Load Your Cold & Flu Ammo With These Two Super Nutrients

It’s that time again, the time of year when sniffling can be heard around every corner, the time of year when a shared elevator ride brings paranoia over a stranger’s cough. The cold and flu season is not something to look forward to over the course of winter. Sinus congestion, body shivers, headaches, sore muscles, and nausea are just a few of the inconveniences brought along with catching the cold or flu. However, where there’s an ailment, there’s always a natural remedy. The following two supplements are proven and effective warriors in the battle against viral infections.

Tried Tested & True

Let’s start with a well-known supplement, vitamin D.  Having optimal vitamin D levels is crucial for overall health and fighting all disease and illnesses-including influenza A, B, C, and H1N1 viruses. According to Dr. Mercola, one of the reasons you are susceptible to getting the flu is because your vitamin D levels are low. Dr. John Cannell, a medical doctor who was responsible for criminally insane patients, noted that his ward never contracted the flu although there was a flu epidemic sweeping through the maximum security hospital in April 2005. The main difference between his patients versus the other patients was that he had been giving his patients 2000 units of vitamin D for several months.

According to Dr. Mercola, shortly after the 2005 flu epidemic, Nature, an international weekly journal of science, published a paper stating that vitamin D was a potent antibiotic, which works by increasing the body’s production of proteins called antimicrobial peptides. These peptides destroy the cell walls of bacteria, fungi, and viruses, including influenza. This is why Dr. Cannell’s patients remained influenza free while the other patients and staff were stricken with the flu.

Dr. Holick, a professor of medicine, physiology, and biophysics, and director of the General Clinical Research Center at Boston University School of Medicine, states it has been estimated that 1 billion people world-wide are vitamin D deficient or insufficient.

Without vitamin D only about 10-15 percent of dietary calcium and about 60 percent of phosphorus is absorbed by the body. This is directly related to bone mineral density which is responsible for osteoporosis and fractures, as well as muscle strength and falls in adults. In utero and childhood, calcium and vitamin D deficiency prevents the maximum deposition of calcium in the skeleton.

Studies have shown people living at higher latitudes (where the angle of the sun’s rays are unable to sufficiently produce adequate amounts of vitamin D in the skin) are more likely to develop and die of Hodgkin’s lymphoma, colon, pancreatic, prostate, ovarian, breast and other cancers. According to Holick, both prospective and retrospective epidemiologic studies have also shown an association between low levels of vitamin D and an increased risk for Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

Holick believes the current recommended adequate intake for vitamin D needs to be increased to 800 — 1000 IU vitaminD3/d. “However, one cannot obtain these amounts from most dietary sources unless one is eating oily fish frequently,” says Holick. “Thus, sensible sun exposure (or UVB irradiation) and/or supplements are required to satisfy the body’s vitamin D requirement,” he adds.

Bringing In The Big Guns: Meet Chlorella

A single-celled, water-grown micro-algae, chlorella is widely known as a powerful “superfood” supplement with extraordinary nutrient density. It is believed to have been around for eons. One of the few edible species of water-grown algae, chlorella is full of chlorophyll. It contains all of the B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, amino acids, magnesium, iron, trace minerals, carbohydrates and a higher amount of protein (more than 50%) than meat, per grams of weight. It also has a unique set of phytonutrients. It binds to toxins and carries them out of the body. Its high amount of protein makes it a staple for many people who do not eat meat. It is virtually a complete food.
Although chlorella is packed with all the goodies previously mentioned, its reputation for knocking out the flu is due to its ability to increase your (Ig) A antibody levels.

A Japanese study shows that when pregnant women consume chlorella pyerenoidsa supplements, they have significantly higher amounts of (Ig) A antibody concentrations in their breast milk, which means that the women were producing more (Ig) A in their bodies. When the researchers studied the milk of the 35 Japanese women, they found that 18 of the women, who took chlorella while pregnant, had more of the (Ig) A antibodies than those who did not take chlorella supplements. So why is (Ig) A important?

(Ig) A antibodies are found in areas of the body such as nose, breathing passages, digestive tract, ears, eyes and vagina and are important because they protect your body surfaces that are exposed to outside sources. According to Virology Blog, (Ig) A antibodies are extremely necessary to neutralize mucosal viral infections like all types of influenza. Virology Blog goes on to report, “Virions that infect mucosal surfaces encounter secretory (Ig) A antibodies present at the apical surfaces of epithelial cells,” which neutralizes the virus and stops it from spreading to the cells and infecting you further. In other words, when the influenza virus comes into contact with your (Ig) A antibodies, they are immediately neutralized which stops them from replicating and spreading.

Here’s a list of the additional benefits of chlorella:

• Balancing hormones (relieving PMS, regulating cycles, etc.)

• Treatment of ulcers

• Balancing the digestive system (improving digestion, relieving constipation)

• Increasing the white blood cell count (helps with infections, warding off of illness)

• Reduces or eliminates body odors

• Balances blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar (fighting/preventing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity)

• Reduces occurrence of asthma attacks and allergies

• Treats fatigue

• Helps boost immune response

• Protects the brain and nervous system

• Supports elimination of many kinds of pollutants, from heavy metals to molds

• Boosts tissue growth, healing and repair

• Detoxifies harmful radiation, protects organs

Ready Your Ammo

Implementing vitamin D and chlorella into your daily regime will not only a pack a powerful punch against the cold and flu, but it will supply you with a nutritionally dense kick-start to your day to help you feel more energized and overall happier. Do your body a big favour and start using them today!

