This primer shortage

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gunsrtools

New member
I am just a bit curious as to why it appears that Canada does not seem to have been effected as much as the U.S. has on this issue.
If the shortage is world wide, then why when I go to several online retailers located in Canada
they seem to have primers in stock? Of course they cannot ship to the United States. So they are no resource for us.
But wouldn't you think if the situation is so dire, Canadian retailers would also be wiped out? It is the same manufacturers we are talking about. Are these primer manufacturers shipping to Canadian distributors but not to U.S. distributors?
it just does not make sense.
 
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FITASC

New member
What makes you think there is a worldwide shortage as opposed to only here where we have a $1,000,000,000 backlog.
 
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higgite

New member
Copied from a response to your same question that you posted on another forum. Makes the most sense to me.
"Opinion" they did not have a huge surge of panic buying from 1. Riots 2. An upcoming election. They are missing key drivers for the huge demand we are seeing.
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gunsrtools

New member
The real question that I would like to know is:
Are the primer manufacturers continuing to ship to Canadian distributors while not shipping to US distributors at all?
 
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hounddawg

New member
they are getting shipped to US gun stores they are just being sold as fast as they hit the shelves and net by either by panic buyers or scalpers who are reselling them for triple or quadruple the amount they paid on the net or gun shows. The shortage will continue until the panic buyers stop paying the outrageous prices or internet dealers start putting stricter limits on amounts.

Just for the heck of it I have several internet sellers sending me notices of instock items. One sent me a notice of H4350 instock the other day, I logged in 12 minutes after the email was sent and they were sold out. I would not have purchased had it still been instock but that just goes to show how fast it is moving. You will probably see that H4350 being resold at gunshows for $100 or more a pound next week
 
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higgite

New member
they are getting shipped to US gun stores they are just being sold as fast as they hit the shelves
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It pays to have inside connections. I did once. It was short lived, but nice while it lasted.
 
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T. O'Heir

New member
"...more than you would think..." Yep. However, ya'll have over 300 million living there. We have about 38 million.
One local shop wants $5 to $8Cdn for 100 primers. Our idiot government has kept prices for all thing firearm related artificially high since we got fornicated by NAFTA. The only thing the Donald ever said that was remotely true about NAFTA was it was a bad deal. For Canada, not the US or Mexico.
"...the primer manufacturers..." Are likely closed due to the Covid Panic and aren't shipping anything. The assorted shipping companies aren't likely working either.
 
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pete2

New member
The shortage is continuing because of the election. If Biden is confirmed it may last a long time. Same same happened during Obama for a while.
 
5

5whiskey

New member
And it sucks because primers go fast. I had a good stock of everything but SRP, and I don’t shoot ammo using that much anymore anyway. Alas I’ve gone through nearly 30% of my small pistol stash the past 3 months. Granted I got home from a year long deployment and have been obsessive about increasing my supply of loaded rounds. Still though, this s making me nervous some.
 
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Unclenick

Staff
gunsrtools said:
Are the primer manufacturers continuing to ship to Canadian distributors while not shipping to US distributors at all?
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They are shipping all the primers to ammunition manufacturers. I've read in three places now that because the US has had panic buying of guns, there are now a few million first-time gun owners buying and stocking loaded ammunition, so demand is higher than normal. Additionally, COVID-19 has interfered with the import sources of ammunition that usually handle more of the market, so there is less supply than normal. Loaded ammo is more profitable than reloading components and also there are contractual obligations for priority delivery of primers to ammunition makers. So we'll have to wait for ammo demand to decline or for COVID-19 to come under control to see primers back on the shelves in normal quantities.

According to Forbes magazine, a primer line is an expensive investment and takes a year to a year and a half to build, so if anyone is adding capacity (and that article suggests they are not, as there isn't confidence that the panic buying will continue long enough to justify it), it won't be apparent for awhile yet.

The Canadians appear simply not have consumed their old stock completely. This place shows some CCI and Federal numbers out of stock, so they will run dry on US brands, too, with enough time.
 
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seanc

New member
Smaller manufacturers/remanufacturers are getting small pistol primers now. I agree that manufacturers will continue to be the primary recipients and until they get caught up, we're going to have to bide our time. Hopefully, by summer 2021, we'll see primer components available again. I think it depends on how aggressive the Biden administration comes in vis-a-vis the 2nd Amendment. If they come in hot, expect the ammo panic level to go to 11. By January, we should start seeing FMJ rounds starting to be produced in numbers. Right now, every precious primer is stoking a premium HP.
 
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RC20

New member
So we'll have to wait for ammo demand to decline or for COVID-19 to come under control to see primers back on the shelves in normal quantities.
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Sadly I think panic is the new norm.

Apparently gun shortage is due to (ahem) the other side buying guns now.

Then Jan 20th it flips back. Next will be Space Alien invasions I suspect. Logic has nothign to do with it (hint, the Supremes are locked and loaded!)

If we are lucky we will get a calm in between and we can stock up. I did, I have enough powder to blow the house to hell and back. I don't like it, but I can piss and moan or deal with reality.
 
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edfardos

New member
Government gets first dibs, feds, then LEO. they're more important than you are. you are not essential. that drives markets and prices on the streets. make friends with LEO's. they often can get you free range brass! CHP shoots remington golden saber, nickle cases. great stuff.
 
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hounddawg

New member
I was in the vicinity of a Sportsmans Warehouse earlier so I stopped in to check and see what what they had. Good supply of loaded ammo, lots of bullets and a fair supply of powders. No primers though, asked one of the people on floor when to expect any and he was clueless. I picked up a pound of H4831SC just cause I just finished off a 1 pounder, left 2 more 1 pounders sitting on the shelf. Still not as bad as 2008/2009 in my opinion other than primers
 
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Unclenick

Staff
edfardps said:
Government gets first dibs, feds, then LEO…
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That's usually written into contracts, but it doesn't explain the shortage. In a typical year in this country, government consumes about 10% of the ammunition, while private citizens consume about 90% of it. I have seen a 2:1 range of statements about the size of the market, but the bottom line is the various government entities are minority consumers. They can cause short delays, as when the military replenishes its stockpiles (happened about 2009, IIRC; about 4 billion rounds) but in a 10-15 billion round market, that's a delay in months not years, and only of domestic ammunition, not all the imports. Right now, the COVID-19 induced reduction in imports is the second piece of the equation.
 
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