Fear & Loading: How Old School Beat The Ammo Shortage

by
posted on October 31, 2017
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
murs-mike.jpg

Not long ago, in a store near you, ammunition vanished without a trace. Guns ran dry, ranges fell silent and the dark web filled with inventory-sniffing software—or so I’m told. There was nothing funny about it, although some of the fodder-finding “hacks” were entertaining.

I ran across one I hadn’t heard of before on a ham radio forum recently. Yes, many of those geeks with thick glasses, oversized mikes and electromagnetic personalities shoot when they’re not talking code—Morse and Q, not Linux or html, by the way. I won’t claim this approach is innovative, but it just goes to show old school still rules.

Most Walmarts connect employees/departments by two-way radios operating on the Multi-Use Radio System (MURS). No license is required, and the five VHF channels are ominously vacant in most areas of the country, making them ideal for close-range, reliable emergency communication should a dozen eggs on the dairy department floor begin cracking up passersby with off-color yolks.   

One radio operator, frustrated when he had nothing to feed his starving rifle during the shortage, started his mornings by pouring his morning java and heating up his radio to inquire, “Sporting goods, did we get any .22 rimfire in on last night’s truck?”

It worked—early and often. Unlike the modern approach, he also didn’t have to stay up until midnight to do an inventory check.

It’s all humorous and funny in hindsight, but don’t try this at home, or anywhere. You might claim you were just comingling with employees, but I’m pretty sure the FCC will find a way to fry your reputation, even if—as the ham radio operator explained—a legal, FCC-certified handheld radio was used when the clandestine mission took place.

Of course, it’s legal to listen in and radio traffic during buggy rodeos which offer tastier drama than reality TV. If you think parking at one of the stores during the holidays is a challenge, try navigating 200 cattywampus-wheeled shopping carts, single-file down a crowded parking lot, full of angry drivers in a hurry to get to the next bargain.       

Latest

Gotw Wilson Combat Divison 77 Project 1 Web
Gotw Wilson Combat Divison 77 Project 1 Web

Gun Of The Week: Wilson Combat Division 77 Project 1

Join American Rifleman staff on the range in this video to get a closer look at Wilson Combat’s somewhat cryptically named “Division 77 Project 1.” 

The Armed Citizen® July 18, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Review: POF-USA LMR BASE Rifle

The Patriot Ordnance Factory LMR Base offers a .308 Win. chambering in a lightweight, AR-15-size package, which makes it a capable platform for today's new gun owner. And it comes at a fair price.

2025 Accessory Of The Year: Wyoming Sight Drifter

For each of the past 23 years, the editors of American Rifleman have convened to select our top picks for the past year’s best and most innovative products. Here are the most recent winners.

Henry Donates Rifles To Support Young Leukemia Victim

Henry Repeating Arms has donated a limited run of 50 “Team Keane” Golden Boy .22 lever-action rifles to support 13-year-old Keane Rhodes of Universal City, Texas, who is currently undergoing aggressive treatment for ALL T-cell leukemia.

Rifleman Review: Springfield Armory Echelon

Springfield Armory introduced its Echelon in 2023, bringing a modernized, chassis-style, striker-fired handgun to the market that has since seen several notable line extensions.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.