Props and karma to JohnnyMac. I have a degree in Economics, but what the hell do I know? Drying up the supply is EXACTLY what they are trying to do. I won't bore you with COMPLEX short-run and long-run terminology. In the short-run, production capacity is fixed. Maxed-out 3 shifts 24/7 there is only so much ammo they can make. Long-run, they have to build more ammo plants and facilities, which doesn't happen overnight. If a buyer gets 1st crack (being Uncle Sam in this case) then the rest of us get scarce leftovers at inflated above-market prices. My intellectual spooge is like Gatorade, is it in you???