Primer Shortage?

[perotter]

Yup, everyone will do what they think is best for themself.

Personally - If I was still reloading and shooting 50-85,000 rounds a year, I'd be loading primers in new cups. I have a crank press I bought for such a situation, but have never made the punch and dies to do it. I happened to be standing at a place when it was being loaded up to be hauled to the scrap year. It was in like new condition and got it for $50.

If I was only going to be loading few rounds a year(100?) for hunting or plinking, I'd either buy a 100 or reload primers. FWIW, when I was in college(early 80's) I only shot for plinking 50-100 rounds a year. I used free matches for powder and reloaded primers with strike anywhere match tips. I didn't want to use up my smokeless powder nor spring for the $1 to buy primers.

For 1000-2000 rounds a year I'd have a life time of store bought now. If didn't have them, I'd pay the current high price.

For 3000-20,000 l'd reload primers.

Yup. Popping the anvils is the thing that one likely would end up doing one at a time. The rest of it isn't done one at a time. For example, remove the dimple in multiple cups at the same time. I've never washed them nor did member Delmar. And I know he reloaded each of his at least 15 times and still considered them good. FWIW he got into guns and reloading when there were no primer to be had by the 1000s, but managed to buy 100. Also he had to make his own white powder. If using a wet mix, it will stay wet for hours.

One has to take off one's 'This is how I reload cartridges, so I need to reload primers the same way'. Even the progressive press we use to reload with are based on 1890's methods of factory loading when labor of $0.10 and hour. To reload any amount of primers, one needs to use plates. A good way to do that is to read G. Frost's book. That book was written about setting up and/or running an ammo factory for a profit. Great detail in it on using plates for both load cartridges and primers.

Boy $1500 for a set of plates. Maybe is something for someone here to do. Likely you could have them made for a few hundred. To get an idea, call a local modern machine shop and ask how much it would cost to have a hundred 1/8" holes drilled on 3/8" centers into 12 gauge steel. Of course to have them made, the holes need to be the proper sizes. Not sure what it would cost to make the pins.

[Fireball 57]

I went to my LGS today as I suspect the elite-elect will have a January surprise in store for us. Scored 400 SPP's at $5.65 ea. CCI's, 2 boxes 50 rn. 22's and a single jug each of HP38 & HP6 for $23 ea. Guess the supply is catching up until Commie Harris of the Biden show works on the next gun control act. Get it while you can!

[jonp]

400 at $5.65 each? You paid over $20,000 for primers? Ouch!! I'd pay $5.65/100 considering the cost that would add to a round which isn't much.

[Lloyd Smale]

thats still over 50 bucks a brick or 250 bucks a case. I say the problem is still here.

[Four-Sixty]

Just grab them when you can. Many people with means will speculate on primers in the next election. Even at $40/1,000, you can buy 100,000 primers for under $5,000. There are plenty of folks with credit lines, savings or income that could pull that off. I bet in 2 years people are going to start hoarding primers again hoping they'll go for $300/1,000 again at the next election.

Its in the interest of manufacturers to increase the supply so folks can use their products!

[dverna]

Just grab them when you can. Many people with means will speculate on primers in the next election. Even at $40/1,000, you can buy 100,000 primers for under $5,000. There are plenty of folks with credit lines, savings or income that could pull that off. I bet in 2 years people are going to start hoarding primers again hoping they'll go for $300/1,000 again at the next election.

Its in the interest of manufacturers to increase the supply so folks can use their products!

I can attest that the strategy works. Sold 40k on Sunday, will sell 65k tomorrow and 30k next weekend. All of my remaining primers and powder are paid off and I can shoot for years at no cost. Planning on selling 15-20k .22’s as well.

Will buy back in, when prices drop back down. With the direction the country is headed, things will not get better. Should be more opportunities down the road.