Sources:

http://www.naturalnews.com/036086_chlorella_superfood_algae.html

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/77290.php

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-929-VITAMIN%20D.aspx?activeIngredientId=929&activeIngredientName=VITAMIN%20D

http://www.virology.ws/2009/07/24/virus-neutralization-by-antibodies/

http://www.bio-medicine.org/medicine-news-1/Study-Shows-Mothers-Who-Take-Chlorella-Boost-Babies-Antibodies-During-Breast-Feeding-22182-1/

 

 

 

Collective-Evolution

Load Your Cold & Flu Ammo With These Two Super Nutrients

FEMA: During An Explosion, DHS Ammo Purchase, Extreme Cold Snap coming to U.S., Milkin" the System.

FEMA: During An Explosion, DHS Ammo Purchase, Extreme Cold Snap coming to U.S., Milkin" the System.

Fox News Confirms Alex Jones DHS Ammo Purchases Story

Fox News Confirms Alex Jones DHS Ammo Purchases Story

DHS/FBI considers anyone with large amount of guns or ammo to be a possible terrorist

MassPrivateI

Possible indicators of criminal weapons possession related to terrorism:

Large quantities of weapons are typically cached in a location such as an individual’s home, storage facility, or vehicle, but can be found attended by the individual (such as in luggage while traveling) or unattended (discarded or seemingly discarded) in a public area.   

Possession of large amounts of weapons, ammunition, explosives, accelerants, or explosive precursor chemicals could indicate pre-operational terrorist attack planning or criminal activity. 

 For example, in preparation for conducting the July 2011 attacks in Norway, Anders Behring Breivik stockpiled approximately 12,000 pounds of precursors, weapons, and armor and hid them underground in remote, wooded locations.

Recent SAR incidents reported to the Nationwide SAR Initiative (NSI) shared space highlight the types of weapons discoveries that are suggestive of pre-operational activity and attack planning.

Although neither incident was linked to terrorist activity, they are cited as examples for awareness and training purposes.

During a traffic stop, police discovered 7 firearms (4 pistols, 1 shotgun, and 2 rifles), approximately 5,000 rounds of ammunition, 21 ammunition magazines, a 12-gauge ammunition belt with rounds, a pistol holster with magazine pouch, a punch knife, and other materials in the vehicle. The police arrested and charged the driver and passenger with weapons possession.

Constitutional activities should not be reported in a SAR or Information Sharing Environment (ISE) SAR absent articulable facts and circumstances that support the source agency’s suspicion that the behavior observed is not innocent, but rather reasonably indicative of criminal activity associated with terrorism, including evidence of pre operational planning related to terrorism. Race, ethnicity, national origin, or religious affiliation should not be considered as factors that create suspicion (although these factors may be used as specific suspect descriptions.
http://info.publicintelligence.net/DHS-FBI-Weapons.pdf

http://massprivatei.blogspot.com/2013/10/dhsfbi-considers-anyone-with-large.html

DHS/FBI considers anyone with large amount of guns or ammo to be a possible terrorist

G&A Perspective: How NRA Members Are Dealing with the Ammo Shortage

No matter who you are or how well connected, there’s one unifying truth about the ammo shortage of 2013—it’s no respecter of persons.

That much was obvious at the recent NRA Show in Houston, where everyone from law enforcement officials to industry personnel—all the way down to your average man on the street—noted the incredible difficulty of procuring ammunition over the last few months. As Chad, an NRA member from Austin, Texas, said, you know times are rough when .22 ammo is missing from shelves.

“You can’t find .22 ammo anywhere,” Chad said. “I found a 525-round box at Academy [Sports & Outdoors] and thought I hit the lottery. That’s the first time I’ve seen it in probably six months.”

Like Chad, many NRA members have dealt with the ammo shortage by implementing a strategy of persistence—they simply keep checking back with their local sporting good outlet, gun shop or feed store, hoping to catch the latest shipment as it hits the shelves. For the people who claimed to have at least limited success finding ammo, this was undoubtedly the most common tactic.

Others, like Houston natives Ronald and Gale, said they’ve simply cut back on range time.

“It’s kept us off the range as much as we’d like to go,” Ronald said. “I’m afraid it’s going to put some of our good ranges—some mom and pop operations—out of business. Personally, this was coming for a long time. I’ve got enough to fend off a good attack, should I say. But like most good Boy Scouts, be prepared.”

As Ronald pointed out, there’s more than one way to deal with the shortage. You can either scavenge whatever is available when it’s available, you can stay away from the range or you can do both. The anecdotal evidence from NRA members at the show seems to point in this direction—gun owners are not only scraping together whatever ammo they can find, they’re also keeping more of it boxed up at home.

“Ammo is so hard to get, most of the people I know, when you do get it you don’t go to the range,” said Scott of Lufkin, Texas. “People that go to the range on a regular basis just aren’t going because you can’t afford to shoot the ammo and then not be able to replace it.”

