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TORONTO — Gun owners across Canada are starting to hoard bullets over fears of a diminishing supply of .22-calibre ammunition from the United States.

Most of Canada’s ammunition comes from the U.S., a market that has nearly 100 million gun owners clamouring for bullets. Some sources estimate that of the roughly 4.2 billion rounds of .22 shells the U.S. is capable of making each year, nearly four billion are purchased domestically, leaving a negligible amount for distribution to Canada’s nearly two million gun owners.

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And many retailers are saying Canadian orders are a low priority for the larger ammunition companies.

Manufacturers in the U.S., such as Remington Arms Co. LLC and Winchester Ammunition, have been able to ramp up production of centre-fired, higher velocity bullets to meet increased demand, but they are unable to do the same for the rim-fired .22s, which are tougher and more expensive to make.