Gun owners face ammunition shortage after record setting year for gun sales

SIDNEY — 2020 was a record setting year for gun sales. Now gun owners are running into an ammunition shortage.

In Sidney Day and Night Securities is expanding its business to include a retail gun and ammunition store.

As the store prepares to open it highlights the high interest in ammo, something people are really struggling to find.

“I’m really impressed with how big of an interest we’ve had in it,” Austin Knight, owner of Day and Night Securities, said. “Being downtown we probably have a half dozen people a day (come into the front door) just because they’ve heard something’s happening. There’s definitely a big interest.”

One of the reasons for the ammo scarcity is primers. Primers are a component into making ammunition. Starting in March of 2020 gun sales and ammunition started to rise. But for those trying to buy ammo, prices could be soaring.

“Kind of a sad fact,” Knight said. “They’re still buying the ammo at regular cost and then they’re selling it for way inflated prices.”

“People are paying it. Some of them are paying it because they are afraid they won’t be able to get any or they don’t have any. People gouging the public is something we’re going to stay away from.”

Being in an in demand field is nothing new for Day and Night. Knight said there’s a high interest in their CCW classes and that the business for their private security picked up significantly as the shutdowns began.

“When everybody else was shutting down and slowing down we were booming, we were really busy.”

Even as they prepare for the next step of the business the company isn’t done growing if Knight has it his way.

“Long term we’re hoping the gun shop does extremely well and the next 3 or 4 years we can move out of this location,” Knight said. “I’d really like to delve into a range. In Shelby County we don’t have anything within 20, 30 miles that has an indoor range. I think it would be a great service for the people of the community.”

The grand opening for the firearms and training store is Saturday February 27th.

Cox Media Group