6,000 Rounds is Not a Lot of Ammunition

1000 rounds of 223
1000 rounds of .223

New Jersey –-(Ammoland.com)- Much has been made in news coverage and from the usual list of Gun Control Liars and their political demigods about the fact that Aurora Colorado Shooter James Holmes accumulated 6000 rounds of ammunition for the various firearms he acquired in the months proceeding his monstrous act.

As happens with almost everything related to the ownership and use of firearms, the talking heads reveal their incredible ignorance of the subject matter, in which case they are hardly qualified to comment at all.

6,000 rounds of ammunition certainly sounds sensational, but it’s really not that much. As an enthusiast, Instructor, and Range Safety Officer I know from personal experience that it is not all that hard or even necessarily uncommon to go through that much ammunition in a single weekend at the range, a training class, competition, or practice. I regularly purchased ammunition by the case ( 1k rounds ), multiple cases in fact, since I was taking several different calibers and style firearms to the range, nearly every weekend.

Of course, back then, cases of 5.56 and 7.62 could be had for a tad over one hundred dollars each, now, not so much,

I know several people, from all walks of life that routinely stockpile 10k, 20k, even 30 thousand rounds of ammunition at home, for a variety of reasons, all of them legal and none that have to do with any nefarious plot. Not to mention the hobbyist re-loaders, who, with relatively little equipment, and by recycling the brass casings or shotgun shell hulls discarded by others can easily produce several thousand rounds of ammunition, in the privacy of their own home, with no one ever knowing and no way to “trace” the munitions, not that there would even be a need too.

Incidentally, the reloading hobby is just one of several reasons why the idea of “micro-stamping ” of shell casings in order to solve crimes is such a fools errand.

To put it in perspective for those unfamiliar with all things firearms, when you see Chase Utley in a game, he might swing at 9 to 12 pitches per game. What you don’t see is the hundreds of pitches he swings at in practice. Don’t like baseball? The Phillies are pretty bad this year. Fine, the same example applies to football, hockey, basketball, and a whole myriad of other activities. What at first blush seems “excessive” to people that have no idea, is really nothing to be concerned about when you make the decision to examine things beneath the surface and have the understanding and knowledge of the subject one necessarily needs in order to offer rational, intelligent opinion or commentary.

But such character traits are as repulsive to gun grabbers as garlic is to vampires.

The idea of harsher laws on ammunition sales is dead on arrival, as it rightly should be. The Federal Govt, specifically Janet Incompitano’s Dept of Homeland Security has already squandered whatever credibility they may have had when they claimed last year that anyone “stockpiling” camping gear, “survival gear“, ammunition, weapons, or a whole host of other perfectly legal hobby products was an indication of the possibility they could be a domestic terrorist

By all accounts, 9/11 happened because Federal Law Enforcement had shifted their focus to financial type crimes and therefore missed all the warning signs that something was in the works. Too much information, not enough Agents, and looking the wrong way all contributed to the 9/11 hijackers slipping in to execute their plan unnoticed until it was far too late. And as a result, Americans have lost more freedoms in the last ten years than at any other point in the Countries history.

Any proposal on ammunition purchase restrictions is fraught with the same unintended consequences. The only way to properly implement such a scheme would be a massive increase in Federal Law Enforcement Agents, something the nearly bankrupt United States can certainly not afford. Assigning existing Agents to examine and investigate every “suspicious purchase” that turns out to be nothing more than a law-abiding enthusiast or competitor purchasing ammunition means those same Agents won’t be looking for the real threats and real criminals.

Not to mention the Constitutional hazard.

What good is keeping and bearing arms if your gun is empty? Wait,, that is probably the gun grabbers point anyway.

If someone buys several thousand rounds, legally and for whatever lawful purpose they choose, regardless of how much Gun Control forces don’t like it, should that person now expect a knock at the door from a Federal Agent, and have to answer questions or submit to a search or even explain his or her reasons for purchasing legal items, absent any probable cause or even reasonable suspicion that they have or plan to commit a crime?

And the main stream media and proponents for gun and ammunition bans, wonder why they have no credibility anymore ?

Ammunition Stockpile
Is this a “Reasonable” or “Needed” stockpile of ammo? What do you think?

About Dan Roberts

More articles, commentary and information by D. Roberts are available at ThatEveryManBeArmed.com

Dan Roberts

 

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Thedogofwar

With my luck it will be one of these commenters like CK that think we carry guns to boost our egos or to feel manly. I'd really hate to go out like that, defendin a bigot and hypocryte who makes up for their own weaknesses by attempting to belittle others. At leaste this type won't block your shot, they'll be on the foor with the others only worried about themselves.

Thedogofwar

No it is not, I pop off 200+ rds every week at the range in under 2hrs with a handgun alone. Multiply that by 52 weeks and understand why I walk out a gunshow with about 7500 rds once a year and I do a ton of reloading! It's not uncommon for me to have 20k right after a purchase and some quality time with the press and last years casings. It is a gasp to non gun owners and even owners that rarely or never practice. For me it's a disheartening groan when I write the check but it's… Read more »

AaronW

We should be free to own exactly the amount of firearms and ammunition we feel comfortable with – end of story.

me

Six thousand rounds ain't much.

Six thousand rounds of .22 LR will just about fit in a .50 cal ammo can, if you dump them out of the cartons. I fill mine with 5250 (ten 525-round bulk-pack boxes) plus a desiccant pouch.

COMEONLIETOOME

I WAS WONDERING,, IF YOU HAVE A HAND GUN OR RIFLE ,, & YOU HAVE IT ALL IN PARTS,, OR DISASSEMBLED IN YOUR CAR,, OR ON YOUR PERSON,, IS IT STILL CONSIDERED A WEAPON,, ???

Shades of Gray Tacti

Coincidentally I happen to be a Colorado resident that is a very avid shooter. To be honest I go through almost 2,000 rounds a month, for some this may not be much. To think of that in a yearly perspective that is 24,000 rounds, not to mention the other calibers that might be more seldom shot but still purchased. All of that without any special training classes.

JJM

No 6000 rounds is not alot of ammo for a law abiding gun-owner.Who owns several firearms.Now the young man with red hair calling himself joker and who wounded and killed so many innocent people.I would say any ammo that he owned was 2 much and even one firearm for him was way too much.In LA city you have to give a right thumbprint,sign a logbook and it has how much ammo your purchasing.If you go outside of LA city you don't have to do that.They do check the log books and have a task force looking out for purchasers with… Read more »

Keaxcope

That is a very reasonable amount of ammo… I wish I had that much haha, I would never worry about having ammo for the range again :).

I agree, I hope I don't die for someone that fought to abolish my gun rights, but if means saving their life they will be thankful that my rights weren't taken away when they begged for it…

If I'm a threat then your a terrorist. ~ Me (lol)

ck

Viagra would be cheaper.

JD

When ever I bought a new gun, I would buy 5000 rounds of ammo for it to break it in and to supply brass for reloading. I go through 500 rounds of .22lr in an afternoon.

EthanP

Remember the reaction to the Ruby Ridge arsenal. Fourteen guns, including 22s for 6 people. Even Sen Leahy had to admit that is not a lot. The non gun owning public is conditioned by media, TV and movis to believe that all guns are "bad". And more than one or two is an arsenal. And anything more than one box of ammo, even for 22 is a"lot". Hell, on a lite day I go through 300-400 rounds centerfire and 500-1000 22rf.