how much longer until powder is readily available?

[ElvenSoul]

Get a flintlock and learn to make homemade

[Capybara]

There is plenty of powder out there, you just have to hunt for it, be quick and be flexible. It's not "in stock" at most places because it is still like .22 LR ammo right now, a retailer gets a few hundred pounds and boom, it's sold out in about an hour. Thanks to this forum, I have scored much more powder in the past three months than I could through most of last year. Keep your eyes out here and on Gunbot, it is out there, it just doesn't last.

Buy popular powders that you may not even want because if it is the right powder like Varget or 4895, it is like currency and you can easily trade it for the powder you are looking for. Right now is also a great time to try other brands of powder too, perhaps Hodgdon is in short supply but there is some Alliant available, try a new powder.

[koehn,jim]

Powder is available, you have to check on a weekly basis and be prepared to buy when they have it. Beginning of December I bought 12 lbs of various powders, that I needed. have a first and a second choice and buy when you see it.

[Eljay]

The supply opened up a lot in October and then tightened up again. Powder Valley posted some stats on that and also their sales for the year, which was a record. They're getting in powder, it's just going away as soon as they get it. And it'll probably continue to get bought as soon as it gets in until all the existing and new reloaders build up their personal stock to a level that they're comfortable with, which at this point is probably a pretty big supply...

[2shotjoe]

no one is fully stock yet but I am at this time able to buy powder, may not be what i am looking for but it is loadable.

[meaty-btz]

Where did you see it takes a year? Nitrocellulose is cotton lint that is soaked in concentrated sulphuric and nitric acids for a short period of time, then rinsed to remove the acid. From all the articles I've seen, it might take 24 hours to make a batch. Then they do the process of making into whatever shape they need.

The process involves fermentation. Not just he making of the actual "gun cotton". Mostly the long fermentation for potassium nitrate. There is a supply chain. I was under the impression that the factories worked with it on site rather than rely on an external source.

[sl0re10]

There is plenty of powder out there, you just have to hunt for it, be quick and be flexible.

+1. I went to a couple gun stores this weekend and one had powder (10 or more types)... I had a powdervalley order show up this Monday. Its out there...

[klewan]

The process involves fermentation. Not just he making of the actual "gun cotton". Mostly the long fermentation for potassium nitrate. There is a supply chain. I was under the impression that the factories worked with it on site rather than rely on an external source.

I did some googling; nitrocellulose needs nitric acid. Nitric acid is on the govt restricted list chemicals, since it is a precursor to explosives. So for small quantities, potassium nitrate is substituted for nitric acid. Industrial, like powder makers, they can get all the nitric acid they want. Other explosive using potassium nitrate is the original one; black powder.

At the factory, they have flimsy buildings that are spread out around the property. Flimsy, so they don't contain any explosions. They mix the ingredients and put them into what is called "the angel buggy", couple of hundred pounds. Then it goes to the extruding machine and they make long strings like spaghetti. Gets cut into whatever shape they need, coat it with graphite or other flame deterrents, and let it dry out and package it.

If the powder company is smart, they'll run the plant 24/7, if the demand is there. They don't make any money when all that equipment is idle. With all the wars we've been fighting, pretty sure they were 24/7 or close to it. So they need to expand if the supply is to increase.

[Vlad 11]

Looks like we might finally get some powder this weekend up in the Sierras.

[meaty-btz]

I did some googling; nitrocellulose needs nitric acid. Nitric acid is on the govt restricted list chemicals, since it is a precursor to explosives. So for small quantities, potassium nitrate is substituted for nitric acid. Industrial, like powder makers, they can get all the nitric acid they want. Other explosive using potassium nitrate is the original one; black powder.

At the factory, they have flimsy buildings that are spread out around the property. Flimsy, so they don't contain any explosions. They mix the ingredients and put them into what is called "the angel buggy", couple of hundred pounds. Then it goes to the extruding machine and they make long strings like spaghetti. Gets cut into whatever shape they need, coat it with graphite or other flame deterrents, and let it dry out and package it.

If the powder company is smart, they'll run the plant 24/7, if the demand is there. They don't make any money when all that equipment is idle. With all the wars we've been fighting, pretty sure they were 24/7 or close to it. So they need to expand if the supply is to increase.

In the end though, most powder is manufactured over seas and shipped here for "repacking".

Undeniable is that there is not enough powder to meet demand.. mind you most of us love our boutique powders, large powder batches are a different animal. The largest problem is that most of us have a favored powder, the problem is that most of us tend to favor the same powder. Load information and data can create "popular" and "not popular" powders.

Most reloaders are nit-pickers and the idea of using a "lesser" powder rubs many the wrong way. So you will have a run on the popular powders and then people turn to secondary favorites till all that is left is the stuff no one wants.. like .50BMG powder.

The ironic thing is that it is not in the manufacturers best interests to curtail the supply of powder as if people "switch powders" they might never "switch back" so it is in their best interests to ensure company loyalty by providing the powders as much as the demand is. There really isn't much money to be made trying to force a short market to spike prices. Reloaders are also very price sensitive, they will switch away rather than pay more in most cases. Or not buy at all.

[RobG]

Be vigilant about checking all the on-line retailers. I use 4831sc and H4350 and find it without too much difficulty. My advantage is working nights and have scored at 3 a.m. on a few occasions. When you see it, buy all you can afford. Makes it cheaper with haz fees and shipping. Any left over is easily resold.

[uechikid]

I'm thinking this is the new normal.

[Branden967]

I'm thinking this is the new normal.

^^^^^^+1

[Colt562]

My dads best friend uncles best friend knows a guy who knows a guy that works for Joe the Plumber says in a couple weeks powder should be readily available.

[klewan]

I'm thinking this is the new normal.

Same crap was happening 20 years ago with primers, eventually the pipe got filled and it was back to normal.