Where are the Ammo and Reloading Supplies? - Merged Threads

[wingman]

I would like opinions on our current primer shortage,due to election,demand,
perhaps manufactures having difficulty obtaining supplies.

Does anyone know if primers are made in USA or made elsewhere and
boxed in states.

Suppliers can't or won't give me reasons except they have never seen demand like this.

 

[kraigwy]

Its demand, companies are making primers as they have but its consumer demand. Stock Piling if you will. And I have to admit, I do my part.

Every time I go near a sporting good store I try to buy a brick (1000), seems anymore I'm down to pucking up a few boxes of 100s, or what ever I can get,

I'm doing farily well on pistol primers but having a hard time building up my rifle (small and large).

Rifle season is coming up fast, and I doubt I have the primers needed to get me through. I go through a lot of primer getting ready for, practicing for and shooting high power matchs.

Powder is just as bad, at least the powder I use in high power.

I dont see an end in sight, just pick up what you can when you can.

 

[billcarey]

For what it's worth I was at a gunshow yesterday and there were many vendors with stacks and stacks of all brands of primers and powder. Primer prices were $24 to $31 per 1000. Winchesters were the ones for $31. I paid $22 for Winchesters a couple months ago so the prices are way up on them now. There was plenty of bullets and brass too. The only powder brand I didn't see much of was Accurate...and of course that's the brand I use. From what I saw the reloading supply guys were staying busy though.

 

[allgrainer]

My local suppliers, I use Gander Mtn and Sportsman's Warehouse have not had any CCI 500's for the last couple months. There primers over all are very limited. They both have a good stock of shotgun primers as of yesterday. 40cal and 9mm pistol bullets are very hard to get also. I lucked into one box of 40 tmj's at each yesterday. Ganders box was opend and I took them to the counter. I told the young lady behind the counter that I wanted to count them as I was paying for 100 and wanted to make sure I was getting a hundred. She looked at me with a funny look and said "are you serious" long story short there was only 98 in the box and Gander knocked 3 bucks off the price.

 

[RidgwayCO]

The best explanation I've read is that the rising cost of ammunition is creating lots of new reloaders. These newbies don't have the stockpiles of components that the older heads have, and are trying to build their inventories.

Plus the current political situation is scaring the bejeezus out of anyone with at least half a brain, and they're trying to add to their stockpiles before it's "too late".

Voila, a Perfect Storm.

 

[Doby45]

I am the perfect example of the newb reloader. I just got my press, books and misc equipment. I just purchased 3K primers, 2k bullets and 4lbs of powder. This is small potatoes to the old salt reloaders but for me it is currently a huge stockpile that will soon be turned into rounds. Once it is gone I will load back up. I have always wanted to reload but the Obama scare is real and it has caused me to move my time table up. Sorry about causing the shortages.

 

[winchester243]

I for one welcome all the newb reloaders, despite the current shortages. I only see long-term good coming to both the reloading industry and to the "sport" of reloading as more people gain interest in it.

 

[billcarey]

Dolby45...that's a lot of stuff for a beginner! A word of caution. Load small batches until you are absolutely sure of knowing the reloading process, powder requirements, etc. Loading up 2k bullets without testing different loads, etc could present a pile of dangerous ammo.

 

[RidgwayCO]

Winchester243, agreed! New reloaders are going to be great for the industry. This component shortage will only be temporary (unless it becomes a politically-mandated shortage).

 

[wingman]

Sorry about causing the shortages.

Love to see new guy's come on board I've reloaded over 40 years
and still enjoy however made the mistake of allowing my supplies to get
low. I do believe it's in the raw materials part like much of our problems
in USA think we may see more of the same in the near future.

Hopefully we will become more self sufficient and manufacture more
products here.....To the new administration want to create jobs,
make it easier for manufactures to remain in America.....

Well I can hope.......

 

[Doby45]

Dolby45...that's a lot of stuff for a beginner! A word of caution. Load small batches until you are absolutely sure of knowing the reloading process, powder requirements, etc. Loading up 2k bullets without testing different loads, etc could present a pile of dangerous ammo.