Supply and Demand
The obvious question many people are asking is why the shortage happened in the first place. The answers aren’t always so obvious, but it starts with the political climate and the ongoing threat of anti-gun legislation. That threat—especially when it comes from the government—fuels an increase in demand for the buyer, who grabs and stashes as much ammo as he can.

Add an Associated Press report from Feb. 15 stating the Department of Homeland Security wants to buy up 1.6 billion rounds of ammo in the next few years—plus an ongoing discussion about it by the conspiracy theorists in the blogosphere—and you’ve got a veritable run on the market. Groups like the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and the NRA, meanwhile, have called a government attempt to stockpile ammunition a farce, attributing shortages to a simple increase in demand driven by anti-gun politics. Either way, demand skyrockets.

Manufacturers like Hornady, which gets questioned all the time about why it doesn’t just amp up production, said it’s just not that simple.

“We’ve been steadily growing our production for a long time, especially the last five years,” Hornady said on its website. “We’ve added presses, lathes, CNC equipment, people and space. Many popular items are produced 24 hours a day. Several hundred Hornady employees work overtime every week to produce as much as safely possible. If there is any question about that—please take a tour of the factory. You’ll be amazed at what you see.”

The Silver Lining
There is a silver lining in all of this, though. First, a good portion of the Assault Weapons Ban of 2013 was unceremoniously shot down on the Senate floor in the middle of April. With Feinstein’s incendiary measures out of the way, there’s at least some hope tensions will die down. With less for gun owners to fear, the expectation is for demand to settle down and production to play catch up. Many industry officials at the NRA show were at least optimistic about such a possibility, though nothing will likely change in the immediate future.

The ammo shortage has also caused a drastic increase in laser training sales, according to Aaron Moore, vice president and director of operations at LaserLyte.

“We’ve sold a whole lot more laser trainers,” Moore said. “We’ve been up about 700 percent in sales over last year.”

Adaptation may just be the key message for gun owners in America. It’s a different world than even a year ago, which means persistent shopping around and utilizing alternative methods of training are plausible options for many. It also means there’s never been a time to stand and defend your rights as an American and as a gun owner like the present. It’s a constant reminder of how quickly our precious freedoms can disappear if we don’t stand vigilant.

Guns & Ammo

G&A Perspective: How NRA Members Are Dealing with the Ammo Shortage

G&A Perspective: How NRA Members Are Dealing with the Ammo Shortage

No matter who you are or how well connected, there’s one unifying truth about the ammo shortage of 2013—it’s no respecter of persons.

That much was obvious at the recent NRA Show in Houston, where everyone from law enforcement officials to industry personnel—all the way down to your average man on the street—noted the incredible difficulty of procuring ammunition over the last few months. As Chad, an NRA member from Austin, Texas, said, you know times are rough when .22 ammo is missing from shelves.

“You can’t find .22 ammo anywhere,” Chad said. “I found a 525-round box at Academy [Sports & Outdoors] and thought I hit the lottery. That’s the first time I’ve seen it in probably six months.”

Like Chad, many NRA members have dealt with the ammo shortage by implementing a strategy of persistence—they simply keep checking back with their local sporting good outlet, gun shop or feed store, hoping to catch the latest shipment as it hits the shelves. For the people who claimed to have at least limited success finding ammo, this was undoubtedly the most common tactic.

Others, like Houston natives Ronald and Gale, said they’ve simply cut back on range time.

“It’s kept us off the range as much as we’d like to go,” Ronald said. “I’m afraid it’s going to put some of our good ranges—some mom and pop operations—out of business. Personally, this was coming for a long time. I’ve got enough to fend off a good attack, should I say. But like most good Boy Scouts, be prepared.”

As Ronald pointed out, there’s more than one way to deal with the shortage. You can either scavenge whatever is available when it’s available, you can stay away from the range or you can do both. The anecdotal evidence from NRA members at the show seems to point in this direction—gun owners are not only scraping together whatever ammo they can find, they’re also keeping more of it boxed up at home.

“Ammo is so hard to get, most of the people I know, when you do get it you don’t go to the range,” said Scott of Lufkin, Texas. “People that go to the range on a regular basis just aren’t going because you can’t afford to shoot the ammo and then not be able to replace it.”

Supply and Demand
The obvious question many people are asking is why the shortage happened in the first place. The answers aren’t always so obvious, but it starts with the political climate and the ongoing threat of anti-gun legislation. That threat—especially when it comes from the government—fuels an increase in demand for the buyer, who grabs and stashes as much ammo as he can.

Add an Associated Press report from Feb. 15 stating the Department of Homeland Security wants to buy up 1.6 billion rounds of ammo in the next few years—plus an ongoing discussion about it by the conspiracy theorists in the blogosphere—and you’ve got a veritable run on the market. Groups like the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and the NRA, meanwhile, have called a government attempt to stockpile ammunition a farce, attributing shortages to a simple increase in demand driven by anti-gun politics. Either way, demand skyrockets.

Manufacturers like Hornady, which gets questioned all the time about why it doesn’t just amp up production, said it’s just not that simple.

“We’ve been steadily growing our production for a long time, especially the last five years,” Hornady said on its website. “We’ve added presses, lathes, CNC equipment, people and space. Many popular items are produced 24 hours a day. Several hundred Hornady employees work overtime every week to produce as much as safely possible. If there is any question about that—please take a tour of the factory. You’ll be amazed at what you see.”

