By Steve Ohnesorge
Published: Jun. 22, 2021 at 6:24 PM EDT
LENOIR, N.C. (WBTV) - Since the pandemic began, gun sales have increased. There are an estimated 7 million new gun owners in the past 18 months.
People were buying for self protection, target shooting, and other reasons, says Bobby Robbins of Guns Too in Lenoir.
That has put a lot of pressure on ammunition supplies, he says, and manufacturers have not been able to keep up.
One issue was that manufacturers had their own problems during COVID-19 and production slowed down or even stopped at times.
“Supply now is not keeping up with demand,” said Robbins.
He is hearing indications that the situation could ease somewhat by the end of 2021 and at least by this time next year.
Prices, though, have risen dramatically due to raw material costs and the supply and demand situation.
There are no predictions from experts yet on whether the costs will come down once supply meets demand.
Law enforcement officials contacted by WBTV said their agencies are not affected yet by the shortage.
After supply problems 13 years ago, most have kept a two-year supply on hand for training and active duty just in case.
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