Bullet Shortage? Just Make Your Own

The latest DIY craft trend is not being led by mustachioed 20-somethings in Brooklyn, Austin, or Portland. It's the hot new thing amongst gun owners, who have taken to making their own bullets due to a nationwide shortage. With gun control featuring heavily in current political discourse, Americans are stockpiling their ammo. Prices have gone up and supplies have gone down. So more shooters are getting into the hobby known as "reloading," NPR reports. "The cost of ammo off the shelf is outrageous right now," says one reloading enthusiast. "So if I can reload my own ammo, it's gonna cut costs and make shooting a little more cheaper."

But the rise of reloading has also triggered a shortage in gun powder, says Cliff Poser, who owns a gun shop in Boise that also offers reloading classes. Dillon Precision, a company which makes machines for assembling ammunition is also sweating, er, bullets as it tries to keep up with demand. But the owners of both businesses believe things will go back to normal eventually—just as soon as people stop hoarding. "We hope the business continues to grow," says Poser. "But having a business that's expanded by people who are not being necessarily sound-minded is not going to be solid business; it's not going to continue." (More bullet stories.)