[perotter]

I found the book online that goes into the details of using plates for primers. What they look like, sizes, detailed steps and times for each operation. For ones own use they wouldn't need to be this big.

https://ia800905.us.archive.org/21/i...mer_Manual.pdf

[Fireball 57]

Gents, I stand corrected, I paid $5.65 per 100 primers. My last 10000 primer sleeve cost just under 0.02 per primer. You missed the point of my reply. That being, some primers are getting through the supply chain, as we speak. Have a Happy New Year! Fireball 57

[dbosman]

I realized recently that I started loading just over fifty years ago. I know, young compared to some of you. I got started after the Gun Control Act of 1968.
If you want a preview of what might be coming, read the original act - bearing in mind that it did pass, as written.
That's the act that banned the sale of home cast bullets.

[Brassmonkey]

primer process starts at 3:50

[Peregrine]

A good way to do that is to read G. Frost's book. That book was written about setting up and/or running an ammo factory for a profit. Great detail in it on using plates for both load cartridges and primers.

Do you have any more detail about this book? At least the title? Maybe a good anecdote out of it, it sounds interesting.

[Bmp4510]

https://archive.org/details/Ammuniti...AByG.Frost1990


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[dtknowles]

Any die available for making small and large primer cups for Lee's hand or bench press?

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Reused primer cups work fine. I don't understand the desire to make some from scratch.

Tim

[Four-Sixty]

Reused primer cups work fine. I don't understand the desire to make some from scratch.

Tim

I, myself, am not interested making primers from an economic standpoint. I am curious about learning the technique. I also don't want to rebuild primers with toy caps either. I would like to explore the chemistry of priming. I am willing to spend the time to learn the process - study the chemistry for example.

Having access to new cups would avoid the potential variance introduced by deformed cups that are "reformed" to near their original shape. I'd be OK to start with cleaning and reusing the anvils. But, I'd like to explore if they are in fact deformed to, or not, after a firing. If such a project sustains my interest I'd like to later explore making anvils to. I'm sure there is some degree of hazard involved in the process, but I believe I can put in place safe practices to manage the risks.

I know there are obstacles to manufacturing primers commercially, so there is some risk the supply won't be substantially increased soon. All the problems, issues or obstacles can be laid out, and solved one at a time. Increasing the supply of primers is within our reach.

Making primers would be an interesting study. I enjoy dwelling on the idea. There are plenty of other ways I can spend my time that yield either no benefit or joy to me.

The folks that sell the 22LR reloader kit also sell cups for reloading Berdan primers. They are expensive at $15 per hundred. So, having new manufacture cups available is not much of an obstacle.

[LAH]

I realized recently that I started loading just over fifty years ago. I know, young compared to some of you. I got started after the Gun Control Act of 1968.
If you want a preview of what might be coming, read the original act - bearing in mind that it did pass, as written.
That's the act that banned the sale of home cast bullets.

Can you tell us where in the 68 Act we can find the ban of home cast bullet sales? Would save me a lot of time looking.

[Burnt Fingers]

Can you tell us where in the 68 Act we can find the ban of home cast bullet sales? Would save me a lot of time looking.

The GCA of 68 outlawed the sale of ammo and components. It wasn't till the FOPA of 86 that this changed.

Also under the GCA of 68 dealers were required to check ID and log all .22 ammo and pistol ammo into a bound book.

[reddog81]

The GCA of 68 outlawed the sale of ammo and components. It wasn't till the FOPA of 86 that this changed.

Also under the GCA of 68 dealers were required to check ID and log all .22 ammo and pistol ammo into a bound book.

Ammo sales were banned from 1968 to 1986???

[Burnt Fingers]

Ammo sales were banned from 1968 to 1986???

Sorry, mail order sales.

[perotter]

Reused primer cups work fine. I don't understand the desire to make some from scratch.

Tim

I don't think he lives in the US and maybe doesn't have real supply of used primers.

[dverna]

Can you tell us where in the 68 Act we can find the ban of home cast bullet sales? Would save me a lot of time looking.

You can sell home made cast bullets but you need an ITAR certificate (over $2000) to do it legally. I was going to set up a small side business and stopped when I learned that. Not sure if an FFL is also needed, but $2000 killed it so I never went farther.

The fines are significant so unless you know the person, be careful you do not get caught up in a sting operation if you decide to sell bullets you made. There were rumors Trump was going to repeal some of the stupid ITAR stuff but it never happened and now it will never happen...at least in my lifetime.

I suspect even bartering would be deemed a sale. Just not worth it IMHO.