Primer Shortage or Lack Thereof

[alamogunr]

Lately, several postings have mentioned difficulty finding primers. I really hadn't paid attention to these posts but recently decided to expand my meager powder supplies. I ordered several different powders from Powder Valley and, since they will ship powder and primers together, I added primers to the order. I ordered 5K of both small and large pistol, and 1K of small and large rifle. The order was filled immediately. One item was missing from the order when it arrived. When I called, they promised to ship it immediately even though the box was in less than great shape when it got to me. The only thing I can say is they did not expect me to try to submit a claim to FedEx even though the missing item was an 8 lb jug. I really don't believe that the powder was lost in transit since everything in the box was well packed.
Sorry! I'm off the subject. I got primers with no problem.
John

[Blammer]

my local shop is well stocked, but I imagine it is that way due to the prices.... HIGH

[handyrandyrc]

The local Sportsman's Warehouse is where I buy my powder and primers. The powder was still well-stocked, but primers seemed WAY LOW. I had to buy some small rifle for .223, and they were all out of every brand.

But I _DID_ find ONE box of CCI #41 Arsenal primers (black/white box) left on the shelf. It rang up at $2.99 -- they were clearing them out. But 1000 primers for 3 bucks?!?! That was my one time deal of a lifetime.

[Bass Ackward]

John,

Their are many reasons at work here.

According to the shops in my area, the attitude towards primers is that you don't make any money off of them and the sales quantities don't justify tying up their capitol to bother stocking much.

Others say local ordinances have powder storage limitations that negate large quantity storage of powder or primers. The only reason that they carry any primers at all is to drive sales of other reloading supplies.

One store admitted that because of the fees and shipping on the small quantities they can bring in, they order in January and once sold out, they are out and their attitude is pick another brand, best we can do.

Another store flat out told me that their insurance company notified them to eliminate black powder and primers or find another insurer. Even the gun shows in this area can't bring in, or display primers or powder although loaded ammunition has no restrictions. So I guess it depends on where you are.

[versifier]

Midway had a "big sale on primers" last month, but was out of most kinds of CCI. I ordered 35,000 in various sizes from Graf's instead - they didn't have boxes of 5000 in all sizes, but they had plenty in stock. I'm good through next year anyway.

[USARO4]

My local supplier has Win, Fed, Rem ,CCI and Magtech in stock. No shortage but the price has went from $16.99 per K to $25.99 in the past year.

[KCSO]

Fellows...
This is another case of gun owners scre#$d by lawyers. Her's why small shops dont stock powder, primers and sometimes INSURANCE!!! A small shop can not show any profit on powder and primers if they have insurance. The premium costs are so high that you would need to sell a ton of powder and primers a year to make it pay. When I had a store front I kep track of everyone requesting powder and primers and it would have COST me $2500 a year to keep them on hand. This is including the profit I would have made from sales. I wnet through a cost analysis with a big shop owner one time and he figured he had to boot his profit margin 8% on everything in the shop to pay the added costs of reloading supplies. Remember that small businees man has to make enough profit to pay heat, lights, phone, wages, and insurance. There is , in my opinion no reason that it should cost $3000 for extra insurance for a small business that sells 20 pounds of powder and a few thousand primers a year.

[redbear705]

Has anyone tried the Wolf primers? and how are they working out?

Thanks...JR

[Lloyd Smale]

Its mostly fed primers that are sold out everywhere.

[Jim]

I must be in an area low on handloaders. I'm in Columbia, SC and the Sportsmen's Warehouse here has plenty of primers and powder.

[Arnie]

I hear its the government buying all the production they can for Iraq.Arnie

[georgeld]

Reading this makes me that much happier to have bought 15,000 primers
from a guy on A/R during the winter.

Just picked up 4k more yesterday as a gift from an old shooting buddies wife
that wanted to clear his supplies out. He's in a nursing home ready to die of
alz.

Lovely lady with a good memory of me taking him shooting several times. I got
over 1000lbs of bullets, equipment, brass, 4-500 boxes of 12 & 20ga reloads and
boxes of wads and hulls.

Hell of a deal!!
Great to have friends they say, shore was this time.

