Primer & powder shortage

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

Things will return to normal in mid-2022. Those fools who voted for change in 2020 are getting just what they deserve. The mid-term house elections are usually a correction/backlash against who ever won the previous presidential election. You will probably not believe how many house dems get booted out of office, and how many dems and rinos in the senate get their pink slips.

Be patient, and buy a good compound bow and a couple dozen arrows. The practice is good for upper body strength, and the exercise walking to and back from the target butt in your backyard will be good for your cardio.

Patience, Grasshopper.

Uncle Rich

[farmbif]

I sure do miss the old wideners. ole mr widener was a good man. never even thought about price gouging, always had interesting finds from around the globe. the new folks that bought him out and moved the operation to Knoxville completely changed the business and now they don't even sell powder primers or guns and accessories.

[Johns87]

I believe the price of primers will come down after the price of ammo comes down. Reloaders can still shoot at a reasonable cost even paying $300./1K primers. That's .30 for the primer, powder is .01 per round (pre virus price) and non-cast bullet at .07 each and with once fired brass, that's .38 a round or $19./box for 9mm. Still a lot less than the $35 to $50 per box that I see at gun shows and on line. That being said, I still refuse to buy primers more than $50 per box today.

[Conditor22]

I got lucky
In-Stock
Ships To
Winchester Small Rifle 5.56... Qty: 1 $59.99
Est. Delivery: 03/11/2021 (UPS Ground)
Order
Product Total $59.99
Shipping Total $12.20
HazMat Charge $12.99
Total $85.18

I hope the prices come down but ----------

[charlie b]

I got lucky
In-Stock
Ships To
Winchester Small Rifle 5.56... Qty: 1 $59.99
Est. Delivery: 03/11/2021 (UPS Ground)
Order
Product Total $59.99
Shipping Total $12.20
HazMat Charge $12.99
Total $85.18

I hope the prices come down but ----------

Whoever you bought from is making a tidy profit.

I got 1000 CCI SR primers this morning at Sportsmans for $24. They had 4 bricks and another of large pistol. That was after quite a few people had grabbed some. This is the third week in a row that they received their 'normal' primer allotment. It just sells out faster with everyone stocking up.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

I was surprised to find some CCI #400 small rifle primers at my lgs yesterday. Limit 200 so I bought 200. Will go back Monday morning and buy 200 more. I currently don't load any small rifle but was thinking I might be able to trade them for some small pistol primers. They were selling for $5/100.

[chumly2071]

I sure do miss the old wideners.

Me too. When I first got in this game, they were one of my go to vendors with very competitive prices and often good deals. After the sale, they no longer offered anything I needed...

[toallmy]

I'm not excited , but I didn't run out of T.P. ether . When I get a email the 5K primers are on sale + free shipping I will probably order more small pistol primers .
I have been shooting more 45acps lately using lg pistol primers + light plinking with rifles , having a lot of fun .
It seems the rush was on small pistol and small rifle more so than lg primers .

[ravyynr1]

Has anyone looked into the machining necassarry to make sp primers. Is it duable? What kind of investment would be needed. With backordered ammo going out 2-3 years. Just curious if its possible to produce ourselfs?

[charlie b]

Yep. Easiest is to save your old primers. Punch the 'dimple' out. Lay in the primer compound and reset the anvil.

[blackthorn]

Yep. Easiest is to save your old primers. Punch the 'dimple' out. Lay in the primer compound and reset the anvil.

How many times can a primer be reused? It seems to me that we run at least some risk of having a primer fail at some point due to the metal cup fatiguing from the reworking process.

[Krag 1901]

Back in early '15 I just gave up shooting. Powder was impossible to find and so I just concentrated on learning to play Ukulele. Over the years I'd find some powder, .22s, or stuff at LGS and put it away. Last year I discovered a cancer and have spent the last year dealing with the effects, surgerys and radiation treatments etc. The Docs screwed up my left hand so bad I couldn't hold a beer glass! Couldn't play anymore, so gave away five of my Ukulele to my nephews.

Couple of months ago I sold a Cadet rifle to a local guy I 'met' on CB that had some issues. I decided to start reloading and shooting again, just to clean up my supplies and get out of the house, now that I had redeveloped the use of my left arm and hand.
Looked in my supplies and found I had enough powder, primers, brass and lead to load another 1,000+ rds of Krag and/or .308! I also found about 15 sets of dies I no longer need so was able to sell or swap most of those on CB pretty quick. Now I have some cash to spend for more supplies If/when I find them. Got a new 314299 Lyman mold coming and 40 lbs of COWW, with a lead on ~40 Lbs of Lino!

So it looks like I can weather the Biden shortages and get out and do some shooting for a while. I'm happy despite having to work up the strength to hoist my Krag. Got to get out my 8lb dumbells and work on curls now.

[charlie b]

How many times can a primer be reused? It seems to me that we run at least some risk of having a primer fail at some point due to the metal cup fatiguing from the reworking process.

Have no idea, but, probably a lot. You could anneal the cups if you think this might be a problem. Or come up with a die to punch your own. The anvils are the hard part.

A solution to that would be to collect some Berdan primed brass. They have the 'anvil' built into the brass. Harder to decap, but, no pesky little anvils to be placed in the primer cups.

[Winger Ed.]

I have been shooting more 45acps lately using lg pistol primers + light plinking with rifles , having a lot of fun .

That's where I'm at.
Last summer, I was going to buy another lot of 5K primers, but never quite got around to it. Then it was too late.
I loaded up probably more SP stuff than I'll ever shoot, but I like looking at a few bricks of them in the cabinet.

But I still had plenty of both LPs.
I still get to shoot all I want, but don't have to be so stingy with shooting the .45s or .30 cals.