble is burst, but it is a hopeful sign.


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