Not that there's anything all that NEW in here .. I just found it interesting that I was preaching to my Liberal Democrat Family Member, without even thinking about it.
Wow! Talk about Knee-jerk Reactionism!
Here's how it looks when you just sort of .. seque .. into it:
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I got my gun back! My gunsmith finished replacing the barrel, the grip, and a lot of other stuff for about $400 parts and $150 labor. The sights were loose, too, and some other minor issues. So I have my gun and I can start using it for competition again.
Unfortunately, most of the ammunition reloading components are not currently available. I have lots of powder because I bought a big job lot (twenty pounds) a couple of years ago. but I'm running out of bullets, and they are NOT available on today's market. Nor are primers. Reason? When Obama got elected, there was a huge run on guns, ammunition, parts and reloading components. Much of it [the source of the increased demand is ...] federal ... Homeland Security, and military. Ammunition component manufacturers are building new plants like crazy, but it will be one or two years before they can gear up to meet the demand.
The reason for shortage? Demand has sky-rocketted. When Obama was first elected, we saw an increase in firearms purchases, including reloading components. Then when he was running for second term, we had almost recovered. Then Federal agencies started [to] buy increasing [amounts of] ammunition, in the billions of rounds PER YEAR instead of millions. And people got scared again, and manufacturers couldn't keep up with the demand. Homeland Security alone is buying 1.6 BILLION rounds of .40S&W hollowpoint ammunition in the next 3 years .. for training. Manufacturers place emphasis on government contracts because they KNOW they have the market. And I can't get bullets, or primers, or brass for my competition pistol, because they [the manufacturers] can't meet the government contracts AND the civilian market demands.
I'm about to quit shooting in competition, because I have less than 1,000 rounds of bullets, which won't last me through the year in even an abbreviated competition schedule.
Why am I telling you all of this?
Partly because I'm frustrated.
Mostly because I wonder why my government needs ammunition for "Homeland Security" more than I need it for competition.
I don't know what they know that I don't know.
BTW .. hollowpoint ammunition isn't advantageous for training; it costs more to produce than standard ammunition. It's only advantageous for combat situations. I'm wondering why Homeland Security needs to specify HOLLOW-POINT ammunition for 'training', as the ballistics are similar to the less-expensive 'standard' ammunition.
Okay, right now you're thinking: "My brother is paranoid!".
At a ratio of one-million-to-one, are there more than 1,000 terrorists who need to be shot at? With a half-BILLION rounds left over for 'training'?
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ralphbenko/2013/03/11/1-6-billion-rounds-of-ammo-for-homeland-security-its-time-for-a-national-conversation/
Google it. I'm just saying ...
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This is probably too personal for publication, but my point is one of consistency; While I don't mind saying to YOU these paranoid/conspiracy things, I am surprised when I discover that I'm making the same points to my Liberal sibling .. who will NOT consider for a moment that my point of view includes any fact-based reason for concern.
And people wonder why my blogging had diminished dramatically?
