

Who can buy and be in possession of ammunition: Let’s start at the US federal level, namely 18 U.S. If you live in a state/city known to be anti-2A, you may want to search for laws at lower levels than just the federal and state laws below. Laws and bureaucracyĮvery level of government or oversight that applies to where you live, even down to your HOA, might have restrictions that apply. However, gun shows can be a good place to buy “reloads” in bulk, which can save you a bit of money for stocking up and/or ammo you’ll just be using for practice. There isn’t much of a benefit to buying new ammo from a gun show - besides getting to learn from other friendly and knowledgeable people instead of a sales clerk. Local gun shows can be a fun way to learn and buy. Contrary to some of what you hear in anti-2A marketing, most vendors at gun shows have appropriate federal licenses and follow all laws. Gun shows are another venue, although they’re only around once in a while. Or, as in Walmart’s case, they continue to sell “hunting” ammo (rifle and shotgun) while not selling pistol ammo - pistol ammo being more commonly used by / associated with criminals.Ĭommon big-box stores (some of which also sell online): There can also be inconsistencies in the same chain from one area to another - for example, a chain might continue to sell ammo in more rural parts of the country while not stocking any in high-crime cities. Just google “(your location) + gun store”.īig-box stores have unfortunately become a target / part of the political debates around civil rights, leading some stores to remove ammo from their shelves entirely. If you care to, it’s nice to shop from those “LGS” (the common acronym for your local gun store) to support locals and keep the firearm community healthy. Some of the most popular are:įirearms are a market that still has local mom-and-pop shops.

Some people don’t want to bother with a penny or two difference and just like to buy from a store they have an account with. Example from Wikiarms where you can search for local Walmart inventory. Thankfully, there are a few search engines built specifically to find where ammo is in stock and who has the best price per round:Įxample from Ammograb, searching for common AR-15. If you live in a jurisdiction that allows for online orders and don’t mind waiting a few days for it to arrive, buying online is usually the best way to save money.Īmmo prices are often different from one vendor to another, and current events can throw the demand-supply curve out of whack, creating weird shortages and spikes in prices.ĭuring COVID-19, for example, it was often very difficult to find common calibers in stock - and if you did, it was noticeably more expensive than just before the crisis started. Price-comparison tools and where to buy ammo online thousands of rounds at once), you’ll end up on some government’s radar. But there’s growing evidence that if you place large orders (eg.

Some locations require that online ammo is shipped to a local trusted intermediary, known as a FFL (basically any local gun store), who is licensed to check any of your needed paperwork.Or find a local in-state shipper such as Alaska Ammo. If you live in Alaska, Hawaii, or Puerto Rico and want to purchase ammunition online, you may need to use a freight forwarding service due to the logistics of shipping outside the Continental United States.There are special restrictions for people who live in California, Massachusetts, Washington DC, Illinois, Connecticut, New Jersey and New York.Those special shipping policies mean it can be a hassle to return online orders.Your box will likely have an ORM-D sticker on it, for example, and require an adult signature. Ammo has an explosive inside (the gun powder), so when it’s shipped, it falls under special policies.US federal law states that you have to be at least 18 to buy shotgun and rifle ammo, and at least 21 to buy pistol ammo.There are price-comparison search engines to help. Although we are often asked “where’s the cheapest place to buy ammo?”, the market doesn’t really work that way - you just have to hunt around for whomever has a good deal on that day.You can buy ammo online or from physical stores, including your local gun store and big-box stores like Walmart and Cabelas.More: Check out the beginner’s guide to guns if you’re totally new to firearms. What’s the best or cheapest place to buy ammo? Can anyone order ammunition over the internet? What about local laws? This beginner’s guide covers all of the basics - however, this changes from one country to another, so this guide is focused on US buyers.
