Primer Shortage?

[jonp]

I guess I havn't been paying attention but I went online today to try and buy a box of primers and they are all gone. Did I miss something?

[FISH4BUGS]

No shortage here. Over the last two years (since the LAST shortage) I have been building my inventory of powder, primers and components. I would like to think that I learned my lesson in the last shortage.
I had a lot of business in a City that was an hour away and commuted back and forth for a month. Each trip I stopped at a very large gun shop. They were limiting purchases to 1000 per day at retail prices....so 20 or so stops gave me 20,000 primers....on top of the 20,000 already in the closet.
What shortage?

[Hossfly]

We still have them here but at $50.00 per 1000 I ain’t buying any. At least not yet anyway.

[rockrat]

Primers are unobtainium around here. Almost, as I did see one brick of LP, but thats all I have seen in town

[rkrcpa]

I recently had need to box up my primers. I must say I was surprised how heavy those boxes were.

I'll survive the shortage just fine.

[jonp]

No shortage here. Over the last two years (since the LAST shortage) I have been building my inventory of powder, primers and components. I would like to think that I learned my lesson in the last shortage.
I had a lot of business in a City that was an hour away and commuted back and forth for a month. Each trip I stopped at a very large gun shop. They were limiting purchases to 1000 per day at retail prices....so 20 or so stops gave me 20,000 primers....on top of the 20,000 already in the closet.
What shortage?

I've got... a few and a few pounds of powder but was going to buy some SRF and load some rounds up tonight for practice tomorrow.

[Ickisrulz]

I guess I havn't been paying attention but I went online today to try and buy a box of primers and they are all gone. Did I miss something?

I think you must have missed not only a few threads here talking about the ammo/component shortages, but you also missed visiting the online and local sellers that are sold out and have been for months now. This started with the riots and Covid and will not end until 2024, at the earliest.

[FISH4BUGS]

I've got... a few and a few pounds of powder but was going to buy some SRF and load some rounds up tonight for practice tomorrow.

Just burned up 400 rounds of 9mm (H&G #331 over 4.5 gr WW231) in a subgun and 100 rounds of 44 magnum (H&G # 503 over 8.5 gr WW231).
What is this shortage you speak of?

[NyFirefighter357]

We still have them here but at $50.00 per 1000 I ain’t buying any. At least not yet anyway.

I just paid $59 + tax for the only brick of Federal Small Rifle Primers in the store

[gbrown]

Go over to Gunbroker and look at the prices they are paying. Insane! However, if you need it and have the money, I guess it is what it is.

[brewer12345]

I guess I havn't been paying attention but I went online today to try and buy a box of primers and they are all gone. Did I miss something?

Yes. There has been a run on ammo, components, etc. Primers in particular are very hard to find and expensive or old stock that has been forgotten about. Bullets are becoming scarce (which is no biggie to us). Powder is intermittently available. As of today, it looks to me like the panic has kicked up a notch. Guessing this will go on for some time. If you need primers, get looking right away.

[tarbe]

I've sold 30,000 primers to guys who did not plan ahead, over the past month.

Still have over 100k, but not selling any more!

[Idaho45guy]

I live in an area that is mostly rural with a ton of shooters and reloaders. I haven't seen small pistol primers on the shelf since March. 9mm ammo and bullets disappeared about the same time. I happened to be in my LGS about a month ago when a shipment of 9mm range ammo and .223 rifle ammo came in. I bought five boxes of .223 and 2 boxes of 9mm. That was all that was allowed. It was all gone within a half hour with people running into the store when friends texted them it was available.

Things are only going to get worse.

I haven't done any pistol shooting all summer, just waiting to see how the election went. Now that it looks like Biden is in, you can forget ever finding ammo or components for years.

And that is assuming he doesn't impose a ridiculous tax on ammo, or restrict online sales of ammo and components, or limits the personal amount of ammo and components people can have.

[rbuck351]

There is an auction house in Kalispell that does online auctions. They have one lot of lg rifle primers, 5000 win and 4000 Rem. Current bid is $970 plus $145 commission and still 2 days to go. Glad I don't need any.

[abunaitoo]

No primers, powder, .22 ammo, 9mm ammo, .223 ammo, here.
The state gooberment is really happy about it.

[jonp]

I guess the point was made several years ago. If you cant buy ammo or components to make it you don't need to ban guns

[Shawlerbrook]

Shortage of anything shooting in general. Began with Covid and an upcoming election and the election results have put it on warp speed.

[bedbugbilly]

I caught the tail end of the remaining supply when I placed an order with Grafs back at the beginning of May. Both powders and primers were getting short at that time - I looked at what they had on a Sunday and when I got ready to place my order on Monday morning, it was surprising how much had been marked "out of stock" just overnight. I was able to get the powders I needed but had to take an 8lb jug of BE and H335 - all I wanted was about 3 pounds of each but was glad I cold get what I did - at least I have it sitting on the shelf. At that time, I was able to get a couple K of Large Pistol primers a K of Small rifle, 2K of Large Rifle and 1K of Sjptgun Primers - but NO Small Pistol Primers - the had already become extinct. The same as #10 and #11 percussion caps - they were out completely like everyone else. I checked with a powder supplier I knew from many years ago and fortunately was able to get percussion caps from them so I stocked up while I had the chance.

I think we are all wondering what the future holds now. Just the number firearms sold in October tells us that folks are wary and with the Covid crisis and plants being closed for that, shortages of ammo and components looks like it will be the norm for a while.

Thank God I still have my flintlocks!

[tommag]

Only $899/case, what a bargain!
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/883757489

[Cosmic_Charlie]

When demand goes up this high it does not take long to empty the supply chain. My lgs is looking pretty beleaguered lately. I worry that with so much out of stock they will be forced to reduce hours. And the ripple effects are yet to be recognized. Hard to sell presses etc. when there is nothing to run through them.