That could explain it
The cost of 7.62X39 ammo has risen quite a bit lately. Everyone (i.e., I) was confused as there’s not really been a shortage publicized. And, let’s face it, one in seven guns on the earth is an AK so I figured it wouldn’t be a supply problem. Turns out, it’s Hillary’s fault:
American defence officials have secretly requested a “prodigious quantity” of ammunition from Russia to supply the Afghan army in case a Democrat president takes over in Washington and pulls out US troops.
The Daily Telegraph can disclose that Pentagon chiefs have asked arms suppliers for a quote on a vast amount of ordnance, including more than 78 million rounds of AK47 ammunition, 100,000 rocket-propelled grenades and 12,000 tank shells – equivalent to about 15 times the British Army’s annual requirements.
The Bush administration is said to want the deal because of worries that the next president could be a Democrat, possibly Hillary Clinton, who may abandon Afghanistan.
…
Defence specialists said Russian arms chiefs at first “fell about laughing” because they thought the order was a joke when it arrived this month.
But with the Americans said to be pressing for a price and earliest delivery date, the request is being rapidly processed and exports could begin before the end of this year.
The “decade’s worth” of ammunition will give the Afghan National Army a vast arsenal to deal with Taliban or drug warlords if Washington withdraws its troops.
June 9th, 2006 at 12:43 am
Gonna link this to THR, people have been dying to find out why the prices have been so high the past year or so. Fortunately I have a few thousand rounds handy, but I need more 12 ga and pistol ammo.
June 9th, 2006 at 6:15 am
That may account for future shortages, but it started with Venezuela puchasing 100,000 AK’s, and the ammo to feed them, last summer.
http://www.strategypage.com/dls/articles/20056612810.asp
With the supply of Wolf/Barnaul dried up and PMC having gone tango uniform, folks had to go to the next cheapest source, which is the American “generics” Winchester USA, Remington UMC, and Federal American Eagle. When you combine the fact that metals prices are through the roof and transport costs are up because of fuel, then add the fact that RemCheter has never had to make that much 7.62×39, since most folks just shot steel-case, you have the ingredients for a perfect storm. (Plus ammo in general is through the roof because of metals/fuel: I’ve seen about a 20% across-the-board hike since November ’05.)
Anyhow, it’s not Hillary’s fault, or Bush’s, but Katrina’s and Chavez’s. 😉
June 9th, 2006 at 9:51 am
Looks like someone learned something from Vietnam. Really, I mean that. This move, if it pans out, might be the smartest grand strategy decision anyone’s made in a while. (Granted, I don’t remember ’73–I was -9 years old at the time– but…) It’s my understanding that Vietnam wasn’t a “loss” in ’73–it was more like Korea, a divided nation, but one that could (with US help) fend for itself. The south didn’t fall until the US decided to stop supporting the south. With a decade’s worth of support upfront, it reduces the chance of a “Vietnam II”. I like the move.
June 9th, 2006 at 3:29 pm
Those rascally Russians. They get both ends of the deal: supplying the Kabul puppets and the Taliban terrorists.
Crafty Ivan!
June 11th, 2006 at 11:25 am
Stockpiles are great unless and until the other side gets hold of them.