4411 Mercury St, Suite 103 · Kearny Mesa, San Diego
Kearny Mesa · San Diego
Pistol, rifle, rimfire and shotgun ammunition sold over the counter in Kearny Mesa. No online checkout, no shipping, and nobody talking you into a box you don't need.
Ammunition & accessories only · No firearms · No range at this location · Se habla español
4411 Mercury St, Suite 103 · Kearny Mesa, San Diego, CA 92111
Mon – Fri 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM · Sat – Sun 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Pick your ammunition, run the eligibility check, pay, done. Most visits take a few minutes, because we know you have somewhere else to be.
We stay competitive with what else is in town, and we will tell you when a cheaper box does the same job. Call and we will quote you over the phone.
Ask anything. First handgun, first box of rimfire, first time hearing about the eligibility check: you get a straight answer, not attitude.
One store, San Diego owned, and the owner is usually the one behind the counter. Se habla español.
In-store only
We pick the Deal of the Week on Sunday evening and it runs Monday through Sunday close. Sometimes it is a caliber we went deep on, sometimes it is an accessory nobody expects to see marked down.
Deal of the Week
This week's board is still being picked. Call the counter and we'll tell you what's on the shelf today and what it costs; the deals page fills in as soon as it's set.
Runs through Sunday at close, or until it sells out
In-store only
Deals run at the Kearny Mesa counter only: there is no online checkout and we don't ship ammunition. Call to confirm what's on the shelf before you drive out.
Catalog
Four categories, and inside each one we carry both new factory ammunition and remanufactured. Everything here is call-for-pricing and buy-in-store: this is a catalog, not a checkout.
New versus remanufactured. New factory ammunition is loaded with fresh brass and consistent components: it is what you want for anything you are trusting, and what most people buy for defense. Remanufactured is built on once-fired brass, inspected and reloaded to spec. It is the budget-friendly way to do a high-volume range day, and for punching paper it does the same job. We stock both so you can pick on purpose instead of being sold up.
Range, defense or hunting. Range ammunition is plain full metal jacket built to be shot in quantity. Self-defense loads are engineered to expand and built to a tighter standard, which is why nobody should be burning through them at the range all afternoon. Hunting loads come with California's own requirements attached: call us before you drive out and we will talk through what you actually need for the season and the zone.
Hearing protection, targets, cleaning kits, ammo cans and range bags are on the wall too. Browse the full ammo and accessory catalog to see every caliber and brand we carry, including what is currently marked back in stock soon.
No judgment, ever
It is a short process and nobody here is going to make you feel stupid for asking about it. Here is the whole thing in four points, so you know what to bring and what happens at the counter.
If you have seen headlines saying a court struck California's ammunition background check down: that ruling never took effect, it was set aside when the Ninth Circuit agreed to rehear the case, and the case is still undecided. Checks are required at every California counter today.
Read our California ammo law guideThis is general information, not legal advice, and the rules do change: fees are set by regulation and the litigation is live. Last reviewed . Confirm current requirements with the California Department of Justice, and speak to a California firearms attorney about anything unusual or about a rejection you believe is a records error.
A current California driver's license or state ID. If it reads FEDERAL LIMITS APPLY it is not a REAL ID, so bring proof of lawful presence too: a passport or certified birth certificate. If the address on it is out of date, bring something official that shows where you live now.
Every ammunition sale in California goes through a Department of Justice check. If your details match the state's Automated Firearms System record it usually clears in a minute or two. If there is no match (you moved, you changed your name, or you have never bought a firearm through a California dealer), it becomes a manual review that can take several days.
California sets that fee and we collect it at the counter on the state's behalf. It is a government charge, not ours, and we do not mark it up. It is charged per attempt and it is cheaper when your record already matches, which is why fixing your record first is the single best thing you can do before driving out. Correcting it is free, through a CFARS account at cfars.doj.ca.gov. See the current state fee amounts on our California ammo law page.
18 and over for rifle and shotgun ammunition, 21 and over for handgun ammunition. Call ahead if you are 18 to 20 and after a caliber that works in both. Every transfer in California happens face to face at a licensed vendor, so nobody can lawfully ship ammunition to your door here.
Straight about stock
We are building up our inventory over the next few months, and we would rather say that out loud than let you drive out here and find an empty shelf.
