The Cost of Ammunition in February 2026: A Deep Dive into Prices, Commodities, Inflation, War, and Tariffs
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The Cost of Ammunition in February 2026: A Deep Dive into Prices, Commodities, Inflation, War, and Tariffs
As most gun owners know, the price of ammunition has really shot up (pardon the pun) since the days of the pandemic. We frequently get questions about when the best time to buy ammunition is and why does the price seem to be going up each year. I always recommend mid summer with fall being the absolute worst followed by January when all the manufacturers adjuster their current year pricing. This year we are also dealing with an almost 33% increase in the ITAR annual fee which was completely unexpected.
As most gun owners know, the price of ammunition has really shot up (pardon the pun) since the days of COVID. We’re frequently asked when the best time to buy ammo is and why prices seem to creep higher year after year. While there’s no perfect answer, I generally recommend buying in mid-summer. Historically, fall is the absolute worst time to purchase ammunition, followed closely by January, when manufacturers roll out adjusted pricing for the new year.
Beyond seasonal buying patterns, there are several larger economic and global factors that continue to influence ammunition costs. Below, I’ve outlined some of the key drivers that help explain why prices remain elevated and why meaningful drops are harder to come by than many shooters expect.
In early 2026, ammunition prices remain elevated compared with pre-pandemic levels, shaped by a confluence of global commodity markets, geopolitical conflict, trade policy, and persistent inflation. Although prices for many calibers have come down from the historic peaks seen during the 2020–2022 supply crunch, they have not returned to levels most shooters remember from a decade ago. What’s driving these trends? Below we explore how copper and brass pricing, the war in Ukraine, tariffs on imported raw materials, and inflation in 2025 are influencing ammunition costs in February 2026.
Customer Support
The Cost of Ammunition in February 2026: A Deep Dive into Prices, Commodities, Inflation, War, and Tariffs
As most gun owners know, the price of ammunition has really shot up (pardon the pun) since the days of the pandemic. We frequently get questions about when the best time to buy ammunition is and why does the price seem to be going up each year. I always recommend mid summer with fall being the absolute worst followed by January when all the manufacturers adjuster their current year pricing. This year we are also dealing with an almost 33% increase in the ITAR annual fee which was completely unexpected.
As most gun owners know, the price of ammunition has really shot up (pardon the pun) since the days of COVID. We’re frequently asked when the best time to buy ammo is and why prices seem to creep higher year after year. While there’s no perfect answer, I generally recommend buying in mid-summer. Historically, fall is the absolute worst time to purchase ammunition, followed closely by January, when manufacturers roll out adjusted pricing for the new year.
Beyond seasonal buying patterns, there are several larger economic and global factors that continue to influence ammunition costs. Below, I’ve outlined some of the key drivers that help explain why prices remain elevated and why meaningful drops are harder to come by than many shooters expect.
In early 2026, ammunition prices remain elevated compared with pre-pandemic levels, shaped by a confluence of global commodity markets, geopolitical conflict, trade policy, and persistent inflation. Although prices for many calibers have come down from the historic peaks seen during the 2020–2022 supply crunch, they have not returned to levels most shooters remember from a decade ago. What’s driving these trends? Below we explore how copper and brass pricing, the war in Ukraine, tariffs on imported raw materials, and inflation in 2025 are influencing ammunition costs in February 2026.