It’s occurred to me that I’m not certain that I would like to support Putin’s thuggish regime by helping their economy by purchasing more of their ammunition. But what if the response to the Russian invasion of Georgia is sanctions? Would the shooting community be willing to endure even higher ammo prices to teach the Russians a lesson that we won’t stand idly by while the Red Army strangles nascent democracies?
I for one, am willing to make that sacrifice. I think the cold war is probably back on after this, which would mean the end of cheap supplies Russian made ammunition.
Most of the stuff I buy is Czech, Serbian and Bosnian. I have a feeling if Russia scaled production back the former republics would be more than happy to replace them. Though keeping the lights on in their factories might be problematic.
We could always buy from the million other post soviet ammo makers in eastern europe.
Or the chinese, who I heard still make AKs and ammo for them. Dunno about the likelihood of them lifting the embargo on norinco ammo though. Probably not.
Or american companies could step up to fill the void. Much of the savings from russian ammo is that it is steel instead of brass cased- one of the main reasons the chinese rejected 5.56 for their new bullpup.
I have been saying no to Russian ammo since the day I started shooting back in April. It just didn’t feel right.
At least now one can reason that buying Russian ammo in some small way is helping fund Russia’s bad behavior. Most people are not going to be able to do anything to stop Russia, but at least you won’t be buying from the same supplier.
If you want to do a little more, then how about calling your congressman and demanding that we stop sending Russia almost $1 billion a year in military security aid.
What is funding and motivating Russia’s bad behavior is oil.
This whole Georgia thing is about preventing that pipeline from going online and breaking Russia’s monopoly on supplying oil to Europe. Even if the Georgians succeed in repelling the Russians eventually, the mere fact that this was threatened will drive up oil prices to the benefit of Russia. This oil reason is also why Russia is trying to bomb the pipeline and why they are pushing through Azbhakia to the sea ports. This is all about oil. Russia has nothing else of value. Take away their monopoly and they are really dire straits.
This is what the middle eastern countries would behave like if they had a giant army and a few thousand nuclear weapons.
What the Russians are doing is nothing different than what U.S. is doing. Plus I tend to trust Russian Ammo more than anything else. This is probably a misguided trust, since I have seen how they pack there ammo for there troops. I will not buy any ammo made in china for sure.
Also Fred Fry
that $1billion a year is to help secure there Nukes from the wrong people getting there hands on them.
Intent matter, Matt. What are we doing to crush nascent Democracies in the world today? Are we attempting to cajole off of Europe by blackmailing them with their own energy needs?
May have to take up reloading yet (won’t that be fun, trying to convince CINCHOME that hardly anyone blows up their house doing it.
Sebastian,
We are not crushing Democracies in the world today. But we are doing to much that the World can not handle. But what I have read in the papers the Russians are trying to help a group that want’s to join them. That is fine with me. The Cold War might have been bad but it some peace with it. Do not include Vietnam. Also screw Europe, they have nothing we need or want. All I am trying to say is let Europe deal with with it. They have not done nothing for 60 years, this is there problem not ours. We are not the world police, even though nobody else can take of the problem. We need to let someone else take care of the problem.
I do not know what I am really trying to say. Just maybe we need to take care of domestic problem first, before we take care of everybody else’s. Let Europe deal with it. They need to take care of there screw up’s sometime.
Plus I do not not really need another campaign medal right now.
I do have to say I found it exciting that someone challenged me.
Matt: “that $1billion a year is to help secure there Nukes from the wrong people getting there hands on them.”
Actually, that is a billion dollars of Russian money we freed up for them to do with as they please, such as steal it and become more aggressive around the world.
also, there are questions about how that money is really being used:
http://www.bellona.org/articles/articles_2008/UScash_iran
“In the continuing US Congressional investigation of a post-Soviet programme to employ Russian nuclear weapons scientists to prevent them from selling their expertise, a congressional committee has said US Department of Energy (DOE) funding has assisted in building Iran’s Bushehr reactor.”
Fred,
You make an excellent point. I could not conceive that point for some reason, but you are right.