Why can’t I get my usual rifle ammunition?

Stalking
GEORGE WALLACE says: There certainly are people who would like to stop all shooting but mercifully they don’t control our ammunition supply.

However, there is certainly a problem with obtaining some ammunition and reloading components and I am obliged to Steve Way, Associate Director of GMK (who import, among many other things, my favourite Federal brand) for supplying the correct answer to this question.

The reason is the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Ammunition factories are flat out, recruiting more staff and working shifts around the clock to meet the demands of the military.

Civilian supplies have to take second place and even the American Police are having to wait eight to twelve months for ammunition orders to be filled.

The scale of increased demand is well illustrated by figures from the US Military for use of small arms ammunition.

In 2001 their usage was 426 million rounds; last year, that went up to 1.5 billion. And that’s just the Americans, who are far from being the only ones firing off a lot of ammo.

No wonder they haven’t time to make our cans of powder and packets of primers!

On a brighter note, most importers seem hopeful of some supplies before Christmas, so best get your orders in ASAP.