The Silver Lining
There is a silver lining in all of this, though. First, a good portion of the Assault Weapons Ban of 2013 was unceremoniously shot down on the Senate floor in the middle of April. With Feinstein’s incendiary measures out of the way, there’s at least some hope tensions will die down. With less for gun owners to fear, the expectation is for demand to settle down and production to play catch up. Many industry officials at the NRA show were at least optimistic about such a possibility, though nothing will likely change in the immediate future.

The ammo shortage has also caused a drastic increase in laser training sales, according to Aaron Moore, vice president and director of operations at LaserLyte.

“We’ve sold a whole lot more laser trainers,” Moore said. “We’ve been up about 700 percent in sales over last year.”

Adaptation may just be the key message for gun owners in America. It’s a different world than even a year ago, which means persistent shopping around and utilizing alternative methods of training are plausible options for many. It also means there’s never been a time to stand and defend your rights as an American and as a gun owner like the present. It’s a constant reminder of how quickly our precious freedoms can disappear if we don’t stand vigilant.

Guns & Ammo

G&A Perspective: How NRA Members Are Dealing with the Ammo Shortage

G&A Perspective: How NRA Members Are Dealing with the Ammo Shortage

No matter who you are or how well connected, there’s one unifying truth about the ammo shortage of 2013—it’s no respecter of persons.

That much was obvious at the recent NRA Show in Houston, where everyone from law enforcement officials to industry personnel—all the way down to your average man on the street—noted the incredible difficulty of procuring ammunition over the last few months. As Chad, an NRA member from Austin, Texas, said, you know times are rough when .22 ammo is missing from shelves.

“You can’t find .22 ammo anywhere,” Chad said. “I found a 525-round box at Academy [Sports & Outdoors] and thought I hit the lottery. That’s the first time I’ve seen it in probably six months.”

Like Chad, many NRA members have dealt with the ammo shortage by implementing a strategy of persistence—they simply keep checking back with their local sporting good outlet, gun shop or feed store, hoping to catch the latest shipment as it hits the shelves. For the people who claimed to have at least limited success finding ammo, this was undoubtedly the most common tactic.

Others, like Houston natives Ronald and Gale, said they’ve simply cut back on range time.

“It’s kept us off the range as much as we’d like to go,” Ronald said. “I’m afraid it’s going to put some of our good ranges—some mom and pop operations—out of business. Personally, this was coming for a long time. I’ve got enough to fend off a good attack, should I say. But like most good Boy Scouts, be prepared.”

As Ronald pointed out, there’s more than one way to deal with the shortage. You can either scavenge whatever is available when it’s available, you can stay away from the range or you can do both. The anecdotal evidence from NRA members at the show seems to point in this direction—gun owners are not only scraping together whatever ammo they can find, they’re also keeping more of it boxed up at home.

“Ammo is so hard to get, most of the people I know, when you do get it you don’t go to the range,” said Scott of Lufkin, Texas. “People that go to the range on a regular basis just aren’t going because you can’t afford to shoot the ammo and then not be able to replace it.”

Supply and Demand
The obvious question many people are asking is why the shortage happened in the first place. The answers aren’t always so obvious, but it starts with the political climate and the ongoing threat of anti-gun legislation. That threat—especially when it comes from the government—fuels an increase in demand for the buyer, who grabs and stashes as much ammo as he can.

Add an Associated Press report from Feb. 15 stating the Department of Homeland Security wants to buy up 1.6 billion rounds of ammo in the next few years—plus an ongoing discussion about it by the conspiracy theorists in the blogosphere—and you’ve got a veritable run on the market. Groups like the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and the NRA, meanwhile, have called a government attempt to stockpile ammunition a farce, attributing shortages to a simple increase in demand driven by anti-gun politics. Either way, demand skyrockets.

Manufacturers like Hornady, which gets questioned all the time about why it doesn’t just amp up production, said it’s just not that simple.

“We’ve been steadily growing our production for a long time, especially the last five years,” Hornady said on its website. “We’ve added presses, lathes, CNC equipment, people and space. Many popular items are produced 24 hours a day. Several hundred Hornady employees work overtime every week to produce as much as safely possible. If there is any question about that—please take a tour of the factory. You’ll be amazed at what you see.”

The Silver Lining
There is a silver lining in all of this, though. First, a good portion of the Assault Weapons Ban of 2013 was unceremoniously shot down on the Senate floor in the middle of April. With Feinstein’s incendiary measures out of the way, there’s at least some hope tensions will die down. With less for gun owners to fear, the expectation is for demand to settle down and production to play catch up. Many industry officials at the NRA show were at least optimistic about such a possibility, though nothing will likely change in the immediate future.

The ammo shortage has also caused a drastic increase in laser training sales, according to Aaron Moore, vice president and director of operations at LaserLyte.

“We’ve sold a whole lot more laser trainers,” Moore said. “We’ve been up about 700 percent in sales over last year.”

Adaptation may just be the key message for gun owners in America. It’s a different world than even a year ago, which means persistent shopping around and utilizing alternative methods of training are plausible options for many. It also means there’s never been a time to stand and defend your rights as an American and as a gun owner like the present. It’s a constant reminder of how quickly our precious freedoms can disappear if we don’t stand vigilant.

