Australian gun owners are stockpiling ammunition as coronavirus panic-buying of firearms in the United States threatens to cause local shortages.
Gun shops have warned customers to get in now before supplies of bullets and shells run short, and prices rise as the dollar continues to fall.
Americans have been panic-buying firearms and ammunition, with shoppers lining up outside hunting stores across the country to hoard weapons.
While Australia does not have the same gun culture as America, local firearm retailers have warned they might not be able to meet short-term demand for ammunition.
One Victorian gun retailer has posted on social media ‘no such thing as too much ammo’, ‘can’t get enough’ and ‘who needs toilet paper anyway’.
Gunworld Australia at Hillcrest, south of Brisbane, sells rifles, shotguns and handguns and has encouraged its customers to buy ammunition before they miss out.
Australian gun owners are stockpiling ammunition as coronavirus-driven panic buying in the United States threatens to cause local shortages. A customer is pictured checking out an assault rifle at Frontier Arms & Sumpply in Cheyenne Wyoming on March 18
Gun shops have warned customers to get in now before stocks of bullets and shells potentially run short, and prices rise as the dollar continue to fall. Customers are pictured lining up outside a gun store in Culver City, California, on March 15
H. Rehfisch & Co gun shop at Ballarat in Victoria’s Central Highlands is warning customers ammunition suppliers have started increasing their prices so firearm owners should buy now
‘Ammo Shortages and Price Rises Predicted to Hit Australia!’ a post on its Facebook page warned on Thursday.
‘Due to the diminishing Aussie dollar and panic buying of ammunition and firearms in the USA, we are starting to see trends that indicate that Australia may face ammo shortages and price rises in the coming months,’ a link to that post reads.
‘We expect to see price rises and shortages against most popular brands of Ammunition.
‘We currently have good stocks of most calibres but with the rush that we have seen over the last few days we can see these stocks dwindling rapidly.
‘We urge you to think ahead about your upcoming hunting trips and competitions as we don’t want to see our customers go without.’
When contacted by Daily Mail Australia a Gunworld staff member said: ‘We’re not interested in talking to any media about that at the moment. Sorry mate.’
Suffolk Sports at Lismore in northern New South Wales has also posted a Facebook warning that ammunition may run low.
While Australia does not have the same gun culture as America, local firearm retailers have warned they may not be able to meet demand for ammunition in the short term
This post on the Holt’s Gun Shop Facebook page is accompanied by the hashtags #cantgetenough, #bulkammo, #nosuchthingastoomuchammo, #alwaysprepping, #priorites, #pewpew and #whoneedstoiletpaperanyway.
‘Dear customers, we have been experiencing a sharp increase in ammunition sales over the past few days, and expect it to remain this way for a little while longer,’ it states.
‘Due to the increased demand in the US, shortages may occur in Australia, though this will only be short term while new shipments arrive in country.
‘We will be doing our best to keep stock levels adequate and new orders constantly streaming in. Thank you kindly.’
A worker at Suffolk Sports told Daily Mail Australia staff were too busy serving customers to talk about the run on ammunition. ‘We’re flat out,’ he said.
Holt’s Gun Shop at Colac, in Victoria’s Western District, has shared a Facebook post which states: ‘The people who say “You don’t need that much ammo” are buying 500 rolls of toilet paper.’
The post is accompanied by the hashtags #cantgetenough, #bulkammo, #nosuchthingastoomuchammo, #alwaysprepping, #priorites, #pewpew and #whoneedstoiletpaperanyway.
A staff member at Holt’s said he knew nothing about potential ammunition shortages or price rises.
‘Mate, we have that much ammo here it’s not funny,’ he said. ‘We haven’t said anything about a shortage.
‘Most of our customers are farmers so they’re just making sure that they can do their job still. Business as usual for us.’
Suffok Sports in Lismore, in northern New South Wales, is alerting customers it has experienced a sharp increase in ammunition sales during the coronavirus pandemic
The owner of H. Rehfisch & Co gun shop at Ballarat in Victoria’s Central Highlands said the ammunition situation was ‘very, very complicated’.
‘I’m not really going to comment, honestly,’ he said. ‘Nothing’s really changed here in my opinion.
‘You’d be better to speak to one of the major suppliers.’
American states including New York, California and Washington – which have experienced high rates of COVID-19 infection – have seen firearm sales skyrocket.
Some buyers were seeking to protect their families from looters should food and other essential supplies run out due to coronavirus panic.
Others feared the US government would use emergency powers to restrict their right to bear firearms, while Asian-Americans were purchasing weapons to protect themselves from potential racist attacks.
Online ammunition store ammo.com said there has been a 68 per cent increase in sales in the US since February 23.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted NIOA, Australia’s largest privately-owned supplier of arms and ammunition, for comment.
Online ammunition store ammo.com said there has been a 68 per cent increase in sales in the US since February 23