New cartridges during shortages?

[Shadow9mm]

So in thinking about Federal's new 30 super carry I had a question. Why would they release a new cartridge in the middle of a shortage? During shortages it has been my experience that people tend to consolidate, or purchase guns in cartridges they already have or are familiar with. Something that feels reasonably stable. Not new cartridges that are uncertain.

During a shortage, would you consider adding a new to market cartridge to your lineup? Or are you looking for something you already have, or that is already well established?

 

[rc]

Maybe the ammo has been in a Wearhouse and it's time to sell high and guns will sell if they have ammo.

 

[eflyguy]

All our match, carry, and HD handguns are 9mm, with the exception of a lovely 1911. I got rid of everything else. It's just simpler that way.

I don't have anything against other calibers, but I have no use for them.

Rifle is a little different. We compete @ 100 with .22LR and have a couple, but need a .308 (or anything else bigger than 6mm - rules) for high power silhouette, and have an AR because reasons.

I have no desire to buy more firearms just because there are other calibers. Everything we own serves a purpose, except for the 1911 and AR - and even the 1911 is loaded with JHP and easily accessible at home. Same Ruger SR1911 that Prof recently bought and reviewed.

 

[44 AMP]

I voted for a gun in a cartridge I already have. I will amend that slightly, as I would be open to a new cartridge, IF it was based on some common case that I already have, or could easily get.

The .30 Super Carry doesn't make that for me.

 

[74A95]

The 30 SC looks like a nice cartridge, and has genuine merit. I'm always open to new ideas.

 

[44 AMP]

Personally, I don't see the merit in the .30SC but that's just me.

I've got a bunch of guns chambered for cartridges that "had merit" but were commercially discontinued (or nearly so) years before there were ammo shortages or the buying panic(s).

Right now, it just doesn't make sense to me to go with something new (and unproven) when there isn't enough of the regular stuff to go round...

Maybe they've been sitting on warehouses full of the new stuff, and are releasing it now because, literally, people are buying everything that shoots, but what happens AFTER those stocks are sold?

Are you going to be able to get ammo next month? Next year? For a niche round that only has one company making ammo?

Always keep in mind that a gun and cartridge made only by one company is liable to be discontinued at any time the bean counters figure sales are "too slow", no matter if its good at what it does, or not.

 

[Sevens]

It’s at least a little interesting that this cartridge is the same bullet diameter as the .327 Federal Magnum that was also released during a ****storm ammo and component market. Many of us who were early adopters of the .327 Federal felt like we got dropped off on an island with a new cartridge and seemingly zero support for it.

With the .30 Super Carry, it just seems to me that the niche, purpose and target audience for this round are the (still!) tons of folks approaching a gun counter for the first ever time. I’m speaking of the folks who only know “a 9 millimeter” from what they have seen on their TV.

From a counter jockey’s perspective, this seems like a very marketable new option. From the point of view of hardcore gun forum posters, I’m not sure why anyone cares all that much.

As for why they marketed it now? I think it’s because this project has had wheels turning for months and I’ll also guess that they have a strong contract with Federal and the ammo has been piling up in production over the last year or more.

 

[Sevens]

The other thing that is easy to forget when we are years+ deep in to an ammo/component market ****burger is that everyone feels like we cannot find any ammo at the gun store or online retailer, but that’s because we are looking for 9mm, .45 and .38, and so is everyone else in the country.

We aren’t asking about case lots of .30SC.

The only people who will be fighting each other for the last box of .30SC on the shelf are the small slice of market that just bought a handgun within the last 3 weeks chambered in .30SC.

 

[74A95]

Maybe they've been sitting on warehouses full of the new stuff, and are releasing it now because, literally, people are buying everything that shoots, but what happens AFTER those stocks are sold?

Spoken like a true conspiracy theorist.

Ya gotta love when people just make crap up out of thin air.

 

[74A95]

The only people who will be fighting each other for the last box of .30SC on the shelf are the small slice of market that just bought a handgun within the last 3 weeks chambered in .30SC.

And that would be who . . . nobody?

It's clear that they have hit the shelves yet.

 

[Scorch]

Well, take a look at cartridge introduction history over the past 20 years, keeping in mind that history repeats itself.
17WSM- no ammo for rifles introduced
22 ETron- no ammo for rifles introduced
9mm Federal- expensive ammo for a 9mm revolver
327 Federal- hard to find, expensive ammo
9X21- no ammo except from custom loaders
9X23- same
9mm Winchester Magnum- same
45 Winchester Magnum- faded as fast as the LAR Grizzly
45 GAP- hahahahaha!!!!
ANY SAUM cartridge- typical Remington
ANY WSSM cartridge- lots of hype, then they pulled the rifles from the market.
224 Valkyrie- yeah, whatever.
22 TCM- uh huh
7mm STW- typical Remington
8mm Rem Mag- ditto
30 TC- it's as good as a 308 but costs 2X as much!! Yay!