Guns & Ammo

G&A Perspective: How NRA Members Are Dealing with the Ammo Shortage

G&A Perspective: How NRA Members Are Dealing with the Ammo Shortage

No matter who you are or how well connected, there’s one unifying truth about the ammo shortage of 2013—it’s no respecter of persons.

That much was obvious at the recent NRA Show in Houston, where everyone from law enforcement officials to industry personnel—all the way down to your average man on the street—noted the incredible difficulty of procuring ammunition over the last few months. As Chad, an NRA member from Austin, Texas, said, you know times are rough when .22 ammo is missing from shelves.

“You can’t find .22 ammo anywhere,” Chad said. “I found a 525-round box at Academy [Sports & Outdoors] and thought I hit the lottery. That’s the first time I’ve seen it in probably six months.”

Like Chad, many NRA members have dealt with the ammo shortage by implementing a strategy of persistence—they simply keep checking back with their local sporting good outlet, gun shop or feed store, hoping to catch the latest shipment as it hits the shelves. For the people who claimed to have at least limited success finding ammo, this was undoubtedly the most common tactic.

Others, like Houston natives Ronald and Gale, said they’ve simply cut back on range time.

“It’s kept us off the range as much as we’d like to go,” Ronald said. “I’m afraid it’s going to put some of our good ranges—some mom and pop operations—out of business. Personally, this was coming for a long time. I’ve got enough to fend off a good attack, should I say. But like most good Boy Scouts, be prepared.”

As Ronald pointed out, there’s more than one way to deal with the shortage. You can either scavenge whatever is available when it’s available, you can stay away from the range or you can do both. The anecdotal evidence from NRA members at the show seems to point in this direction—gun owners are not only scraping together whatever ammo they can find, they’re also keeping more of it boxed up at home.

“Ammo is so hard to get, most of the people I know, when you do get it you don’t go to the range,” said Scott of Lufkin, Texas. “People that go to the range on a regular basis just aren’t going because you can’t afford to shoot the ammo and then not be able to replace it.”

Supply and Demand
The obvious question many people are asking is why the shortage happened in the first place. The answers aren’t always so obvious, but it starts with the political climate and the ongoing threat of anti-gun legislation. That threat—especially when it comes from the government—fuels an increase in demand for the buyer, who grabs and stashes as much ammo as he can.

Add an Associated Press report from Feb. 15 stating the Department of Homeland Security wants to buy up 1.6 billion rounds of ammo in the next few years—plus an ongoing discussion about it by the conspiracy theorists in the blogosphere—and you’ve got a veritable run on the market. Groups like the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and the NRA, meanwhile, have called a government attempt to stockpile ammunition a farce, attributing shortages to a simple increase in demand driven by anti-gun politics. Either way, demand skyrockets.

Manufacturers like Hornady, which gets questioned all the time about why it doesn’t just amp up production, said it’s just not that simple.

“We’ve been steadily growing our production for a long time, especially the last five years,” Hornady said on its website. “We’ve added presses, lathes, CNC equipment, people and space. Many popular items are produced 24 hours a day. Several hundred Hornady employees work overtime every week to produce as much as safely possible. If there is any question about that—please take a tour of the factory. You’ll be amazed at what you see.”

The Silver Lining
There is a silver lining in all of this, though. First, a good portion of the Assault Weapons Ban of 2013 was unceremoniously shot down on the Senate floor in the middle of April. With Feinstein’s incendiary measures out of the way, there’s at least some hope tensions will die down. With less for gun owners to fear, the expectation is for demand to settle down and production to play catch up. Many industry officials at the NRA show were at least optimistic about such a possibility, though nothing will likely change in the immediate future.

The ammo shortage has also caused a drastic increase in laser training sales, according to Aaron Moore, vice president and director of operations at LaserLyte.

“We’ve sold a whole lot more laser trainers,” Moore said. “We’ve been up about 700 percent in sales over last year.”

Adaptation may just be the key message for gun owners in America. It’s a different world than even a year ago, which means persistent shopping around and utilizing alternative methods of training are plausible options for many. It also means there’s never been a time to stand and defend your rights as an American and as a gun owner like the present. It’s a constant reminder of how quickly our precious freedoms can disappear if we don’t stand vigilant.

Guns & Ammo

G&A Perspective: How NRA Members Are Dealing with the Ammo Shortage

G&A Perspective: How NRA Members Are Dealing with the Ammo Shortage

No matter who you are or how well connected, there’s one unifying truth about the ammo shortage of 2013—it’s no respecter of persons.

That much was obvious at the recent NRA Show in Houston, where everyone from law enforcement officials to industry personnel—all the way down to your average man on the street—noted the incredible difficulty of procuring ammunition over the last few months. As Chad, an NRA member from Austin, Texas, said, you know times are rough when .22 ammo is missing from shelves.

“You can’t find .22 ammo anywhere,” Chad said. “I found a 525-round box at Academy [Sports & Outdoors] and thought I hit the lottery. That’s the first time I’ve seen it in probably six months.”

Like Chad, many NRA members have dealt with the ammo shortage by implementing a strategy of persistence—they simply keep checking back with their local sporting good outlet, gun shop or feed store, hoping to catch the latest shipment as it hits the shelves. For the people who claimed to have at least limited success finding ammo, this was undoubtedly the most common tactic.

