I was chatting up the old timer sporting goods guy in my local WalMart last week and he said that the reason they don’t have anything in stock is because the ammo manufacturers are being told that they’ll soon have to produce ammo with identification numbers imbedded in it and that the Feds want all the ammo out there now to be exchanged or destroyed. Any ammo without an ID number imbedded that is used for whatever reason—robbery, self-defense, will result in a stiff fine or sentence. The WalMart guy said that ammo manufacturers are complying because 1)they have to and 2)they don’t want to be blamed for the stiffer penalities. Don’t know if any of this is true but the old timer telling me sure believes it.
My own theory is that the big retailers like Walmart are not sure what's going to happen with this Administration and are taking no chances on being caught on the "wrong" side of any Obama/Pelosi/Reid decree on ammo, and are not adequately restocking right now, instead adopting a "wait and see" attitude.
So, there may be at least a grain of true in your old-timer's explanation.
I live in southern Adams County, Pennsylvania, which is very rural and very pro-2nd Amendment, and I've noticed that all four of our local Walmarts (Gettysburg, Waynesboro, Hanover, and Chambersburg) have not restocked in weeks or even months. About all you can get there is .22 and 12-gauge shells.
The old guy was wrong. Not true!
The story I’ve heard is that the Winchester plant in East Alton, IL (near St. Louis) is running three shifts, seven days a week.
Another plant reports running the same schedule, but is said to be allocating half their production to a “special project”. I have no further info on that one.