And I could go on for a page and a half. I have a lot harder time remembering cartridge lauches that went well!
17 HMR- that one was done right. Rifles showed up, and there was ammo
WSM cartridges- Rifles and ammo really delivered
6.5 Creedmore- lots of hype, but there was substance.
can't think of many others.

Biggest thing, if you have a cartridge that offers nothing more than an existing cartridge, and ammo is more expensive or hard to get, it probably won't fly. 22 Creedmore vs 22-250? 22 Nosler vs .223/5/56? 30 TC vs 308 Win?

 

[ballardw]

I'm not sure what the "22 TCM- uh huh" is supposed to mean. Guns and ammo have been available.

Last year I bought a couple boxes of on-shelf centerfire pistol ammo at my local Cabelas- 22 TCM, and I didn't buy all the 22 TCM or the lone box of .32 something. Point is 22 TCM was on the shelf when no .380, 9mm, .38, ,357, .40, 10mm, .44, .45 (ACP or Colt) were available.

I've consistently found sites with 22 TCM available when I've looked over the past year and probably more surprising the prices often weren't even two times the pre-pandemic price much less the 3 or 4 times for many other cartridges.

 

[74A95]

9X21- no ammo except from custom loaders
9X23- same

Wrong.
Wrong.

Don't know about the others, but it's hard to take you serious when you are wrong on obvious stuff.

 

[Scorch]

I'm not sure what the "22 TCM- uh huh" is supposed to mean. Guns and ammo have been available.

I didn't say there was no ammo. The 22TCM was launched about 10 years ago and nobody knows about it. That's a launch flop.

Wrong.
Wrong.

Don't know about the others, but it's hard to take you serious when you are wrong on obvious stuff.

Don't know about you, but I have not seen 9X21 ammo from a major manufacturer in like years. And I work in the gun trade. And Carolina Munitions and Botach are custom loaders.

 

[74A95]

Don't know about you, but I have not seen 9X21 ammo from a major manufacturer in like years. And I work in the gun trade. And Carolina Munitions and Botach are custom loaders.

I guess you haven't been looking for it. I've purchased 9X21 by Fiocchi, PPU and Winchester in the last couple years, the Winchester within the last year.

Thanks for the heads-up on CM and Botach. Botach has Winchester 9X21 in stock. Carolina Munitions might too if I'm reading their website correctly - you can add it to the shopping cart.

 

[Wildernesshunter]

I just purchased a 6.5 PRC and I can't find any ammo for it.

If anyone has a line on it.... please send me a PM.

My son's Bass Pro showed it in stock for $48 a box of 20 and I told him to go buy two boxes and when he arrived... they were sold out.


.........

 

[ballardw]

I didn't say there was no ammo. The 22TCM was launched about 10 years ago and nobody knows about it. That's a launch flop.

Interesting interpretation.

I shoot with about 10 folks. A few years ago one of them came to town and we were sharing our new "toys". We both had 22 TCM 1911 double stacks.

2 of 11 would be pretty fair market penetration for many products...

 

[Rob228]

This reminds me of 2006 when I used some deployment money to buy a Kimber 8400 in .325 WSM. Awesome rifle, sure as heck can't find ammo for it.

 

[rickyrick]

Not looking at guns really, but if I were I’d probably buy something that uses the cartridges that I currently have in my stash.
I have a lot of ammunition, buckets and buckets full.
Never intended to hoard so much, but I used to shoot daily, so I constantly bought ammunition.
I slowed down on shooting without even realizing it but I kept on buying ammunition at the same rate.
I stopped purchasing ammunition a couple of years ago, I still have a lot of ammunition.
I took most of it out of packaging and filled up buckets with a lot of .308/7.62nato .223/5.56 and 9mm.
To a lesser degree, 6.8spc and 300aac.
I stopped using things like enfields in .303, mosin nagants and the like, I’ve passed those on to family just to streamline my modest collection.
I have a couple of shotguns, but only a few boxes of shells, I’d like a better shotgun I suppose, and maybe a couple of bolt guns.

I gave up on 22lr long ago lol
Never really considered myself a gun nut or a prepper, but I may have inadvertently become one because I like to have the supplies I need for my chosen activities.
Loosing 2/3rds of my family’s income due to COVID-19 restrictions... I’ve added to my food and water storage and have paid off all debts z

 

[stinkeypete]

Wait until you have the dies and brass in your hands before buying something weird. Then, who cares?