Ammunition is in short supply, according to Ammoland, a website dedicated to news about firearms and ammunition.
“In the wake of mounting global tensions and disruptions to key supply chains, the U.S. ammunition industry is facing significant challenges. Several recent developments are converging to create a perfect storm that could lead to a gunpowder shortage, threatening both military and civilian ammunition supplies,” the news site reports.
In May, Alliant Powders, a leading producer of reloading powders l(Bullseye and Unique), suspended shipments of its smokeless powders, a decision driven by global conflicts — most notably the war in Ukraine. the company could not get a key ingredient — nitrocellulose — so prioritized its military contracts, diverting all nitrocellulose to ammunition production for defense purposes. This has left civilian reloaders scrambling for alternatives, Ammoland reports.
In addition to military customers being prioritized, there’s China. In August, China started restricting export of nitrocellulose and antimony, two critical components in ammunition production, Ammoland reports.
“Antimony, essential for hardening lead bullets, and nitrocellulose, used in propellants, are both vital to keeping the U.S. ammunition industry running. China’s decision has created widespread concern in the defense sector as the U.S. relies heavily on Chinese imports of these materials,” the report says.
Read more about the shortage of ammunition at Ammoland, at this link.
In January, Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor signed a letter to the Biden-Harris Administration, objecting to the administration’s attempt to curtail ammunition to the general public.
