When ammo prices shoot up—and they always do eventually—you start looking at your guns differently. It’s not about whether a firearm is cool, fun, or even reliable. It’s about whether you can actually afford to keep it fed. A lot of guns seem like a good idea until you’re paying a dollar a round, or worse, can’t find the right box anywhere.
If you’re not thinking about ammo availability and cost before pulling the trigger on a new gun, you might be setting yourself up for frustration. These are the ones that start collecting dust once shelves go bare or prices climb too high.
Desert Eagle in .50 AE
The Desert Eagle in .50 AE is a range toy with shock factor, but the ammo is brutally expensive—and that’s when it’s even available. When prices spike, it becomes nearly impossible to find without ordering online at premium rates.
If you bought one for fun or bragging rights, that fun dries up fast when you realize a casual range trip might cost more than a tank of gas. It’s impressive, sure—but it’s one of the first guns people stop shooting when ammo prices climb.
FN Five-seveN
The Five-seveN is lightweight, flat shooting, and unique. But the 5.7x28mm cartridge isn’t something you’ll find in bulk bins or on discount. When supply tightens, it either disappears or doubles in price.
It’s a great pistol in a vacuum, but when your regular 9mm friends are still shooting and you’re rationing rounds, it starts to feel like a bad call. Unless you’ve got a stockpile already, this is a tough pistol to feed once the shelves thin out.
.300 Win Mag Hunting Rifles
.300 Win Mag is a heavy hitter and great for big game, but it’s not cheap to shoot even in good times. When demand jumps, it’s one of the first hunting cartridges to climb past the comfort zone of most folks’ budgets.
If you’re only shooting a few rounds each season to stay sighted in, fine. But if you picked one up for range use or long-distance work, get ready to pay. Reloading helps, but factory loads can get painful when prices spike.
.458 SOCOM ARs
The idea of a big-bore AR has its appeal—especially for hogs or short-range brush work. But .458 SOCOM isn’t mainstream, and the ammo reflects that. Even when it’s in stock, it’s expensive. When prices surge, it gets worse.
If you’re not set up to reload, you’re at the mercy of specialty manufacturers. That turns a “fun” rifle into a safe queen real quick. It’s hard to justify mag-dumping when every shot costs a few bucks.
.338 Lapua Bolt Guns
There’s no arguing with the performance of .338 Lapua—it’s a long-range beast. But unless you’re shooting professionally or competitively, owning one when ammo gets pricey is a quick path to regret.
You’re looking at $6 to $10 a round during a crunch, and that’s if you can find it at all. Reloading helps, but even components for this cartridge aren’t cheap. It’s a specialized round, and in a tight market, it’s the last thing to stay affordable.
Tokarev Pistols in 7.62x25mm
Surplus Tokarevs are fun little shooters, and they used to be cheap to shoot. But those days are long gone. 7.62x25mm ammo is imported irregularly and has climbed in price with every new import restriction or shipping delay.
When ammo prices go up, obscure foreign calibers like this dry up first. Unless you stocked up back when it was dirt cheap, you’ll be kicking yourself for not buying something easier to feed.
Any Rifle in .300 WSM
The .300 WSM was supposed to give magnum performance in a short action, and it does. But ammo is pricey in normal times—and practically nonexistent during a shortage. Few manufacturers load for it consistently, and it’s not something you’ll find in most small-town shops.
It’s a capable round, no question. But when ammo prices spike, you’ll start wishing you picked something more common like .308 or .30-06. Those rounds don’t perform the same, but they’re easier to find and far cheaper when the shelves go thin.
Revolvers in .327 Federal Magnum
The .327 Federal Magnum is an interesting cartridge that balances power and capacity. But good luck finding ammo for it when demand is high. It’s never been widely available, and during a panic, it might disappear altogether.
Even in normal times, it’s not carried by most big box stores. And because it’s a niche round, the cost stays high. If you want to shoot often or practice regularly, it’s tough to justify the expense when 9mm and .38 Special are still on the shelf.
AKs Chambered in 5.45x39mm
The 5.45x39mm AKs were once a smart buy thanks to cheap surplus ammo. But that supply dried up years ago, and current options are limited and often imported in batches. When ammo prices spike, these disappear fast.
The guns themselves are great—light recoil, accurate, and reliable. But without a healthy stash of ammo, they’re hard to run affordably. Unless more domestic options show up, you’ll be sidelined while folks with 7.62x39mm keep shooting.
Anything in .41 Magnum
The .41 Magnum sits in a weird place—more punch than .357, less common than .44. It’s a capable round, but the ammo’s rare, and it becomes even harder to find when prices jump and manufacturers focus on popular calibers.
You won’t see bulk deals, and even reloading supplies get tough to track down. If you shoot it occasionally, it’s manageable. But if you planned on using it regularly, a price spike will hit you harder than most.
*This article was developed with AI-powered tools and has been carefully reviewed by our editors.
