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Ammunition Shortages Hit Central Coast

MONTEREY, Calif.- From gun stores to sheriff and police departments across the nation, there's a shortage of ammunition.

It's no different on the Central Coast.

Ammunition for handguns and rifles are hard to find. Keith Hennessy works at the Outdoor World Sporting Goods store in Monterey where it's simple economics that has kept many popular types of ammunition in short supply.

"It's supply and demand, the supply can not keep up with demand," said Hennessy.

Store Manager Jordan Degooyer said it's been this way since the beginning of the year.

"It's like every day one person after another says, 'do you have it?' and we have to say 'no, no' as we are constantly sending people away," said Degooyer.

Degooyer said people are stockpiling out of fear and rumor that the Obama administration is going to tighten gun control laws. And as gun sales increase, ammunition supplies decrease.

"There's the hoarding factor, and people are hoarding ammo because if they can get it they will get it," said Degooyer.

One customer visiting the sporting goods store Wednesday rang up more than $700 worth of the 9mm ammunition that just arrived at the store. The first shipment in months.

"I've heard people camping out at Wal-Mart in tents and in the morning before just waiting the few hours for the store to open up and as soon as they put the ammo on the shelves it's gone," said Degooyer.

Degooyer said his distributors are facing the same shortage.

"We're basically civilians and we are the 3rd on the Totem Pole. The military is first, then police and then civilians. We get what's left over, whatever the scraps."

Degooyer said it is frustrating because if they did have all the supplies they needed, business would be booming more than ever despite these tough economic times.

The Monterey County Sheriff's Department said they noticed the ammunition shortage when they placed new orders for their work handguns and rifles.

Cmdr. Mike Richards said .40 caliber ammunition has been hard to find because manufactures are producing mostly 9mm for military uses. Richards said they need ammunition not only for their jobs, but also for periodic training purposes. He said the department is not worried though. The department has enough ammo stocked up for the next six months to a year. By then, they hope ammunition will be more easily found and sold.