The End of an Era: The Russian Ammo Ban and Its Consequences

The long-feared nightmare for American firearm owners has become a reality. What does the ban on Russian ammunition mean for us long term? Promises made, promises kept. A large number of first-time gun purchasers voted in the current administration last year. They are now shocked that the aggressively anti-gun president is actually doing what he promised. He has decided to use sanctions against Russian ammunition manufacturers to attack the 2nd Amendment. These sanctions were imposed in response to the alleged poisoning Alexei Navalny. This story is brought you by the same mainstream media which lied for over 4 years about Russia’s involvement with the 2016 U.S. Election. It doesn’t matter if you believe the poisoning Navalny was legitimate. The real purpose of these sanctions is not to punish the Russian government but law-abiding gun owners. This ban will be in place for at least 12 month, but could be lifted if the Russian Federation meets certain criteria. Since Russian-made firearms and ammunition are already banned under previous sanctions, and missile-related products aren’t available for civilian purchase, the only effect this ban has on the American public is the ammunition ban. Although it may theoretically be lifted if Russia cooperates with America’s demands, the Russian government denies all allegations and it is certain that they will not capitulate, effectively making the bans permanent. Overnight the once plentiful and cheap Russian ammo that lined store shelves across the country went the way of Chinese arms and ammunition back in ’93–virtually unobtainable.Importation licenses are valid until either one year past the date of issue or whenever the allocated number of approved items has been imported, whichever comes first. This means that any previously approved importer will be able to import Russian ammunition until their current licenses expire. So, while Russian ammo in America will not die quickly as it was expected, many panic-buy as much Russian ammunition as they can. Popular deal-finder site Ammoseek crashed due to too much traffic shortly after the sanctions were announced. The morning after the sanctions were posted, gun shops opened to long lines of people eager to get in to clear out their entire stock of steel-cased goodness. 7.62x39mm ammunition was priced at around 27 CPR on the morning of 20th, and had already risen to over 50 CPR by evening. People are concerned about the future availability of ammo right now. Prices for 7.62x39mm ammo were at 27 CPR on the morning of the 20th, and had risen to over 50 CPR by the evening. Premium, brass-cased ammo prices will likely rise. This is because Russian-made ammunition accounted for 30-40% of all ammunition sold in the United States. Its cost was low enough to make other brands competitive. Other manufacturers will be less motivated to keep their prices low if they pull the rug out from under America’s ammo market. It is likely that no other country can produce as many ammunition as Russia, because it has the infrastructure and technology to do so. The Soviet Union was the largest country with the strongest and most powerful military in the world when it existed. It is only natural that the USSR would have invested heavily in domestic ammunition production, as much of its economy was based on arms production for their own use as well as export to friendly countries. This production capability is still unmatched by any other nation. This is how Russia was able supply so much of the American ammunition market and keep prices so low. I am afraid that no amount of increased production from Turkey, Romania and Ukraine will ever be enough to fill the void left by Russia’s departure from the market. Although I hope I am wrong, I don’t believe so. It is unlikely that we will see ammo as cheap again as before the Covid panic and these latest sanctions. However, not all calibers will be affected. Although it is true that Russian ammunition supplemented the U.S. supplies of almost all common calibers in some cases, there are many other sources available for.223, and.308 NATO rounds. Russian calibers such as 7.62×39, 9×18 Makarov, and 5.45×39 won’t be as fortunate. 7.62×39 remains one of the most sought-after cartridges, even among American shooters. This caliber is still being produced in several countries outside Russia. While they won’t be able match Russia’s production, they will likely increase their production enough to offset the difference. These sanctions will most likely affect the 5.45×39 cartridge of the AK-74. This round was produced by Russia, and Romania is now the only source. Let’s hope they can produce enough to keep the AK-74 industry afloat. AKs that are chambered in 5.56 will undoubtedly become more popular than ever. This was in response to President Biden’s pen stroke. These sanctions raised the economic barrier to owning and practicing firearms overnight. This will have a greater impact on the poor than any other sanctions. It seems that we will have to wait and see what the market does in the future. Next Step: Download your Storm Tactical Printable Target pack 62 Printable MOA targets with DOT drills – Rifle Ranges in YARDS. This target pack, created by Storm Tactical, contains 62 printable targets that can be used for rifle and handgun ranges. Target grids and bullseye sizes can be downloaded in MOA. Perfect for long-range shooting! Get free targets