As attacks on our Second Amendment rights increase, there is a predictable uptick in the number of internet rumors concerning firearms and ammunition. In particular, NRA-ILA receives frequent inquiries regarding ammo shortages.
A rumor that surfaced earlier this year was actually a variation of an old one, and claimed that George Soros owns "most of the ammunition manufacturing companies and many arms manufacturers," and that he's "selling ONLY to the government right now." This simply isn't true. As noted in a past statement by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, "George Soros does not own ANY manufacturers of ammunition or firearms. No manufacturer of either guns or ammunition has been ordered by the government to limit or alter its supply channels. All manufacturers are trying their best to catch up to this market, but it's a simple matter of supply vs. demand. There is way too much demand for manufacturers to meet with supply. There is not enough tooling, infrastructure or raw materials at the ready anywhere in the entire world to keep up with current consumer demand. And that's why we are seeing shortages."
Other rumors concern acquisitions of ammunition by the Department of Homeland Security and a number of smaller agencies. Much of this concern stems from a misunderstanding of the size of the U.S. ammunition market. While the amount of ammunition some agencies have sought to buy seems impressive at a glance, it's far less so when spread out over a multi-year contract and over the tens of thousands of armed federal agents who engage in regular firearm training and qualification. And even if federal agencies bought all of the ammunition for which they've recently solicited proposals, it would still amount to only about three percent of total domestic ammunition production.
As we've pointed out before, most gun owners will agree that skepticism of government is healthy. But today there are more than enough actual threats to the Second Amendment to keep gun owners busy.
Rumor Control: Ammo Shortages Revisited!

Friday, May 31, 2013
Friday, April 9, 2021
During a press conference on Thursday, President Biden announced that he would once again be targeting law-abiding gun owners by ordering ATF to develop two new restrictive regulations. Aiming to accessorize the Department of Justice’s ...
Thursday, January 1, 2015
CAUTION: Federal and state firearms laws are subject to frequent change. This summary is not to be considered as legal advice or a restatement of law.
Monday, April 12, 2021
At Biden's recent Rose Garden ceremony, where he announced his latest assault on the Second Amendment, he lied a number of times, and garbled the name of the federal agency tasked with enforcing federal gun ...
Thursday, April 15, 2021
Thursday morning, Gov. Phil Murphy held a press conference to unveil yet another gun control package in the Garden State.
Monday, April 12, 2021
Rahm Emanuel, recently the mayor of Chicago and who has previously served as a member of the Clinton Administration and as President Obama’s White House chief of staff, proposed a few curious gun control ideas ...