The seemingly nationwide ammunition shortage that shows no signs of slowing down continues to affect local merchants in Selma, leaving one local merchant to say the shortage is likely being driven by a consumer-led fear.

“I think the big thing is people are starting to protect themselves a little more. They are scared. Any time you have people up in their late 90’s coming in buying Glocks and 10 boxes of shells to go with them,” Chet Chappelle, the manager at Rountree Outdoors, said. “People are arming themselves more than they used to. I think just as a nation as a whole, everybody is just buying ammo and they are scared that the government is going to take away their ammunition. “

Certain kinds of ammo, in particular .22 ammo, have been extremely hard to find and keep in stock.

Chappelle said people call from everywhere — including states as far away as Ohio and Michigan — have contacted him see if Rountree has hard to find ammo in stock. At Central Alabama Farmer’s Co-Op, the same problem exists.

“When we get particular types of ammo, it will go right back out the door,” Bobby Nance, Central Alabama Farmer’s Co-Op sporting goods manager, said. “Like anything for a military type gun or .223’s. Hunting ammunition is extremely hard to get a hold of, like .22’s — stuff like that is impossible to get right now.”

Both businesses receive dozens of phone calls each day asking about the availability of certain kinds of ammo and when shipments do come in.

Nance said ammo sales are up 50 to 75 percent compared to last year, which is why he cannot keep it in stock despite ordering it on a regular basis. He said manufacturers just cannot keep up with the current demand of the market.

“I keep it ordered every week and you just can’t get it. I’ve got five different distributors in the United States and they don’t have it,” Nance said. “They can’t get it and the manufacturers are running 24-hours, seven days a week producing it, but people are buying it faster than they can produce it.”

Nance said the current shortage is a mix of many factors, including people concerned about gun control laws, hoarders, survivalists and customers that are looking to buy ammo and then re-sale it at a higher price to make a quick buck.

“Definitely, right now. People are buying it,” Nance said. “One day a few weeks ago I got in a few hundred boxes of .22’s and I didn’t tell a soul, but later that afternoon they were gone. I guess as soon as people leave the building they are on the phone calling people.”

Chappelle said that a 500 round box of .22 shells used to be $15. Now, he says they run $35 to $40 and he fears the higher prices are here to stay.

“I don’t think the price will ever go down where it used to be. It is kind of like gas. When gas prices skyrocket, they never go back down where they used to be,” Chappelle said. “I feel like ammo is going to be the same way. I’m afraid your $15 dollar brick of .22’s are long gone.”

Nance is concerned that when hunting season starts, certain kinds of ammo are going to be very difficult to find.

“Right now, I think some of the hunting ammunition is going to be hard to get this year,” Nance said. “I’ve talked to some of the manufacturers a few weeks ago at a show I was at and they said if you get it you are going to be lucky. They said they are making it, but people are buying it. “

Nance said that ammo isn’t the only shortage in the firearm market.

“If you are in the ammo business you are doing really good right now,” Nance said. “It is the business to be in but it is not just the ammo. It’s the components. We sell a lot of re-loading stuff for people who re-load their own ammo and you can’t get it. Powders, primer, bullets — it’s just not available.”

Although the shortage is showing no signs of letting up, Nance believes at some point there will be a large influx of ammo on the market.

“Eventually I think there is going to be a big stockpile of it and ammo sales will flatten out,” Nance said.