What You Need to Know About Ammunition Shortages

If you’ve noticed empty shelves, rising prices, and delays when trying to buy certain calibers, you’re not imagining it.

There’s a supply vs demand issue and most of our community don’t even know it’s going on. 

This isn’t a crisis yet. But if we ignore the warning signs, it could become one.

Global Conflicts Drain Supply Chains

Most of the world’s ammunition producers are prioritizing military contracts. When that happens, civilian markets are the first to get squeezed out.

Tensions in the Middle East are escalating.

The war in Ukraine has consumed millions of artillery rounds. NATO nations, including Canada, have donated generously, including 40,000 rounds of 155mm shells from our own stockpile. 

That sounds like a big number until you realize that, at Ukraine’s current pace, 40,000 rounds are fired every three or four days.

Powder Supply is the Hidden Weak Link

For many in the North, on farms, and in Indigenous communities, ammunition isn’t recreational. It’s essential. 

When supply dries up or costs skyrocket, it threatens a way of life.

You can’t load ammunition without powder, and nitrocellulose, the core ingredient, is in dangerously short supply. Most of it comes from overseas and global production is not keeping up with demand.

In 2024, a major U.S. supplier stopped shipping powder to the civilian market altogether. 

Canada doesn’t produce its own nitrocellulose. We’re dependent on imports, and those imports are becoming harder to secure.

Common calibers like 9mm and .22LR may still be on the shelf for now but niche calibers are getting harder to find. Reloaders are feeling the pinch too, as powder and primer supplies dry up.

Canadians rely on American production of ammunition and components, but they’re prioritizing Ukraine and military production, which leaves less supply available for export.

Add in the possibility of foreign acquisition of U.S. ammunition companies and Canada could easily find itself pushed to the back of the supply line.

What This Means For You

• Buy what you need while it’s available. No panic buying, just wise stewardship of increasingly scarce resources.
• Support local and domestic manufacturers whenever possible. Every box pf ammunition purchased from a Canadian supplier strengthens our independence.
• Talk to your MP. Tell them this matters to you because if civilian voices stay silent, bureaucrats will assume there’s no issue. The squeaky wheel and all that…

Let’s be clear. This isn’t about fear, it’s about responsibility.

As licensed firearms owners, we know what it means to be prepared and to plan for every contingency.

Now is the time to stock up on your favourite calibers. 

While you still can.