Ammunition shortages in the USA.

Yep, heard a story on the ABC today linking vitamin D and coronavirus treatment: www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/healthreport/is-there-a-link-between-vitamin-d-and-coronavirus/12566324

Medical dude I have been listening to on Youtube has been saying this for months. I guess his 30 years of medical experience and data analysis skills are of more use than the scientists who had been negating his hypothesis.

Many years ago I chanced upon a handbook from the 1800's written by a serving US Army Cavalry Officer named Randolph B. Marcy with information and instruction for settlers heading west in the wagon trains, his advice to the family group leader of each wagon(s) was of specific interest. His recommendations re victualling and important supplies was especially notable. From memory his suggestion was that every man have a 100 round stock of rifle ammunition for the entire four to six month transit West, on the journey one could potentially look forward to meeting hostiles every single day! I would suggest after your first thousand rounds one could probably veer off and start caching more home brew supplies!

Up here you can buy several classes of firearms through the mail.. As well as ammo...

Many suppliers are showing "out of stock" with a lot of the lower price options in many calibers..

Norseman, the book is available on line and is a great read.
ia800202.us.archive.org/32/items/prairietravelerh01marc/prairietravelerh01marc.pdf

With that 100 round reference a few things bear considering with respect to the era when that recommendation was given:

• 'Every man' scales up big time in a wagon train.  There being dozens of families involved 
• family sizes were big; lots of male kids per family 
• 'men' could be taken to mean any male child over 10.  
• Your typical adversary had to economise on their own use of ammo in an offensive role; re-supply would have been few and far between. 
• The shot to hit ratio would have been very low.  Unlike these days where using hundreds of rounds to generate a single casualty is 'normal'
• .45 ammo weighs a ton thanks to the chunky projectiles: When limited to just a couple of horsepower worth of transport and needing to haul everything needed to start a new life ... hauling more ammo per shooting person likely meant some other useful items would not be taken.

Firearms themselves are getting short. I've already been asked to borrow one of my rifles, because theirs is busted. Prices have shot up at many gun stores now, both for parts and firarms themselves.

The lockdown is pretty much finished here now.

An annoyed colleague told me today the expensive imported car (Porsche Cayenne) she has been wanting to buy all year is unavailable due to low stock. It seems the German factory has been continually opening and then shuttering all year, so output and exports are way down. Consequently, the usual two month wait has now blown out to over six months, and buyers need to put down substantial deposit to even get on the list. I asked why she doesn't just buy a locally made car to save time and money, but got the usual contemptuous stare and reply along the lines of "if you have money, you should spend it".

And long delays on Yamaha Peewee 50 mini bikes. Will have to order grandson's new wheels early.