Primer Blues

[bruceflinch]

I went to the range today to see what components were available.

This guy walked in & asked for SP primers. The clerk says "all I have are large rifle magnums". The guy says "There are no primers west of the Mississippi."
The clerks responded, "You mean there's primers east of the Mississippi?

Yeah, not really funny. Has anyone actually gotton a plausible explanation for the primer shortage. Fear/hoarding? Military buying it up? Govt, telling the MFG's to slow down production?

Even powder is starting to get a bit scarce. I did manage to get the last 3 lbs of W231. $22/lb

[ar15barrels]

Has anyone actually gotton a plausible explanation for the primer shortage. Fear/hoarding? Military buying it up? Govt, telling the MFG's to slow down production?

Primer makers are using most of their normal production to load their own ammo.
With loaded ammo demands like they are right now, it's more profitable to sell loaded ammo than components.
Therefore, fewer components are making it down the supply chain.

[joelogic]

+1 for all the primers going to the ammo makers.

[Toe Jam]

Sadness all around...

I was talking to a close friend about that very question. "What happen to all the reloading supplies are they going to the military or just slow in production?".

He said his firend that works at CCI says "they have warehouses full of primers". "He didn't go into any more detail then that".

Another friend talked to a bullet mfg. and asked to make some special size for testing. The mfg said " I can make them, thats no problem but I can't sell them" nothing more was said by the mfg.

On the lighter side
I was at J and R sports yesterday filling out DROs and saw a picture of Obama and the caption read #1 salesmen 5 months running. or something close to that.

[bruceflinch]

Primer makers are using most of their normal production to load their own ammo.
With loaded ammo demands like they are right now, it's more profitable to sell loaded ammo than components.
Therefore, fewer components are making it down the supply chain.

So you think the Hoarders, who buy up all the ammo, are more of a supply problem? Or is the Military buying more? Or both? I know we are now supplying both Iraq & Afghanistan guns & ammo.

[RobG]

Bruce, make the 45 minute drive to Guns and Fishin in Vacaville. They have tons as of 3 days ago. 500 limit but they were there.

[bruceflinch]

Bruce, make the 45 minute drive to Guns and Fishin in Vacaville. They have tons as of 3 days ago. 500 limit but they were there.

They were selling 1/2 box quantities of primers? or a 500 round limit on loaded ammo?

[RobG]

Primers were 100/box, so 5 boxes at a time. I believe it was 500 of each type of primer. Mostly CCI, lots of pistol, mag rifle, and some small rifle match.

[bohoki]

Bruce, make the 45 minute drive to Guns and Fishin in Vacaville. They have tons as of 3 days ago. 500 limit but they were there.

ha just bring a couple friends

+1 for all the primers going to the ammo makers.

yea there are lots of regional commercial reloaders that sell to local ranges

[Beelzy]

Wow......Primer Rationing.

Sad times.

(I haven't seen so much as a single primer cup for sale anywhere in my neck)

[Kokopelli]

I was talking to a close friend about that very question. "What happen to all the reloading supplies are they going to the military or just slow in production?".

He said his firend that works at CCI says "they have warehouses full of primers". "He didn't go into any more detail then that".

Another friend talked to a bullet mfg. and asked to make some special size for testing. The mfg said " I can make them, thats no problem but I can't sell them" nothing more was said by the mfg. {snip}

Okay, I'll ask; Is there any more on this story or is the tinfoil hat crowd trying to raise a panic with unfounded speculation?

[kurac]

Okay, I'll ask; Is there any more on this story or is the tinfoil hat crown trying to raise a panic with unfounded speculation?

talk is cheap, sound like just talk to me.

I did recently see a show on the outdoor channel that showed CCI's primer operation, I don't know when it was filmed but CCI claimed they ship 3 millon primers a day. Thats not much considering Powder Valley alone has a 50 millon back order. If they are sitting on a pile of primers the may be holding it for their own ammo manufacturing operation, but what do I know.

[popeye4]

Okay, I'll ask; Is there any more on this story or is the tinfoil hat crowd trying to raise a panic with unfounded speculation?

All, we've been through this before. In the first two years of the Klintons, there were all sorts of unfounded rumors about primers, including new recipes that went dead in a couple of years. Primers were not to be found as everyone went out and bought up all the existing inventory. As supplies started coming through, the shops "rationed" primers so the first guy in the door didn't walk out with them all. After a few months, everyone either calmed down or max'd out their credit cards and things came back to normal. No, the primers didn't go "dead" after a couple of years, either.

Since those days, I've always kept AT LEAST a year's supply of prmiers on my shelf (they don't take up much room and don't go bad). Unfortunately, that was 16 years ago and people either have forgotten or were too young to care at the time. It is going to cramp people's style until the supply catches up/demand slackens, particularly for new shooter or reloaders, but when things get back to whatever will pass for normal, are we all going to plan ahead a bit more diligently?

Now, let's hope no one starts a "run" on food.......

[swerv512]

[sgtbuck]

It kinda sucked for me. I just got into reloading last year. Even then suplies seamed low. It took a while but I was able to get the primers and powder I needed to keep going for at least the next twelve months or so.