The continuing search for small arms (handgun/rifle) ammunition in San Antonio has been disheartening to say the least.  The Vice-Commander and I became disgusted though by what we discovered at the monthly Saxet Gun Show.

Where better to buy "guns and ammo" than a gun show?  It used to be that gun shows offered cheaper prices than you could get retail for both firearms and ammunition.  Of course the gun show still maintains the ability to offer hard to find firearms (like older military style arms - just yesterday I ran into a vendor who had not one, but TWO M1941 Johnson rifles; I had never seen one 'in person' before - cool!)  The gun show also is good for finding firearms accessories, usually cheaper than you can find either retail of online - holsters, belts, reloading equipment, etc.  I was on a mission though and was looking for ammunition.

The first thing which struck us was the line just to get in the parking lot - it was long!  I have been to numerous gun shows all over the country and have never had to wait just to park!  This time I did.  Also the line to get in the show itself was also long.  It moved fast, but again never in my experience have I seen this.  Another observation while waiting in line to go in was the number of people coming out with CASES of ammunition.  Almost everyone who exited that I saw had ammo. 

Once we got in and started looking around, I became disheartened.  Firearms prices had risen (dramatically in some cases) since the last show I went to a few months ago.  There is currently no shortage of firearms nationwide, and there is no 'ban' in effect or upcoming in the short term so this bothered me a bit.  In a lot of cases I found firearms which you could by from a retailer or regular gun shop CHEAPER than what I saw at the gun show.  In a lot of cases, the prices were comparable.  Comparable prices are no big deal really, but if I am going to pay the same price for a firearm at a show, why not give that business to a retailer or gun shop owner?  Additionally, in my experience, a shop owner may haggle a bit with you, cut you some other kind of deal (gunsmithing packages for example) or offer additions (free ammo, holster etc.) for your business and to keep you coming back.  A gun show vendor may or may not do this.  So again, if I'm going to get comparable prices, I would just as soon give my business to a retailer or shop owner.

A lot of the accessory pricing was pretty good all in all though I couldn't find anyone who had a shotshell belt.  Still, ammo was my mission - I was on the hunt.

I finally made my way to where an ammo vendor usualy sets his booth up.  When I got there he was very busy.  He had ammo for sale but the prices were just obscene.  I bought a box of 100 rounds of Winchester 'white label' .45 ammo last weekend at a local Wal-Mart for $29.96.  This guy had the same box of ammo on sale for...$48!  I couldn't believe it!  Frankly, I was disgusted.  A lot of his other ammo was extremely overpriced.  Boxes of 'Ranger' (I think it's a Winchester brand of ammo) were selling for $46-$50 for a box of 50 rounds!  Later in the day I saw some of the same ammo for sale at a local sporting goods outlet for $20 cheaper a box!  This particular vendor was apparently out of his freakin mind!

This story was repeated all over the show though which just further disgusted me.  I found only TWO vendors in the whole show who were selling ammuntion for what you could call regular prices:  One who sells 'remanufactured' ammo was all out of every caliber but .45 ACP which he was selling for a bit over $22 a bag for 50 cartridges, a decent price.  Another vendor has some .40 S&W ammo and 9mm ammo (Black Hills ammo btw which is good stuff) for sale for a bit over $23 dollars for the .40 and a bit over $18 dollars for the 9mm - both calibers in boxes of 50 cartridges. 

Now, I'm all for 'free enterprise' and a person making a profit on a commodity which is in short demand right now.  Let me ask you a question though:  If you went shopping for a car and discovered the dealer had marked up his prices by roughly 75%, you'd probably punch the guy in the face!  That's what most of the vendors were doing at this gun show and it made me a bit angry.  A $20 mark up on a box of bullets you can find at a local store isn't 'profit', that's outright gouging in my opinion.  And yes, I understand that you might not find it at your local store which could account for a price increase, but not gouging.  We left the gun show after about an hour.  I felt like Ralphie in "A Christmas Story" after he decoded the Little Orphan Annie radio message, finding out it was just a commercial.

We made a trip out to Bass Pro Shops again to check on the ammo shelves there.  They were bare, even more bare than last weekend.  They were also out of shotshell belts.  I was becoming more and more angry - I couldn't find anything!

Side Note:  Last Thursday night I went out looking for a copy of Mark Levin's new book "Liberty and Tyranny".  I went to three Barnes & Nobles, one Borders, another discount book store (I can't think of the name...) - no one had it, they were all sold out.  I didn't get the opportunity to go out Friday to look, but the vice-Commander and I did yesterday.  I checked all the stores above again, and went into a Half-Priced Books, on the off chance they might have it - no one did.  There was only one more opportunity - the Waldenbooks in Ingram Park Mall.  It was the only other bookstore in my immediate area I could think of that I hadn't gone to.  I also figured that people don't go to the mall very much anymore (at least those that would read this book don't, HA!) and even if they did go to the mall, who goes to the mall to buy books anymore?  As it turns out, my reasoning was sound since they had it!  Had several copies btw right at the front of the store.  So if you read this and are in San Antonio, head over to the Waldenbooks at Ingram Park mall for this book, they might be the only ones who have a copy of it on the northwest side of town!  End Side Note.

I decided to make cursory checks for ammo around town from time to time for the next few weeks/months, just to see what develops.  I decided to just order what I need online from a reputable store and just wait for the backorder.  There are some things I can get online also that I wouldn't be able to find locally anyway - like some cheaper .500 S&W Magnum ammo you can get from Cabelas (it's only an hour drive to the nearest store, so what the heck).

Keep a sharp eye out for anything firearms related you might need in your local area.  Don't be afraid to check out your local gun show if you have one, maybe it won't be as populated with oppotunist leeches like the one here in San Antonio.  And do some shopping around and research if you are going to buy a firearm or other accessories.  Don't be afraid to give your local retailer or gun shop owner your business either thinkng you'll get it cheaper at a gunshow - you might not.  Use all of your available resources and research, research, research, before you plop down you money.

More here and here. 

The money line at Deceiver:

I know I speak for all Americans when I applaud March 12th President Obama for standing up to the politics of fear that have been cynically employed by February 5th President Obama. It’s time for 2/5 Obama to stop manipulating people’s emotions, just to try to make things harder for 3/12 Obama.

Dear Leader is indeed courageous and strong to take himself on in such a manner!  : )

(Posted from The Jawa Report)