The hunt is on for more ammunition U.S. Supply can't keep up with demand, a trend that began after election

A NOVEMBER TO REMEMBER (From the review journal dot com)

The scarcity of ammunition is part of a trend that began immediately after the presidential election, retailers say.

Gun enthusiasts, concerned with perceptions that Barack Obama and a Democrat-controlled Congress would increase gun control measures, began buying firearms and ammunition at an astounding rate.

According to the Department of the Treasury's most recent Firearms and Ammunitions Excise Tax Collection Report, firearm and ammunition manufacturers paid $109.8 million in excise taxes in the first quarter of 2009, up 43 percent from the same quarter in 2008.

All manufacturers are required to pay a 10 or 11 percent excise tax on firearms and ammunition produced, which makes the tax one of the most reliable ways to track firearm and ammunition sales in the United States, Novin said.

A second key indicator is the FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or NICS Checks.

In November, NICS checks were up 41.6 percent versus November 2008, and have been up month-to-month since the election, indicating that firearm sales are still booming.

"Those numbers are beyond outrageous when you consider the recession," Novin said.

A TEMPORARY PROBLEM

Although demand is extraordinarily high, and manufacturers are running at full capacity, more plants haven't been opened to supplement the need.

The reason, analysts say, is because manufacturers don't believe the demand is being driven by natural economic need, but something else.

"It's customer paranoia," Rainey said, "in our new president."

SECOND AMENDMENT COSTS

Even with a nationwide shortage, retailers and manufacturers say they haven't seen a drastic increase in prices.

Lowrie and Rainey said prices in their stores have remained stable over the past eight or nine months, and Russo said Remington hasn't raised prices.

The only place costs have skyrocketed have been at gun shows, where sellers have jacked up prices to take advantage of the paranoia, said Robert Smith, president of the Nevada State Rifle & Pistol Association.

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