Others, like Houston natives Ronald and Gale, said they’ve simply cut back on range time.

“It’s kept us off the range as much as we’d like to go,” Ronald said. “I’m afraid it’s going to put some of our good ranges—some mom and pop operations—out of business. Personally, this was coming for a long time. I’ve got enough to fend off a good attack, should I say. But like most good Boy Scouts, be prepared.”

As Ronald pointed out, there’s more than one way to deal with the shortage. You can either scavenge whatever is available when it’s available, you can stay away from the range or you can do both. The anecdotal evidence from NRA members at the show seems to point in this direction—gun owners are not only scraping together whatever ammo they can find, they’re also keeping more of it boxed up at home.

“Ammo is so hard to get, most of the people I know, when you do get it you don’t go to the range,” said Scott of Lufkin, Texas. “People that go to the range on a regular basis just aren’t going because you can’t afford to shoot the ammo and then not be able to replace it.”

Supply and Demand
The obvious question many people are asking is why the shortage happened in the first place. The answers aren’t always so obvious, but it starts with the political climate and the ongoing threat of anti-gun legislation. That threat—especially when it comes from the government—fuels an increase in demand for the buyer, who grabs and stashes as much ammo as he can.

Add an Associated Press report from Feb. 15 stating the Department of Homeland Security wants to buy up 1.6 billion rounds of ammo in the next few years—plus an ongoing discussion about it by the conspiracy theorists in the blogosphere—and you’ve got a veritable run on the market. Groups like the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and the NRA, meanwhile, have called a government attempt to stockpile ammunition a farce, attributing shortages to a simple increase in demand driven by anti-gun politics. Either way, demand skyrockets.

Manufacturers like Hornady, which gets questioned all the time about why it doesn’t just amp up production, said it’s just not that simple.

“We’ve been steadily growing our production for a long time, especially the last five years,” Hornady said on its website. “We’ve added presses, lathes, CNC equipment, people and space. Many popular items are produced 24 hours a day. Several hundred Hornady employees work overtime every week to produce as much as safely possible. If there is any question about that—please take a tour of the factory. You’ll be amazed at what you see.”

The Silver Lining
There is a silver lining in all of this, though. First, a good portion of the Assault Weapons Ban of 2013 was unceremoniously shot down on the Senate floor in the middle of April. With Feinstein’s incendiary measures out of the way, there’s at least some hope tensions will die down. With less for gun owners to fear, the expectation is for demand to settle down and production to play catch up. Many industry officials at the NRA show were at least optimistic about such a possibility, though nothing will likely change in the immediate future.

The ammo shortage has also caused a drastic increase in laser training sales, according to Aaron Moore, vice president and director of operations at LaserLyte.

“We’ve sold a whole lot more laser trainers,” Moore said. “We’ve been up about 700 percent in sales over last year.”

Adaptation may just be the key message for gun owners in America. It’s a different world than even a year ago, which means persistent shopping around and utilizing alternative methods of training are plausible options for many. It also means there’s never been a time to stand and defend your rights as an American and as a gun owner like the present. It’s a constant reminder of how quickly our precious freedoms can disappear if we don’t stand vigilant.

Guns & Ammo

G&A Perspective: How NRA Members Are Dealing with the Ammo Shortage

G&A Perspective: How NRA Members Are Dealing with the Ammo Shortage

No matter who you are or how well connected, there’s one unifying truth about the ammo shortage of 2013—it’s no respecter of persons.

That much was obvious at the recent NRA Show in Houston, where everyone from law enforcement officials to industry personnel—all the way down to your average man on the street—noted the incredible difficulty of procuring ammunition over the last few months. As Chad, an NRA member from Austin, Texas, said, you know times are rough when .22 ammo is missing from shelves.

“You can’t find .22 ammo anywhere,” Chad said. “I found a 525-round box at Academy [Sports & Outdoors] and thought I hit the lottery. That’s the first time I’ve seen it in probably six months.”

Like Chad, many NRA members have dealt with the ammo shortage by implementing a strategy of persistence—they simply keep checking back with their local sporting good outlet, gun shop or feed store, hoping to catch the latest shipment as it hits the shelves. For the people who claimed to have at least limited success finding ammo, this was undoubtedly the most common tactic.

Others, like Houston natives Ronald and Gale, said they’ve simply cut back on range time.

“It’s kept us off the range as much as we’d like to go,” Ronald said. “I’m afraid it’s going to put some of our good ranges—some mom and pop operations—out of business. Personally, this was coming for a long time. I’ve got enough to fend off a good attack, should I say. But like most good Boy Scouts, be prepared.”

As Ronald pointed out, there’s more than one way to deal with the shortage. You can either scavenge whatever is available when it’s available, you can stay away from the range or you can do both. The anecdotal evidence from NRA members at the show seems to point in this direction—gun owners are not only scraping together whatever ammo they can find, they’re also keeping more of it boxed up at home.

“Ammo is so hard to get, most of the people I know, when you do get it you don’t go to the range,” said Scott of Lufkin, Texas. “People that go to the range on a regular basis just aren’t going because you can’t afford to shoot the ammo and then not be able to replace it.”

Supply and Demand
The obvious question many people are asking is why the shortage happened in the first place. The answers aren’t always so obvious, but it starts with the political climate and the ongoing threat of anti-gun legislation. That threat—especially when it comes from the government—fuels an increase in demand for the buyer, who grabs and stashes as much ammo as he can.

