In every survival situation where the routine use of firearms directly affects a person's survival probability (i.e. A soldier at war, a policeman on the street, etc.), eventually a time comes when the ammunition supply is exhausted. In times of war, during a firefight, a soldier's lifespan can be measured by the amount of ammunition he is carrying. In a worse case scenario, the soldier, (That's YOU), will probably not be able to run down to the local gun shop and "pick up a case or two". If you run out of ammunition, the game is OVER. Let's think about that for a moment. At this time in the United States of America, you can at this moment drive down to your nearest K-Mart and purchase ammunition in Military calibers of 9mm, 45 Cal, .308 Winchester and .223 Remington as easy as you might buy a loaf of bread; not so in other countries. In most of the rest of the world, it is illegal for a private citizen to own a military type firearm. Even should you pass all the paperwork, registration, etc., the firearms you are permitted to buy are almost always in a non-military caliber (such as .222 instead of .223).
The concerted efforts put forth by certain power groups to ban and eventually confiscate all private firearms are phases of a PLAN. That PLAN being to destabilize the United States government, with the eventual abolishment of the constitution, and establishment of a ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT, with the USA being one of 10 global regions. A constitutional republic, with its free, firearm toting citizens, has no part in the new "Global Economy". How long will the traitors in Washington wait until they attempt to restrict/ban or confiscate first ammunition for the "evil" assault weapons and then of course all weapons. Not long you can be sure.
When considering how much and what kind of ammunition to store, we must differentiate between the 3 main types of ammunition that you as a survivalist may be familiar with. Those being commercial manufacture, military surplus and commercial re-manufacture (reloads). Personal manufacture will be discussed in a separate article "Survival Reloading".
Before purchasing ammunition, you must learn a few basic terms that you will see in the mail orders ads. "BE" means Berdan priming (NOT RE-LOADABLE), "BX" means Boxer priming (re-loadable), and will be what your looking for MOST of the time. "NC" means Non-Corrosive, which is what you want. STAY AWAY from "C" or "COR" which means CORROSIVE PRIMERS. These will DESTROY your weapon if not cleaned in a few HOURS. Always assume corrosive if not stated. If the ammo is cheap, BEWARE.
Commercial Manufacture: This type is available at ordinary retail outlets. Some manufacturers are Remington, Winchester, PMC, Hansen, Federal and Samson. All components are new. Winchester Military, Hansen and PMC are probably the best priced (best buys are .22 cal, 9mm, and .45 cal). Have you dealer order from Shotgun News (Hastings, NE) or order direct from:
- Atlanta Discount Ammo, P.O. Box 627, Norcross, GA 30091
- Oklahoma Ammunition, 4310-4321 W. Rogers Blvd., Skiatook, OK 74070
Military Surplus: This type is available through mail order. Unless you are an ordnance expert, I would suggest you NOT buy any surplus ammunition at gun shows; you never know what you are getting. Most surplus ammunition is Berdan primed and is NOT re-loadable. The best surplus buys are usually .308 Winchester ranging from $130-160 per thousand. Commercial manufactured .308 is about $240 or more per thousand. The following suppliers have surplus for purchase:
- Paragon Sales, P.O. Box 2022, Joliet, IL 60434
- SARCO, 323 Union St., Stirling, NJ 07980
- SAMCO, P.O. Box 7323, Miami, FL 33152
Commercial Re-manufactured: Next to reloading yourself, mail ordered reloads are the least expensive way to stockpile ammunition. Most reloads (especially rifle), are manufactured from once fired G.I. brass and new components. With reloads, it's cheaper to practice with your AR-15 ($125 per M) than your 9mm ($140 per M). Order these by mail and don't forget the freight charges:
- D & S Mfg., Rt. 1Box 381, Spring Bridge Rd., Greenbush, ME 04475
- B & G Bullets, P.O. Box 14313, Oklahoma City, OK 73114
- Tennessee Cartridge, P.O. Box 228, Oakland, TN 38060
- Pro Max Munitions, Box 75036, Oklahoma City, OK 73147
- Precision Ctrg., 176 Eastside Road, Deer Lodge, MT 59722
- Wilderness Supply, P.O. Box 5278, Tucson, AZ 35703
The least expensive bulk packed .223 ammunition (at $105 per thousand rounds (FOB)), is available from:
- Dallas Reloading, P. O. Box, 31870-904, Dallas, TX 75231