The Last of My Online Ammo Purchases?

I shot my wad today, I think I spent my last dollar on an online ammo purchase with the purchase of a case of PMC 5.56x45mm XM855. Not the last dollar I have in the world, just the last one I ever will spend on an online ammo purchase. My online ammo purchase costs worked out to just over 4.5K over the past year, much more than all my other ammo purchases combined. Note that I purchased from those below based mostly on price and availability but all three had excellent customer service.

Online Purchases:

Palmetto State Armory (PSA)                                         $1,360.59

SG Ammo                               $1,034.28       

Sportsmansguide                    $852.93

MidwayUSA                           $431.00

Aim Surplus                           $391.50
 

Ammo To Go                         $193.45

Dan’s Ammo                          $190.00 (approximate)
Lucky Gunner                        $140.00

Cabelas                                   $114.83

Widener’s                               $73.00

Purchases Other Than Online:

Gun Shows                             $400.00 (approximate)

 

Chain Stores (like Dick’s       $125.00 (approximate)

Sporting Goods or Walmart) 

Local Gun Stores (LGS)         $50.00 (approximate)

 

Why spend all that money on ammo in one year especially when I could have gone on a really nice vacation with that money (and even taken the wife with me). Well, first there was the reelection of Obama then there was the passage of the NY SAFE Act just a couple of months later. As for he vacation that I could have enjoyed, I yet may go on that vacation in the upcoming year because the days of my online ammo buying will be coming to an end soon and I'll have that money to burn. Due to the NY SAFE Act, which was the main reason for my ammo buying frenzy, come January 1, 2014 virtually all online purchases by individuals living in NY will cease. The law requires ammunition dealers to do a face to face check of ID and then run a background check on a purchaser of ammunition for very purchase; buy a box of 50 rounds of .22LR and the dealer is required to see your ID and run a background check. Welcome to the precursor of the Nazi state of NY and I mean that most sincerely. I think we are taking the first steps in that direction both in NY State and nationally with tyrants like Cuomo and Obama in office. Whether or not we will wind up there, in the long run, is anyone’s guess but I digress so let me get back on target. 

As you can see, my order of preference for ammunition purchases has been to buy online, to buy at guns shows, to buy at large chain stores and lastly at local gun stores (LGS). The reasons I preferred to buy online were availability, price, customer service and because of ease of shopping. I know that a lot of folks in the world of firearms frown on purchasing at other than at LGS, the so called mom and pop style shops. I don’t try to outright discourage people from buying at them as others have tried to discourage some of us from buying online but I certainly would not go out of my way to recommend purchases at any of the local guns shops in my area; at least not the ones with which I have had bad experiences in the past.  

The number one reason for me avoiding purchases at LGS has been poor service. The local gun shops in my area also are usually very overpriced on everything to do with gun and ammo sales. Then, even if you can find a shop with excellent customer service and a decent price on ammo, you almost have to struggle to find a decent amount of ammo at said shop. Add to that one that is not too far away to make it not too much of a pain in the ass to drive there to buy ammo. I have not found a place like that, close to me, yet. I have found some fair to good prices at chain stores like Walmart and Dick’s Sporting Goods and they are fairly close to me but forget about reliably good customer service at them – especially at Walmart, in my opinion. 

My priorities will probably have to change after January 1st and the implementation of the ammo purchase provisions under the NY SAFE Act. Either I will have to put up with absolutely crappy, smugly, arrogant customer service at some LGS and pay their overly high prices by the box (as opposed to by the case) or I will have to give up the ease of buying idea and travel out of state to large ammo dealers to get good deals on ammunition for by the case purchases from dealers with courteous service. The former would mean that I have to lose most of my self-respect and buy from scumbags at a high cost and the latter would mean I could drive to ammo dealers with nicer customer service and better prices but would have to travel considerable distances and would have to make really big purchases to make it worth the effort. (I guess I could combine an ammo run with a small vacation and that would make it more effective all around.)

 

Note I did not say I would continue buying at stores like Walmart, Dick’s Sporting Goods or Sports Authority. I left them out because it has been rumored locally that all three may discontinue ammunition sales, after January 1, 2014, here in NY. If they keep selling ammo, I will probably start buying most of mine from them. Of course, if I happen to discover a local firearms and ammunition dealer, who is courteous and respectful to customers, sells at excellent prices, has what I want available, and is not too far from my home – I will go that route. Hopefully though, with what I have on hand, I will not need any more ammo for at least a year, or two, to come.

For now, I think I have spent my last dime on online ammo purchases. Even if I do decide to buy a few more of this or that (I am in dire need of 12 gauge slugs and 00 buckshot), in the near future, I do not have long to complete the purchases. With the NY SAFE Act ammo sale provisions kicking in on January 1^st, it is expected that most online ammo dealers will cease sales to anyone in NY by mid-December at the latest. That way they will have assured all shipments of ammo, bought online by New Yorkers, should make it here before the deadline. So, at most, I have maybe a month and a few days more in which to make an online ammo purchase. That is, I do and so too do the rest of we New Yorkers under the rule of Cuomo the Socialist & Liberty Usurping Tyrant. One can only hope the law soon will be declared unconstitutional or that it will be repealed and Cuomo recalled from office - but whom am I kidding, this is NY - land of the leftists.

All the best,

Glenn B