Where did the .380 ammo go?

You have probably noticed that .380 rounds are simply not available anywhere at any price, and if you carry a .380, you are probably wondering what happened.

Here is the explanation that I found. 9mm, .38 Special, .357, and .380 are all actually the same diameter, and use the same dies for loading. So the manufacturers typically run a particular type of ammo in a batch to simplify things, and periodically switch over to other rounds on a set schedule.

.380 is not as popular a round as the others, so the manufacturers tend to set aside only a few weeks out of the year to run their yearly stock of .380. 9mm is generally the most popular, so they run that type for longer periods than the others.

About 8 months ago, folks noticed that ammo was getting more expensive, and many of them started stocking up. In particular, a lot of .380 users all of a sudden started buying 10 or 20 times as much as they normally would — and the stock of .380 pretty much disappeared by the end of last year. Meanwhile, the demand for 9mm and .357 has been so strong that the manufacturers are putting almost all of their manufacturing time into those calibers, and selling everything they can make.

You would think that the manufacturers could simply ramp up production, but it’s not that simple, for safety, legal, and political reasons. Adding new machinery is expensive, and requires time for inspections and testing and licensing sign-offs. And the manufacturers are painfully aware that the current administration wants very badly to put them out of business — and with just one more Senate seat, that could happen virtually overnight. So they are just running flat-out with what they have.

You would also think that the manufacturers are deliriously happy about being able to sell every round they can pump out, but they are very much aware that the current hoarding and gouging is not beneficial to the long-term health of this industry.

Any rate, that’s what’s behind the current ridiculous shortages and high prices. I was lucky enough to get about a year’s supply of both .380 and 9mm for my own needs, but I have no idea what I’m going to do when I run out of my current stock. I have already pretty much quit carrying the .380.