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Primer shortage
As of this Monday morning (2-11-2013) there seems to be NO PRIMERS available anywhere. I've been trying to find small pistol primers and the last place to show some in stock was Natchez (pricey + higher than usual Haz-Mat fee) but even they show no stock now. All local supplies exhausted and all online retailers also are out (all that I could find). Called a number and no one has any estimate of when some will become available. From what I'm told a larger than usual number are going to ammo manufacturers because of the current panic buying/hoarding and the primer/bullet makers can't keep up with demand. Only estimates I could get from anyone range from at least a week to months so seems us reloaders are out of luck for now. Those who had received shipments said they sold out the same day or backorders took everything as it came in. Many places are not listing primers for now and won't take backorders!
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Threads like this do nothing but cause more panic buying.
Watch the big name sites. They have been continually been getting in primers for the past weeks and they will continue to get more. Yes they sell out quickly, sometimes in minutes. But they are getting them in. People post primers in stock all the time on this forum.
Anyone like me who has been through a past shortage has a healthy reserve of primers for times like these. I believe I have about 20k. And I haven't bought any in years.
My advice is to wait it out. Don't pay the ridiculous prices. When things cool down buy some and stock them away for the next shortage.Chris
<----Rimfire Addict
Originally posted by Oceanbob -
I wish I would have the money to keep a real stock of primers and powder. Atleast I bought what I could afford not too long before the panic.Stupid people; They're breeding.
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
Si vis pacem, para bellum
╠╦═╬ Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms should be a store, not a government agency.Comment
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What is going on right now in the components market is a classic bubble and will end with a lot of product coming available at greatly reduced prices after the bubble pops.
Manufacturers will ramp production in response to greater order volume, all the while the consumers "build high priced inventory". When the current deficit is made up by the suppliers, the excess inventory accumulated by consumers will start to make its way back onto the secondary market just as the retailers start offering sales to move inventory they accumulated in the transition time from excess demand to excess supply. That is called the "business cycle" and used to govern all economic activity in the industrial world before central bankers decided central planning was OK just as long as it was the central bankers doing the central planning.
The best possible thing a reloader could do right now is not pay premium prices for components, but wait, save your coin and when the supply/demand balance starts to tilt, be there to start accumulating inventory while everyone else starts converting their excess inventory back into cash.When asked what qualities he most valued in his generals, Napoleon said, "give me lucky ones."Comment
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Stupid people; They're breeding.
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
Si vis pacem, para bellum
╠╦═╬ Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms should be a store, not a government agency.Comment
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Yep.
BTW OP, I don't know where you live, but you might not be looking very hard. TWO of my local shops have primers in stock, I don't have to drive very far.
You might not be able to buy what you what from whom you want, but I am sure whether by craigslist, calguns, local, or online you can find SOMEone who can supply you here or there.Comment
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Keep in mind that reloaders come in many flavors and two of them are gobbling up any primer they can get their hands on.
1. you have the guys who are seriously into reloading and like to keep a good supply on hand. they've just gone through 2 months of serious panic and are buying up whatever they can afford (and maybe foolishly putting them on CC's that they can't afford) so that they know they'll have enough for the foreseeable future.
2. you also have the people who reload for a living. They have orders they need to fill so they're putting feelers out to all of their suppliers. They're combing sites and buying whatever pops up at a reasonable price. These guys NEED primers to make money so they're going to be the ones scooping up any and every primer they can get their hands on.
You also have the SHTF types who don't reload much but due to poor planning and too much forum trolling are buying up primers as well.
We will reach a point where the SHTF types have enough (or simply can't afford to spend anymore). When the serious reloaders will have an inventory supply that they're comfortable with and when the people who sell reloads are getting a steady supply. At this point you'll start to see inventory return to normal. You will also start to see sales on components since i'm sure people will overbuy, get hit with bills they can't pay, and this will require them to sell off inventory. This will hit both individuals and reseller websites .Comment
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Sign up for back in stock notifications, and keep a smartphone handy. =]"Any unarmed people are slaves, or are subject to slavery at any given moment." - Dr. Huey P. NewtonComment
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+1
What he say.Comment
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Don't worry, they are making more. But no manufacturer is going to invest in bringing additional capacity on line for one of these panic bubbles (this is the third one I've been through). It'll settle out, but perhaps not until summer or fall (I hear there are some big govt. ammo contracts being filled as well, which is also sucking up production). Handloaders come last in the supply chain.Comment
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I can give it a year to settle down.I aint going to panic buy or overpay for items.I got lucky and was bale to get some nice nosler 69grn bullets i only got 250 though should have just got 1k cause they worked really well but not in a hurry adn i know others need them too.Also have some 69 smk and plenty of 55 grn fmjs.
Found powder 2 months ago so i got 3 pounds of 335 again could have bought more but got what i need.Only thing i was a lil short on was small rifle primers but found some for what i pay locally so couldnt go wrong now have more than i can load.Even gave a couple hundred to a friend tonight.Comment
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I've been able to find large pistol and rifle primers every time i go into the store.
Small pistol and rifle is another story, however....Comment
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