The fact of the matter is simple. We’re well into the second pandemic year, and there’s still not enough of any brand, caliber, or type of ammunition on store shelves. Are manufacturers indeed still producing? If so, where has all the ammo gone? What better place to get real-world answers than from America’s powerhouse ammunition holdings company – Vista Outdoor. 

The publicly-traded company not only owns Federal, CCI, and Speer but has recently also added both Hevi-Shot and Remington to the portfolio. The American-owned and domestically-loaded brands were on full display at SHOT Show 2022, showing off not only existing lines but more new rounds than expected as well. Guns.com got the lowdown. 
 

Are They Still Producing Ammo?

While it’s hard to believe amidst the great shortage that manufacturers would have shut down presses, the question must be posed. The truth, however, is that ammunition manufacturers, including Vista’s brands, were deemed essential services throughout the majority of the pandemic lockdowns and, as such, remained in production. 

Per Jason Vanderbrink, president of Vista Ammunition, “It’s important to point out since the surge started, we’ve made 40 percent more at Federal, CCI, and Speer. When you add Remington into that, it’s substantially more ammunition.” Though that may not seem like enough, ramping up production to any significant degree, especially in a short term, is no small feat. That’s especially true when considering difficulties with hiring, training, and retaining workers amidst shutdowns. “We’ve added 1,500 new employees in 18 months. It’s safe to say we’re certainly helping the economy out in the manufacturing sector in America,” Vanderbrink says. 
 

More Ammo, Please

With the company running at more than full speed in 2022, we were curious to learn about the increase in production. Since the surge started, Vanderbrink points out some startling numbers:

• 40 percent more pistol ammo production at Federal, CCI, and Speer
• 15 percent more shotgun shells loaded across the board
• Hundreds of millions more primers added to the commercial market, plus more primers to keep four factories producing ammunition. 
• The addition of both Remington and Hevi-Shot brands, which come with fully operational production facilities

Supply chain shortages in components like brass, powder, and resin make life difficult for all ammunition manufacturers. Yet, Vista’s plants, Remington included, are running 24/7. While these brands certainly feel the pinch, they’re better equipped to deal with some aspects. For instance, Federal produces multiple lines of their own primers in-house, meaning they’re not waiting on outside primer shipments to load rounds. 

Company reps tell us the machines are running day and night, and pallets of ammunition go out the door as quickly as they’re loaded. In the past, enough ammunition inventory at resellers allowed companies to stockpile rounds in their warehouses, sending them out as ordered. The difference today, however, is the immediate shipment from packaging right out the door to dealers, distributors, and end-users. 

Is the Government Buying Up All the Ammo?

Shooters not finding the ammunition desire on store shelves are still questioning the location of all these rounds. If companies are producing at such a high rate, there must be a clandestine buyer, no?  Vanderbrink is quick to debunk the myth that the companies are selling their ammunition to the government. “That’s not the case. We are selling and shipping out ammunition to the same customers we always have.” 

Some of those customers, though, remain police departments across the country. Vanderbrink quickly points to his, and Vista’s ammo brands’, focus on supporting law enforcement. “With all the rhetoric around defunding the police, we defend the police. Some of our ammunition goes to law enforcement, and it is our obligation to keep supporting law enforcement. We are steadfast supporters. We will always back the blue, and we appreciate the service they give to keep our communities safe.”
 

So, Where Has All the Ammo Gone?

Now that we’ve established ammunition is in full current production and it is not being secretly hoarded by the government, then where is it?  Not only has the pandemic opened more time and opportunity for current shooters and hunters to chase their shooting passion, but it has also seen a tremendous boom in firearms sales, including record numbers of first-time buyers. 

The focus on amping up ammunition production means feeding some 12 million new users and young shooters. This all comes amidst a time when politics seem to have widened the divide. According to Vanderbrink, however, we as gun owners and shooters “have to stay together by supporting new users and demographics, youth shooting, hunting, and the Second Amendment. We are ready to keep the momentum going.” 

SHOT Show 2022 helps prove Vista brands’ commitment to producing vast quantities of consumer ammunition for target sports, hunting, plinking, and competition. The booths of Federal, CCI, Speer, Hevi-Shot, and Remington were booming with new offerings and industry folks getting a first look. Check out our further Guns.com coverage as we break down the new and existing lines from these and other ammunition brands.

Though demand continually seems to outstrip ammunition production and importation across the board, the future sounds bright for all things Vista, and we tip our hat to the leadership and workers cranking out rounds.  Like you, we look forward to full shelves of all the latest ammunition offerings, especially those we learned about on the show floor.