So, Really, Where is the .22 Rimfire Ammo?

by
posted on August 11, 2014
** 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. **
keefe2015_fs.jpg

It happens daily. Still. I get calls and e-mails asking where all the ammo is. Except it is not “all” ammo anymore. For the record, there is no conspiracy. There is no secret government contract. It’s not Bloomberg or Soros (even though their actions and pronouncements often increase demand. Ironic, huh?).

The major domestic ammunition makers have been producing more ammunition than ever. They are all up in terms of total production—double, and in some areas, triple-digit increases. They are all running three shifts. And when it comes to center-fire cartridges, at least of three of the big makers are caught up and beginning to load either new products, line extensions or specialty loads. Previously, lower-demand chambering or atypical bullet weights or styles were shelved due the time it took to change over the tooling. Now, on the center-fire side, anyway, the manufacturers can start to really catch up to demand and get to cartridge producing they have not loaded in two years.

But not on rimfire. Affordable .22 Long Rifle in particular remains like a Bigfoot sighting. Despite running three shifts—I recently talked with Federal Premium’s Tim Brandt specifically about this—rimfire capacity is at its maximum at the Federal Premium Anoka, Minn., and CCI, Lewiston, Idaho, plants. The other rimfire makers in the United States (and some overseas) tell me the same thing. Maximum production is coming out of all them. And it is not enough. Demand for .22 Long Rifle still exceeds production capacity.

The problem with rimfire production is that adding capacity is incredibly expensive and not easy. The machines are very spendy and cannot just be ordered out of catalog. And then you have to train the workforce, too, after the tooling is in and the plant built. And there are aspects of rimfire production one simply cannot rush—nor should it, ever. The priming of rimfire case borders on alchemy, dangerous alchemy. And priming compound is something one cannot take any safety shortcuts with, period. That said, more .22 Long Rifle was produced last year than in any other year in the history of mankind. And it was still not enough.

So, with demand outstripping supply, hoarding and speculation continue. Technology, too, has exacerbated the problem. Social media and instant communication continue to play a role. “Wal-Mart truck is in. In line now” read a Facebook post from a friend. And I received a text from another friend recently: “IV: Bass Pro has bricks of Auto Match. How many u want?”

What we need to come to terms with is that no one knows how long current levels of .22 demand will last—if the big ammo makers knew that they would have known whether or not to build a billion dollar rimfire plant or three. No company wanted to risk that level of capital expenditure, for good reason. Know this, though, the level of demand will remain higher even when the ammo companies catch up, if they ever do so.

Watch the video below for my conversation with Federal Premium's Director of Communications Tim Brandt.

Latest

Making Keltec Pr57 1
Making Keltec Pr57 1

Making The KelTec PR57 In Wyoming

To make its PR57 handgun, KelTec invested in an entirely new manufacturing facility located in Rock Springs, Wyo. "American Rifleman Television" headed out for an inside look at the company's efficient production process.

Taurus 66 Combat: A New "Fighting Revolver"

First introduced in the 1970s, the Taurus 66 Combat is a medium-frame revolver that has seen several evolutions in its lifetime, and the latest update creates what the company considers "the final word in fighting revolvers."

Review: Taurus GX2

From cars to cellphones, as a product gets more sophisticated, it usually also gets more expensive. And, as modern handguns get more modular and optic-ready, their prices tend to go up.

Rifleman Q&A: A Garand Puzzlement

"We are a father-and-son NRA member tandem in search of an answer regarding the branding of an M1 Garand rifle. We own an M1 rifle that has markings indicating it was a “lend lease to England,” and it also has a .308 barrel/sleeve."

$160K Raised For HAVA At SIG Sauer Event

SIG Sauer hosted its 9th Annual Honored American Veterans Afield (HAVA) Charity Golf event early last month and raised more than $160,000 to support disabled veterans.

Scout The Trail To A General Purpose Rifle

The search for a universal longarm—one suitable for both hunting and defensive scenarios—is a trek that involves a bit of doubling back.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.