Looks like the anti-gun lemmings are gearing up for a major push.  I "stole" this from another post on another board, but it kinda makes sense:
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How to spot an anti-gun troll:

Claims to be a gun owner, yet knows little or nothing about firearms.
Calls for "compromise" with people who don't believe in compromise, only submission.
Uses anti-gun buzzwords such as "assault weapon" and "reasonable restrictions".
Throws out irrelevancies, like hunting.
Doesn't know existing laws, while calling for harsh and repressive new ones.
Lies, both about statistics and technology. Freely invents "facts" on the fly.
Speaks of the "inevitability" of repressive gun laws.

How to deal with anti-gun trolls:
Expose his ignorance.
Refuse to let him set the terms of debate and vocabulary. Call things by their right names.
Refuse to treat capitulation as "compromise". Offer him REAL "compromise" (like repealing the NFA '34) and watch him backpedal.
Ruthlessly expose EVERY lie.
Finally, NEVER give up, or give in.
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On the other hand, someone offered this amusing tongue-in-cheek viewpoint:

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Just remember, anyone who is ok with more restrictions than you is a socialist infiltrator seeking to take away your rights or a Fudd.

Anyone who demands less restrictions than you is a militant extremist making you look bad or a socialist infiltrator acting as an agent provocateur.

Only give credence to the opinions of those who exactly agree with you.
Everyone else is suspect.
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According to stuff I've picked up here and there, a run on guns, ammo, magazines, and components is actually gathering steam, even for "new" buyers.

I got burned on trying to find .380 ammo during the last "panic."  I'd buy what little there was on the shelves, at whatever price, whatver brand, whenever I could, to feed two of my little rascals.

Ummmm.... let's see... what's my balance on my Visa.... hmmmm....

FWIW, I use the term "panic" loosely.

Terry, 230RN
 

Ha!

This is partly while I almost exclusively cast and reload. One of my shooting buddies has been waiting for .308 projectiles to come back in stock. I told him to pick them up before the election but he spaced it and now he can't find what he wants at the price he wants.

Meanwhile, my .308 is happily fed with hard cast bullets seated with homemade pop-can aluminum gas checks. Not as good as HPBT hunting ammo, for sure, but the costs fluctuate way less with these kinds of idiot panics. And I enjoy the whole process. It nicely extends the surface area of one of my favorite hobbies.

Ha!

This is partly while I almost exclusively cast and reload. One of my shooting buddies has been waiting for .308 projectiles to come back in stock. I told him to pick them up before the election but he spaced it and now he can't find what he wants at the price he wants.

Meanwhile, my .308 is happily fed with hard cast bullets seated with homemade pop-can aluminum gas checks. Not as good as HPBT hunting ammo, for sure, but the costs fluctuate way less with these kinds of idiot panics. And I enjoy the whole process. It nicely extends the surface area of one of my favorite hobbies.

Don't you get horrific lead fouling shooting cast bullets out of a centerfire rifle?

Its a trick not to but I generally don't once I've zeroed in on a particular load. You have to balance the hardness of the bullet against the force of the load. Gas checks make it a bit easier and let you push the bullet a lot faster but you still can't blast them out like a jacketed round. Its not beginner reloading but it can certainly be done. Even with gas operated rifles.

Its a trick not to but I generally don't once I've zeroed in on a particular load. You have to balance the hardness of the bullet against the force of the load. Gas checks make it a bit easier and let you push the bullet a lot faster but you still can't blast them out like a jacketed round. Its not beginner reloading but it can certainly be done. Even with gas operated rifles.

Interesting!

How do you make pop can aluminum gas checks?  When I was reloading for practice, the commercial gas checks I used had a kind of reverse internal taper to lock them onto the bullet base during the sizing/lubing operation.

 

I got rid of most of my casting stuff when I quit shooting competitively, but gave my sizer to my son, who might be interested in the aluminum gas-check-making process.

I decided to stock up on pellet guns to get my shooting fix in the back yard for cheap.  Save up my real ammo for later.

This way I still shoot all I want, and scratched my gun buying itch.  Wife is happier with the $$ spent as well.

Maybe when things cool down I will look into finding an AR lower for another build.  Meantime, try to sell off some LR-308 parts I do not need that might be getting scarce.........Hey, that Ram Manual guy said never let a crisis go to waste........

http://www.freechex.net/photos.html

Freechex II hand tool. The aluminum checks don't grip as well as the copper ones but I make them 2 layers thick, crimp them on with the sizer and then tumble lube the whole projectile. They stay on. They aren't pretty but they work. Minute of Bad Guy accuracy, but I also haven't really gotten a chance to work a load up for best accuracy. The rifle is still fairly new to me and the local range closed down so testing loads is a lot more of a chore.

I thought I was in-tune with the panic buying in the market. While I know there is still some panic buying going on I believe the market was ready this time for the surge and there is not the shortages that we had the last time. While I know some products are harder to get than before the panic. But from what I am seeing and hearing is that the shelves are not empty of products. Maybe not all the products that the stores want are available at this time. But they are in the pipeline and it won't be a year before they are available again. At this time 4 years ago there was very little if no popular ammo. While the shelves are not exactly full, they are not completely empty either. So even though there is panic buying it seems like some items that were hard to get during the last panic are still available during this panic.

Is my perception of this round of panic buying right on or am I really off base on this?

Inspector, no, you're right. Its only the inexpensive stuff that is gone as far as I can see. If you're willing to pay top dollar then not much is different. The local stores here have plenty of ammo, powder, primers, etc. Some reloading supplies online is a another matter.

CLShade, I agree completely. Plus I am like you I stocked up on most of my reloading supplies so I have plenty to ride out the current panic buying and shortages. And about some online reloading supplies being hard to get I find that to be true as well. Even though I have plenty, as I get down to certain levels I prefer to replace my stocks so I don't get down to panic time. So I am in the "Looking Mode" for primers and powder online and I see some shortages are out there. And I see the primers I am looking for are going to be back in stock shortly.

So really not that bad or as bad as it could have been.