In the 30 days to November 12, 2026, all 22 calibers on our ammo shortage 2026 page had in-stock listings at tracked online retailers. For each caliber, between 23 and 35 tracked retailers had at least one in-stock listing during that window. The 2026 midterm elections took place on November 3, so the window includes the nine days after the vote.
This note records those figures on a fixed date. For the current figures, use the live shortage page, which updates with each data refresh. The figures cover only the calibers on that page. IronScout publishes data for other calibers too, and some of them had fewer in-stock retailers.
What the data showed on November 12
The table lists common handgun, rifle, shotgun, and rimfire calibers. "Retailers in stock" counts the tracked online retailers that had at least one in-stock listing for the caliber at some point from October 13 to November 12, 2026. It does not mean every one of them had stock on every day. The median is the observed daily-best price per round across in-stock listings in the same window.
| Caliber | Retailers in stock | Median observed price per round |
|---|---|---|
| 9mm Luger | 35 | $0.688 |
| .380 ACP | 29 | $0.660 |
| .45 ACP | 27 | $0.800 |
| .223 Remington / 5.56 NATO | 30 | $0.799 |
| 7.62x39 | 26 | $0.848 |
| .308 Winchester | 27 | $1.798 |
| 6.5 Creedmoor | 25 | $1.970 |
| 12 Gauge | 30 | $0.840 |
| .22 LR | 23 | $0.122 |
A median per round pools every in-stock product for the caliber, from bulk range loads to premium defensive loads. It describes the market as a whole. It is not the price of any one box.
What this does not measure
These figures come from online listings at the retailers IronScout tracks. They do not show:
- local store shelves or in-store cash prices
- per-customer purchase limits
- whether one specific load, brand, or box size was in stock
- how many rounds a retailer had, only whether a listing was in stock
So the data answers a narrower question than "is there a shortage". It answers whether the caliber could be bought online at tracked retailers during the window, and at what observed prices.
Why this note reports no 90-day price change
IronScout reports a 90-day price direction only when the two periods cover a similar number of retailers and products. Between August and November 2026, the number of tracked retailers with in-stock listings rose for most calibers. For 9mm, it went from 21 to 35. That number changes when IronScout adds retailers and when retailers restock. A median compared across that change mixes those effects with price changes, so it would not describe prices alone.
For all 22 calibers, the in-stock retailer count moved too far at some point in the 90 days for a coverage-comparable comparison. For 20 of them, the change shows between the baseline monthly snapshot and now. 6.5 Creedmoor and .22 LR came within the limit at those two ends, but their counts moved past it inside the window: 6.5 Creedmoor in October, and .22 LR between September (19 retailers) and October (24). The check also compares counts, not which retailers they are. This dated note therefore reports no 90-day change for any caliber. The live shortage page shows a 90-day direction only where the counts stay within the limit at every monthly snapshot.
Elections and ammunition demand
Ammunition demand has risen around past presidential elections. The shortage that began in 2008 is widely attributed to buyers reacting to that year's presidential election, and it reached most handgun calibers as well as rifle, rimfire, and some shotshell loads. In 2016, buyers stockpiled before the presidential election, and ammunition sales fell the following year. The 2020 surge had several causes, and industry surveys tied it first to the COVID-19 pandemic.
IronScout does not measure demand directly. A change in demand shows in this data only when it reaches retailer prices or in-stock listings. Most of the 30-day window above falls before the vote, and the data cannot separate a post-election change from the rest of the window. This note makes no claim about the election's effect.
Where to check current figures
- The ammo shortage 2026 page shows current in-stock retailer counts, median price per round, and the 90-day direction where a coverage-comparable comparison exists.
- The Ammo Price Index shows the same calibers with current cost per round.
- Why ammo prices keep rising in 2026 covers the upstream causes: powder, metals, tariffs, and military demand.
- How to find ammo in stock covers stock labels and back-in-stock alerts.