Staff at the Top Gun store in Arnold, Mo., take turns getting up in the middle of the night to scour the Internet for fresh postings of ammunition for sale. Availability is scarce. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch says firearm retailers report that President Obama's gun-control initiative and reactions to the Sandy Hook school shooting, have driven consumers to buy large amounts of ammunition.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation, which represents gun and ammunition manufacturers, said: “We are hearing of spot shortages of some calibers of ammunition at retail. Demand has been high for several years.” All calibers are affected but 9mm cartridges tends to be particularly scarce. They're especially popular with people who believe they are the size of choice for many police departments. Larger police agencies buy in bulk and stockpile ammunition.