[Vegas Vince]

Check this out!

http://www.nraila.org/News/Read/InTheNews.aspx?ID=9882

[Herb in Pa]

Its mostly fed primers that are sold out everywhere.

Fellow I talked to claimed that Federals will be hard to get for at least 2 years due to Goverment demand.

[felix]

You prolly heard right. Six months or more ago, the spokesman on the phone told me the primer cups are being modified for the entire line of primers. He said the chemistry is not being changed at this time. He did not mention military, nor did I ask. CCI has been doing the military specs since day 1, and they are not prolly making both assembly lines identical. I have no idea what chemistry the CCI line uses for any primer flavor, but it is NOT the same as for the same application of the Federal line of primers. Now, I DO wonder if the chemistry of the CCIs are going to be changed to that of the corresponding Federal. I called these Federal folks about when I heard about changes starting to occur at Federal. ... felix

[AZ-Stew]

Sportsman's Warehouse here in Mesa is essentially out of stock on all primers. All sizes, all brands. They occasionally have a partial brick or two of something, but this has been going on since April. Cabellas' has some stock, but is short on Remington. Bass Pro only sells primers 100 at a time for outrageous prices, and they have little selection of brands and types. I forgot to check at the local small gun shop last time I was in. Midway and Midsouth are both in the "out of stock, no backorder" mode on almost everything except shotgun primers.

I haven't made the rounds to all the shops in town. Can't afford the gas (for those who don't know, its about 60 miles E-W across the Phoenix Metro area, and about 30 miles N-S. If you spent an entire Saturday you might hit all the shops, but you'd drive a lot.

Fortunately, I have enough primers to last me a while. I'd like to get my hands on some Remington Large and Small Benchrest primers, but it's not a priority.

I was also told by the local small gun shop that their distributor said they would no longer be carrying Accurate Arms powders. They just can't get their orders filled. I bought both cans of AA8700 that were in stock for $15 and change (bargain). Both Sportsman's Warehouse and Cabelas' were out of stock on AA8700.

Must be the war. Frugal use of my handloading supplies is not a big sacrifice for me to ensure that we finish the job.

Regards,

Stew

[kodiak1]

Can find them up here but they have about doubled in cost.
Ken.

[imashooter2]

You prolly heard right. Six months or more ago, the spokesman on the phone told me the primer cups are being modified for the entire line of primers. He said the chemistry is not being changed at this time. He did not mention military, nor did I ask. CCI has been doing the military specs since day 1, and they are not prolly making both assembly lines identical. I have no idea what chemistry the CCI line uses for any primer flavor, but it is NOT the same as for the same application of the Federal line of primers. Now, I DO wonder if the chemistry of the CCIs are going to be changed to that of the corresponding Federal. I called these Federal folks about when I heard about changes starting to occur at Federal. ... felix

Changes to the cups on Federal pistol primers could be bad news for a lot of competitive revolver shooters. Every one I know of that shoots a race tuned revolver runs Federal primers because the light DA pulls won't set anything else off reliably. :(

[Lloyd Smale]

Amen to that. If i cant get fed primers id have to retune a few of my guns and that includes all my comp guns.
Changes to the cups on Federal pistol primers could be bad news for a lot of competitive revolver shooters. Every one I know of that shoots a race tuned revolver runs Federal primers because the light DA pulls won't set anything else off reliably. :(

[richbug]

Amen to that. If i cant get fed primers id have to retune a few of my guns and that includes all my comp guns.

My current tuning method is crank it back till I start having missfires on Winchesters, then Switch to federals...

I just checked, I have 19,000 Federal 100's left for My S&W 610. That isn't enough to wear it out, I had better find some more primers.

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Does anyone NOT remember the stealth adoption of the national fire code just 5 or 6 years ago that imposed magazine requirements, threw powder and primer suppliers out of gunshows because of local "Fire Safety" zealots, and the like and started a very noticeable jump in prices at the time? That's when many started keeping more at hand at home because........... Well, what did osha just try? With a ready supply available, no fear of government trashing the 2nd, and a bit of reasonable price stability........ BvT

[Arnie]

I cant find my Federal large pistol primers any where .I use allot of 150GM in my BP rifles . Even regular 150's would be ok .Arnie