22 ammo is also used by government agencies for target practice. They may have listed the ammo that makes news but didn't list the 22 ammo. Buying millions of rounds of 22 LR ammo isn't as exciting news as 40 sw, or 9mm or 223 assault rifle ammo, or 308 ammo, which are all in short supply. Primers for reloaders are also in short supply. Some manufacturers have probably converted their 22lr lines into primer manufacturing because of all the centerfire ammo they need to make. There are also about 10 million + new gun owners needing ammo. Almost every gun owner also has some type of 22lr either handgun or rifle. Another reason for 22lr shortage might be the bullets. Making 22 caliber bullets for 223 is taking priority over 22lr bullets. They might have millions of cases for 22lr made, but bullets for them might be in short supply. Also primer powder might be in short supply making primers for centerfire over using the primer material for rimfire. Lots of reasons for 22lr shortages.
Like I said 22lr cases might be in stockpile waiting for materials. I see lots of 17 hmr's on the shelf. Even more than 22 mags.
It still doesn't answer the question as to why more ammo than they historically use. It also is very concerning that they are buying hollowpoint 40 s&w to use on civilians which basically KILL, instead of FMJ that the Geneva convention says the worlds armies are supposed to use to WOUND moreso than kill. Government agencies should all use FMJ ammo on any civilians.
Also they built a FEMA camp near Selma with something like 400-600 trailers (about 6 months after Katrina) and it was never used. This was supposed to temporarily house Katrina victims who lost their homes. It is fenced and any government housing, no guns are allowed inside. They still have the camp and it is empty. Are they going to round up non compliant people when the economy colapses and put them in these "reeducation" camps.
Extreme government growth leads to socialism. Socialism eventually leads to one party rule. One party rule eventually leads to and authoritarian government either communist, nazi, or facist. All are bad. Some extreme right wing socialist, some extreme left wing socialist. All are bad. Our government had out of control spending, and is getting way too big. Regulated capitalism always worked best for us. Regulations are out of hand, and government spending is out of control. You can't take all your credit cards and max them out without paying a price. Same with any government.
Overregulated capitalism stifles economic growth. Under regulated leads to monopolies. Both can be bad.
Personal choices are better than government mandates. People and corporations must learn from their bad choices or pay the price, either way.
A safety net is ok, but not a safety hammock.
Dems and liberals love government controls and mandates forcing people to do what THEY think is right, even if it is proven wrong.
Risk can lead to great rewards and great inovations, inventions, and new products. Risk can also lead to failure, but we must be allowed to fail. Corporations can't get "too big" to fail or they need to be broken up into smaller companies so no one company is "to big to fail".
The right has a lot of good ideas, but the left will not let them be tried. Some ideas the so called right did a few years ago wasn't actually right wing ideas, but left wing ideas repackaged in my opinion, like Bush's bailouts of the banks. Let them fail if they were too stupid to not manage their business properly, file bankrupcy, and reorganise, and their assets sold off to other companies. Keep government out of it.
Sorry got off on a tangent. Bottom line, Homeland Security is too big and is not protecting our borders. Home grown terroism isn't as big a threat as the invasion from Mexico.