NEW ORLEANS -- Bullet makers are working around the clock, seven days a week, and still can't keep up with the nation's demand for ammunition.
Shooting ranges, gun dealers and bullet manufacturers say they have never seen such shortages.
Bullets, especially for handguns, have been scarce for months because gun enthusiasts are stocking up on ammo, in part because they fear that President Barack Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress will pass antigun legislation -- even though no such laws have been proposed and the president last month signed a law allowing people to carry loaded guns in national parks.
Gun sales spiked when it became clear Obama would be elected a year ago, and purchases continued to rise in his first few months of office. The FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System reported that 6.1 million background checks for gun sales were issued from January to May, an increase of 25.6 percent from the same period the year before.
"That is going to cause an upswing in ammunition sales," said Larry Keane, senior vice president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a trade association representing about 5,000 members. "Without bullets, a gun is just a paperweight."
The shortage for sportsmen is different from the scarcity of ammo for some police forces earlier this year, a dearth fueled by an increase in ammo use by the military in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"We are working overtime and still can't keep up with the demand," said Al Russo, spokesman for North Carolina-based Remington Arms Co., which makes bullets for rifles, handguns and shotguns. "We've had to add a fourth shift and go 24-7. It's a phenomenon that I have not seen before in my 30 years in the business."
Jason Gregory, who manages Gretna Gun Works just outside of New Orleans, has been building his personal supply of ammunition for months. His goal is to have at least 1,000 rounds for each of his 25 weapons.
"I call it the Obama effect," said Gregory, 37, of Terrytown, La. "It always happens when the Democrats get in office."
So far, neither the new administration nor Congress has been markedly antigun. Obama has said he respects Second Amendment rights, but favors "common sense" on gun laws.
Still, worries about what could happen persist.
Demand has been so heavy at some Walmarts that a limit has been imposed on the amount of ammo that customers can buy. The cutoff varies according to caliber and store location, but sometimes as little as one box, or 50 bullets, is allowed.
With demand, prices have also risen.
"Used to be gold, but now lead is the most expensive metal," said Donald Richards, 37, who was stocking up at the Jefferson Gun Outlet and Range in Metairie, just west of New Orleans. "And worth every penny."