The name is Doby, minus the L. Thank you for the kind words and let me assure you that although I am new to the art of reloading myself, my father has been reloading for years. I have also been around firearms all my life and understand the dangers involved with ANY aspect of firearms.. My intention is to load 10 rounds per .1 of a grain until I reach the desired cartridge and will start mass production form there.

 

[dsv424]

I am a newbie also and after purchasing my press, dies, and all the accessories I went shopping for the components I would need. Well I had no problem with bullets, cases(got from my range), powder, and small pistol and large pistol primers. However, I looked for 3 weeks for small rifle primers to reload for my AR rifle. Could not find the primers anywhere. I searched all over the internet and all my local gun supply stores, they all kinda chuckled and said they have been out for two months and had no idea when they would get more. It was very frustrating having everything but the dam primers to get started. When the local gun show came I got there an hour early and the line was already a half a block long! Talking to people in line about 70% where there for components. As soon as I got in I went straight to a reload sales booth and finally I hit paydirt, was able to get CCI 41 primers at $35 per 1,000. I figured since I was only just starting out I would get 1,000 but with the shortage I went into panic mode and bought 5,000. I realize that this probably affected people behind me wanting the samething but I just don't know when they will ever become abundant again or ever. So I guess I'm contributing to the shortage, sorry but as the old saying goes the early bird gets the worm and I waited 3 dam weeks before I finally found some.

 

[Jim243]

Actually the purchase of 5000 small rifle primers is a good idea. My problem is I generally purchase a 1000 of each (Small Rifle, Large Rifle, Small Pistol and Standard/Mag Large Pistol) and that gets expensive. A case should be cheaper (5000)

 

[bluetopper]

Me and a buddy just went in on 15K Wolf large pistol primers about an hour ago.
5000 for $100 aint bad at Wideners.

 

[Gbro]

Primers have always been a problem in my area. The population just has never supported the local gun store to keep a good stock of all the brands used. I will look into that 5000 buy at Wideners. and by doing that I will also be putting another hit on the local store. That isn't something i take lightly, but I have to have primers too

 

[fireroad]

Newb reloader here as well, and this hysterics-driven stock piling shopping is driving me nuts. I had to go buy factory ammo today because I have everything I need to reload except primer... have not been able to get primers for over two months. The only ones I have seen were on gunbroker and people where bidding twice the retail price. If I don't get someting soon I'm SOL for rifle season.

Enough is enough already, can we all just calm down for a little while so the market can catch up. For those of you who where reloading when Clinton got elected, how long did it take things to calm down?

 

[James R. Burke]

I started checking small shops I never thouht of before, and found 2k of cci-200 that I use. I stoped at another place today just to look around. They had some winchester large rifle, and 300 of the cci. I waited to long to start looking never had this happen before. I learned a lesson I am not going to wait until I am out. When I get below 1k of a certain size I am going to buy.

 

[Steviewonder1]

Primer $$$

My local gun shop (with reloading supplies) is charging $39 for small pistol, and $44 for large pistol for a brick of 1000 with a daily limit of 1 brick. Powder daily limit is 2 pounds of whatever they have in stock.

 

[TexasRedneck]

Just got back into reloading early last month - got tired of the price jumps and availability issues of factory rounds. Started w/the .45, then the .40 - now I'm ordering dies for 380's. I've never even considered reloading them simply because they were cheap. No more! Now I'm ordering the components needed for setting my 650 up for them, too.

Been haunting the online suppliers daily, finally scored 2 bricks (5000 per) of CCI, one for large and one for small pistol, so I'll be okay for a while.....

 

[levrluvr]

I've been told by a couple of local shops and a few internet sales stores as well that the small-rifle primer shortage is likely to continue. The orders they have received as of late have not had any SR primers. Other size/style primers and powder are expected to stabilize very slowly over the next year.
Due to unprecedented public demand, the mfg's have been filling their military orders first, which have recently been very large. This may be due to the possibility of a troop shift to Afghanistan in the near future.