Add an Associated Press report from Feb. 15 stating the Department of Homeland Security wants to buy up 1.6 billion rounds of ammo in the next few years—plus an ongoing discussion about it by the conspiracy theorists in the blogosphere—and you’ve got a veritable run on the market. Groups like the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and the NRA, meanwhile, have called a government attempt to stockpile ammunition a farce, attributing shortages to a simple increase in demand driven by anti-gun politics. Either way, demand skyrockets.

Manufacturers like Hornady, which gets questioned all the time about why it doesn’t just amp up production, said it’s just not that simple.

“We’ve been steadily growing our production for a long time, especially the last five years,” Hornady said on its website. “We’ve added presses, lathes, CNC equipment, people and space. Many popular items are produced 24 hours a day. Several hundred Hornady employees work overtime every week to produce as much as safely possible. If there is any question about that—please take a tour of the factory. You’ll be amazed at what you see.”

The Silver Lining
There is a silver lining in all of this, though. First, a good portion of the Assault Weapons Ban of 2013 was unceremoniously shot down on the Senate floor in the middle of April. With Feinstein’s incendiary measures out of the way, there’s at least some hope tensions will die down. With less for gun owners to fear, the expectation is for demand to settle down and production to play catch up. Many industry officials at the NRA show were at least optimistic about such a possibility, though nothing will likely change in the immediate future.

The ammo shortage has also caused a drastic increase in laser training sales, according to Aaron Moore, vice president and director of operations at LaserLyte.

“We’ve sold a whole lot more laser trainers,” Moore said. “We’ve been up about 700 percent in sales over last year.”

Adaptation may just be the key message for gun owners in America. It’s a different world than even a year ago, which means persistent shopping around and utilizing alternative methods of training are plausible options for many. It also means there’s never been a time to stand and defend your rights as an American and as a gun owner like the present. It’s a constant reminder of how quickly our precious freedoms can disappear if we don’t stand vigilant.

Guns & Ammo

G&A Perspective: How NRA Members Are Dealing with the Ammo Shortage

G&A Perspective: How NRA Members Are Dealing with the Ammo Shortage

No matter who you are or how well connected, there’s one unifying truth about the ammo shortage of 2013—it’s no respecter of persons.

That much was obvious at the recent NRA Show in Houston, where everyone from law enforcement officials to industry personnel—all the way down to your average man on the street—noted the incredible difficulty of procuring ammunition over the last few months. As Chad, an NRA member from Austin, Texas, said, you know times are rough when .22 ammo is missing from shelves.

“You can’t find .22 ammo anywhere,” Chad said. “I found a 525-round box at Academy [Sports & Outdoors] and thought I hit the lottery. That’s the first time I’ve seen it in probably six months.”

Like Chad, many NRA members have dealt with the ammo shortage by implementing a strategy of persistence—they simply keep checking back with their local sporting good outlet, gun shop or feed store, hoping to catch the latest shipment as it hits the shelves. For the people who claimed to have at least limited success finding ammo, this was undoubtedly the most common tactic.

Others, like Houston natives Ronald and Gale, said they’ve simply cut back on range time.

“It’s kept us off the range as much as we’d like to go,” Ronald said. “I’m afraid it’s going to put some of our good ranges—some mom and pop operations—out of business. Personally, this was coming for a long time. I’ve got enough to fend off a good attack, should I say. But like most good Boy Scouts, be prepared.”

As Ronald pointed out, there’s more than one way to deal with the shortage. You can either scavenge whatever is available when it’s available, you can stay away from the range or you can do both. The anecdotal evidence from NRA members at the show seems to point in this direction—gun owners are not only scraping together whatever ammo they can find, they’re also keeping more of it boxed up at home.

“Ammo is so hard to get, most of the people I know, when you do get it you don’t go to the range,” said Scott of Lufkin, Texas. “People that go to the range on a regular basis just aren’t going because you can’t afford to shoot the ammo and then not be able to replace it.”

Supply and Demand
The obvious question many people are asking is why the shortage happened in the first place. The answers aren’t always so obvious, but it starts with the political climate and the ongoing threat of anti-gun legislation. That threat—especially when it comes from the government—fuels an increase in demand for the buyer, who grabs and stashes as much ammo as he can.

Add an Associated Press report from Feb. 15 stating the Department of Homeland Security wants to buy up 1.6 billion rounds of ammo in the next few years—plus an ongoing discussion about it by the conspiracy theorists in the blogosphere—and you’ve got a veritable run on the market. Groups like the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and the NRA, meanwhile, have called a government attempt to stockpile ammunition a farce, attributing shortages to a simple increase in demand driven by anti-gun politics. Either way, demand skyrockets.

Manufacturers like Hornady, which gets questioned all the time about why it doesn’t just amp up production, said it’s just not that simple.

“We’ve been steadily growing our production for a long time, especially the last five years,” Hornady said on its website. “We’ve added presses, lathes, CNC equipment, people and space. Many popular items are produced 24 hours a day. Several hundred Hornady employees work overtime every week to produce as much as safely possible. If there is any question about that—please take a tour of the factory. You’ll be amazed at what you see.”

