An Open Letter to People in the Ammo Aisles…
Ok, while the ammo crisis may be winding down in some areas, it’s still scarce out there. If a store has ammo, chances are it’s only a box or two at the most. There’s something I’m noticing with an increasing frequency: thrashed boxes.
Let me recount an actual event what I witnessed just yesterday. In the Jacksonville area, no one has better ammo prices than Academy Sports be it before or during this shortage. Just a fact. The ONLY place you can find better pricing was online. This also means that their ammo shelves were often times completely bare. They started a thing where they kept the most popular ammo behind the customer service desk and only let you buy one box, per caliber, per customer. The shotgun ammo (of which there’s always been plenty) and more obscure sizes are still out on the shelves, unrestricted.
While I was browsing the shotgun ammo, a guy who, for the purposes of this story will be referred to as Douche McGee, walks up and starts looking at the .38 Super +P ammo on the shelf. There were two boxes available. He picks up a box then starts trying to open it. Picking at the side and picking and picking. He gives up on that side, flips the box around and starts clawing at the other side. Finally, after tearing the flap a not-insignificant amount, he gets the box open and pulls the ammo tray out a bit. He removes a bullet to look at it then, satisfied it’s the correct caliber closes everything up. He then puts the torn up box back on the shelf and takes the other pristine box and heads to the register. You know how, when you see something just completely stupid or off the wall, it doesn’t register right away what happened? Your mind has to stop and convince itself that you actually saw something. By the time the shock of the pure audacity of what he just did wore off, it was too late to call him on it or even notify a manager.
He obviously hasn’t been the only one, either. The 10mm, .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum boxes were all shredded in similar ways. Not by him, mind you…or at least I hope not. Other patrons, have obviously been inspecting the ammo as well. I would have to assume that a great deal of it is from pure curiosity but either way, it’s happening.
Here’s the thing, I know it’s just the box. The box has no bearing on the ammo itself, right? Not exactly. You see, I have no way of knowing what a person did to the ammo while they were looking at it. Did they steal a round? Did they damage them in some way? How much have people handed the rounds? Was the thrashing actually done during shipment and did that damage affect the ammo inside? Did someone use one of the longer calibers (.45 Long Colt, for example) as a quick substitute for a cotton swab to clean out their ear? If I see a thrashed box on the shelf, sorry, I’m going to go for the unthrashed one right next to it. Most other people are the same way too. That nasty box is going to sit there on the shelf for a long time and, perhaps, the store will ultimately wind up losing some money on it. Some will say “well, it’s a big box store. They can afford to lose a little every now and then.” To which I say “maybe, but that still doesn’t make it right.” Think about it: if the store never had to lose money on any thrashed boxes, they wouldn’t have to recoup those expected losses with slightly higher prices. Dirty secret: They pass on their losses to you, the consumer.
Ultimately, there’s nothing wrong with checking the ammo in a box before you buy. I’ve had times where I neglected to do it with brand new, never touched boxes and got home to find one or two rounds missing or obviously unshootable. Just make sure you actually buy the box you open. Don’t be like Douche McGee: If you open it, buy it. If you damage it, buy it. We’re in this together, folks. Be courteous, be respectful.
Image used under creative commons license from SarahDeer.
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