Massive North American ammo shortage strikes Hamilton police

A widespread ammunition shortage afflicting gun owners across North America hit Hamilton police so hard last year they had a hard time scrounging up enough ammo to get officers trained and certified.

It's a massive, complicated problem with its roots in the U.S., where everything from natural disasters to a volatile political climate has made getting your hands on ammunition increasingly difficult.

As most ammo flows north through the U.S., Canadians are feeling the brunt, too. So many Americans are stockpiling bullets that Hamilton's police service is having trouble getting what they need.

A lot of Americans say Obama is the best gun salesman out there.- Kyle Burch, Al Simmons Gun Shop

"Last year we had a shortage because the manufacturer was having a difficult time keeping up with global demand," Sgt. Darren Murphy told CBC News.

"They have made changes to their production and were able to fulfil our order for this year right away."

It's not like local police are mowing through cases of ammo in public, though. Hamilton officers fired their guns 47 times last year, and each time the shots were fired to euthanize an animal.

But each officer needs to fire a minimum of 100 live rounds to be certified on his or her firearm each year (50 of which are counted as a test), and the ammunition shortage could have threatened those certifications.

Canada is second in line — by a lot

Gun owners all over Hamilton and the rest of Canada have been dealing with the shortage for years. We have the U.S. to thank for the problem, says Kyle Burch, a salesman for Al Simmons Gun Shop. "It's a case of supply and demand," he said. "And Canada doesn't get served first."

Shop co-owner Paulette Simmons says she once had an arms maker tell her he sells more in California alone each year than he does in all of Canada.

According to American research company Gallup, 47 per cent of American adults report they have a gun in their home. The National Rifle Association (NRA) says more than 100 million people out of the U.S.'s almost 319 million population now owns a gun.

With that kind of demand, all it takes is a couple of problems to muck up the entire distribution system.

Hurricane Sandy destroyed or damaged many arms manufacturing plants in the New England area back in 2012, making ammunition more scarce.

Henry Repeating Arms shut down completely for six weeks after the storm – and then shipped a record 27,675 rifles in its first month back in operation. 

Factories pumping out bullets 24 hours a day

Demand for ammunition stateside is so high that many facilities – like Federal Premium Ammunition – are churning out product 24 hours a day. "We are bringing additional capacity online again this year," the company said in a statement.

"We are currently experiencing high demand for our products. We appreciate your patience and support and remain committed to serving all of our customers, from hunters and sport shooters to those who protect our country and our streets."

Winchester ammunition is also reporting an "extremely high demand" for its products. "We are working as hard as we can to produce an increased supply of quality ammunition to meet our customers' needs," the company said in a statement.

So why are Americans stocking up on ammunition in droves? "Well, a lot of Americans say Obama is the best gun salesman out there," Burch said.

A frustrated president

The American president has been pushing gun control measures for years, as a series of high-profile shootings have marred his time in office. Obama has long bemoaned that the United States can't find it in its soul to instigate gun control measures and put a stop to rampant shooting sprees.

"My biggest frustration so far is the fact that this society has not been willing to take some basic steps to keep guns out of the hands of people who can do just unbelievable damage," Obama said.

But every time the president makes a push for gun control or universal background checks, Americans flock to gun shops in droves, stockpiling ammunition "just in case," Burch said. It speaks to one of the fundamental differences between Canada and its monolithic neighbour, where gun ownership is still synonymous with freedom.

In recent years, many Americans have also debated whether or not mass purchases of ammunition from their own government are leaving store shelves bare. Government officials told Forbes that "simply isn't true."

Whatever the host of reasons may be, things don't appear primed to change for Canadians anytime soon. We'll still have to fight for ammunition for the conceivable future, Burch says.

"It's hard to tell when it will end, really."

adam.carter@cbc.ca | @AdamCarterCBC