The Silver Lining
There is a silver lining in all of this, though. First, a good portion of the Assault Weapons Ban of 2013 was unceremoniously shot down on the Senate floor in the middle of April. With Feinstein’s incendiary measures out of the way, there’s at least some hope tensions will die down. With less for gun owners to fear, the expectation is for demand to settle down and production to play catch up. Many industry officials at the NRA show were at least optimistic about such a possibility, though nothing will likely change in the immediate future.

The ammo shortage has also caused a drastic increase in laser training sales, according to Aaron Moore, vice president and director of operations at LaserLyte.

“We’ve sold a whole lot more laser trainers,” Moore said. “We’ve been up about 700 percent in sales over last year.”

Adaptation may just be the key message for gun owners in America. It’s a different world than even a year ago, which means persistent shopping around and utilizing alternative methods of training are plausible options for many. It also means there’s never been a time to stand and defend your rights as an American and as a gun owner like the present. It’s a constant reminder of how quickly our precious freedoms can disappear if we don’t stand vigilant.

Guns & Ammo

G&A Perspective: How NRA Members Are Dealing with the Ammo Shortage

G&A Perspective: How NRA Members Are Dealing with the Ammo Shortage

No matter who you are or how well connected, there’s one unifying truth about the ammo shortage of 2013—it’s no respecter of persons.

That much was obvious at the recent NRA Show in Houston, where everyone from law enforcement officials to industry personnel—all the way down to your average man on the street—noted the incredible difficulty of procuring ammunition over the last few months. As Chad, an NRA member from Austin, Texas, said, you know times are rough when .22 ammo is missing from shelves.

“You can’t find .22 ammo anywhere,” Chad said. “I found a 525-round box at Academy [Sports & Outdoors] and thought I hit the lottery. That’s the first time I’ve seen it in probably six months.”

Like Chad, many NRA members have dealt with the ammo shortage by implementing a strategy of persistence—they simply keep checking back with their local sporting good outlet, gun shop or feed store, hoping to catch the latest shipment as it hits the shelves. For the people who claimed to have at least limited success finding ammo, this was undoubtedly the most common tactic.

Others, like Houston natives Ronald and Gale, said they’ve simply cut back on range time.

“It’s kept us off the range as much as we’d like to go,” Ronald said. “I’m afraid it’s going to put some of our good ranges—some mom and pop operations—out of business. Personally, this was coming for a long time. I’ve got enough to fend off a good attack, should I say. But like most good Boy Scouts, be prepared.”

As Ronald pointed out, there’s more than one way to deal with the shortage. You can either scavenge whatever is available when it’s available, you can stay away from the range or you can do both. The anecdotal evidence from NRA members at the show seems to point in this direction—gun owners are not only scraping together whatever ammo they can find, they’re also keeping more of it boxed up at home.

“Ammo is so hard to get, most of the people I know, when you do get it you don’t go to the range,” said Scott of Lufkin, Texas. “People that go to the range on a regular basis just aren’t going because you can’t afford to shoot the ammo and then not be able to replace it.”

Supply and Demand
The obvious question many people are asking is why the shortage happened in the first place. The answers aren’t always so obvious, but it starts with the political climate and the ongoing threat of anti-gun legislation. That threat—especially when it comes from the government—fuels an increase in demand for the buyer, who grabs and stashes as much ammo as he can.

Add an Associated Press report from Feb. 15 stating the Department of Homeland Security wants to buy up 1.6 billion rounds of ammo in the next few years—plus an ongoing discussion about it by the conspiracy theorists in the blogosphere—and you’ve got a veritable run on the market. Groups like the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and the NRA, meanwhile, have called a government attempt to stockpile ammunition a farce, attributing shortages to a simple increase in demand driven by anti-gun politics. Either way, demand skyrockets.

Manufacturers like Hornady, which gets questioned all the time about why it doesn’t just amp up production, said it’s just not that simple.

“We’ve been steadily growing our production for a long time, especially the last five years,” Hornady said on its website. “We’ve added presses, lathes, CNC equipment, people and space. Many popular items are produced 24 hours a day. Several hundred Hornady employees work overtime every week to produce as much as safely possible. If there is any question about that—please take a tour of the factory. You’ll be amazed at what you see.”

The Silver Lining
There is a silver lining in all of this, though. First, a good portion of the Assault Weapons Ban of 2013 was unceremoniously shot down on the Senate floor in the middle of April. With Feinstein’s incendiary measures out of the way, there’s at least some hope tensions will die down. With less for gun owners to fear, the expectation is for demand to settle down and production to play catch up. Many industry officials at the NRA show were at least optimistic about such a possibility, though nothing will likely change in the immediate future.

The ammo shortage has also caused a drastic increase in laser training sales, according to Aaron Moore, vice president and director of operations at LaserLyte.

“We’ve sold a whole lot more laser trainers,” Moore said. “We’ve been up about 700 percent in sales over last year.”

Adaptation may just be the key message for gun owners in America. It’s a different world than even a year ago, which means persistent shopping around and utilizing alternative methods of training are plausible options for many. It also means there’s never been a time to stand and defend your rights as an American and as a gun owner like the present. It’s a constant reminder of how quickly our precious freedoms can disappear if we don’t stand vigilant.

Guns & Ammo

G&A Perspective: How NRA Members Are Dealing with the Ammo Shortage