What that means in practice: the staples get the deepest shelf space (9mm Luger · .223 Remington · .22 LR · 12 Gauge), and the long tail fills in week by week as orders land. If something is not in yet, we will tell you, and we will tell you roughly when we expect it instead of being vague about it.
Nothing gets hidden for being out of stock. Anything we are between shipments on stays listed as back in stock soon, because a catalog that quietly drops items is a catalog you cannot plan around. Call before you drive out and we will check the actual shelf, not a spreadsheet.
More about who runs LAX Ammo San Diego and how the shop got started.
What people say
Straight from our Google Business Profile: the five Google chooses to show, good and bad, exactly as they were written.
4.6 out of 5
131 reviews on GoogleJeff I think his name was and the manager, were very nice helpful and friendly. Helped me carry a lot of rounds to my car, and gave me a deal on bulk. Manager worked with me on some rounds that are not cheap .308.
mark smith
6 months ago
The crew at LAX AMMO are solid people, helping you out with all your ammo needs. From 22 to 50bmg weather you spend $20 or $2000 on ammo they treat all customers with respect and will bend over backwards to make sure you get what you want. They also have cases (really nice cases) target's, cleaning gear, it's all there. The only place I will purchase my ammo Stephen Henderson
Stephen Henderson
3 years ago
Just left.. awesome experience. Dealt with Chris- extremely knowledgeable and easy to talk to. Great experience!! Left with 500 rounds of range and a box of home defense.
Brian Fuchs
9 months ago
Based on some recent reviews, apparently this place is under new ownership. Clearly some kinks need to be ironed out, and hopefully things improve in the future. This used to be my go-to spot for anything bulk in SoCal, but more often it’s been disappointing for myself or friends. -Stock is low variety and quantity. Going to guess the ownership change is causing some supply issues, since I see stock elsewhere. - Prices are rough. .308 is already expensive enough, but seems prices are double here than I’ve found elsewhere (In-store, not online). -Website never lines up with what they have in-store. This has always been a thing with this location, since brick & mortar spots can’t offer the same as online pricing. But whatever is going on with the ownership swap has their website all screwed up. I’m seeing what looks like super good deals, listed for this location, only to be told it’s not them/they’re not affiliated with LAX/FM. ??? The site literally points to this place. Oh well. My mistake, I guess. May as well just take a day trip and hang out in OC to grab bulk from Rifle Gear. Seems to be my only option to get anything reasonable Hoping things swing back to normal. Really was the only place I told people to buy ammo lol. Can’t say that now
K M
9 months ago
Wow! I walked in to check it out and maybe get some ammo. The ustomer before me was obviously a happy repeat customer and I saw why. Omar was super professional, informative, and patient. He took the time to look things up and explain a few things. 100% this is my go to place for ammo now.
Jonathan
9 months ago
Reviews and ratings from Google. We do not choose which appear here, edit them, or remove them: this is what the Google Business Profile returns.
Mercury Street is a few minutes off the 163 and the 805, and honestly that is half the reason people end up here. Somebody drives down from Poway or Escondido before a Saturday morning at the range. Somebody comes up from Chula Vista or National City after a shift. Marines out of Miramar and Pendleton stop in for a box of 9mm Luger on the way home rather than losing an hour to the detour. The location does a lot of the work.
The people who walk in are not one crowd. Range shooters buying in volume. Someone who just bought a first handgun and genuinely does not know what to feed it. A hunter picking up loads before the season opens. A person who keeps one shotgun in the closet, buys a box every couple of years, and is a little uneasy about the whole errand. All of that is normal here, and none of it gets a different tone of voice.
What actually makes the place different is what happens at the counter. You get asked what you are shooting and what you are shooting it for, and you get a straight answer back, including “that is more ammunition than you need” when it is. We will say when the remanufactured stuff is perfectly fine for what you are doing, and we will say when it is not. Common questions get answered on the FAQ, and if you would rather just ask a person, call or text the store: that is what the numbers are for.
Stock & deal questions
Stock moves week to week, and no web page can tell you what sold this morning. One call tells you whether your caliber is on the shelf right now, what it costs today, and whether this week's deal is still there.
Se habla español
Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
Calls only
310-499-3499Text only
Text anytime. Anytime: immediate during business hours, forwarded after hours.
Se habla español
How California's ammo law worksRestock & deal alerts
The prices change every Monday. One email on Sunday night tells you what's on the board for the week, so the trip to Kearny Mesa is worth making.
