Powder and Primers...OH MY!

[jh45gun]

OK the way you described it it sounded like that was all they had.

[over the hill gang]

I heard some news last night that I hope is NOT true. My reloading supplier said he has heard that Federal will stop selling primers to the public. I don't have an official confirmation on this so it may not be true. At this point I will consider it just a rumor. I would not be surprised if it were true though.

I heard the same thing on Monday only twist to it is I heard CCI, Winchester and Federal will quit selling to the general public as of APril 1st 2009 until all military and commercial accounts have been filled. I also know after talking with the owners of master cast bullet co. here in Pa. they have stopped taking orders until they are able to fill all of their back orders to their customers. they are having the same problem getting casings, primers and some bullets.

[Down South]

I keep a close eye on some of the online places. I see Primers come and go. Mostly primer stock is low or non-existant with some powder stortages.

I do think that primer companies not selling to the public is pure rumor.

[high standard 40]

I do think that primer companies not selling to the public is pure rumor.

Before you discount the idea of Federal discontinuing primers sales on the consumer level remember that they have done it before. They also once sold brass and no longer do. The surge in consumer buying has hampered their ability to fulfill government contracts and they will do what it takes to keep our troops equipped.

[bbs70]

[QUOTE=EDK;518629]
Gun show in Belleville IL this weekend. I'm going to look...with a list...but I'm in halfway decent shape. I want to try RED DOT/PROMO for plinking loads in my 30/30 and some low end 357 and 44 pistols. [QUOTE]



I am also going to the Belleville gun show this weekend.
I went around noon on Saturday at the last show, and the place was packed.
Think I'm going to show up early and get my pound or two of powder and some primers before they are all gone.
Prices were reasonable I thought, I paid $16 for a pound of Unique and I saw ww primers for #30 per 1k.
Hope they didn't raise prices.

[Texasflyboy]

Before you discount the idea of Federal discontinuing primers sales on the consumer level remember that they have done it before. They also once sold brass and no longer do. The surge in consumer buying has hampered their ability to fulfill government contracts and they will do what it takes to keep our troops equipped.

ATK is not stopping consumer sales to the public. Period. Anyone who has a link to a press release by the parent of Federal (Alliant Technologies) needs to post it with the claim.

I know folks in ATK. Because my company has a contract with them right now.

I just got off the phone with their Marketing & Communications V.P. The rumor is just that, a rumor.

22% of ATK's 2008 revenue is from commercial/consumer sales. Not likely at all to abandon that amount of sales in this environment. Dan the CEO stated in the last earnings call that they are planning to increase their investment in the consumer side because of the expected dip in US gov't and other sales.

No truth to that rumor at all.

[JW6108]

Before you discount the idea of Federal discontinuing primers sales on the consumer level remember that they have done it before. They also once sold brass and no longer do. The surge in consumer buying has hampered their ability to fulfill government contracts and they will do what it takes to keep our troops equipped.

Looks like they still sell .38, .40 and .45 primed.


http://www.dillonprecision.com/#/con...s__1000_pieces

[NVcurmudgeon]

Over the last couple of months I have managed to replenish my "comfort level" of primers and jacketed bullets, and even a bit extra. I also picked up an extra pound of IMR 4227 for the Hornet. The rest of the powders I keep were already at an adequate level. I have brought this off by being unwontedly flexible. Reno has the same bare shelf disease that many of you are reporting, but I was able to pick up some of my J bullets and a couple thousand federal SR primers by going to Reno's most expensive and well-stocked dealer. For the first time I bought primers at $35/1000 and .22 Hornady bullets at $26/100. More J bullets and primers came my way by driving a few miles to check out dealers in smaller towns. Again, prices were a little higher, but certainly not outrageous. I'm old enough to remember primers at $10/1000, powder at $5/pound, and .30 cal J bullets at $5/100, so increased prices are not exactly a shock to me.
This "scarcity" will pass away just as many others have in the last fifty years.

Federal? When I started handloading in 1959 Federal made ONLY .22RF ammo and it had a reputation for inaccuracy. So if Federal goes away, it's only the ebb and flow of the tides of business. Winchester and Remington would sell primers at retail, but they were hard to find, because of W and R's grudging acceptance of handloading. Winchester primers came in wooden trays inside the white cardboard sleeve, and you could still find rounded profile primers, and cupped priming punches were still available. Gradually, Federal got into the component and centerfire business and became one of the "Big Three." CCI was the primer brand I cut my teeth on, and that inspired a lifelong loyalty. There were Du Pont (IMR) and Hercules (Alliant) powders ONLY, though some upstart named Hodgdon sold surplus 4895 and 4831 and a few small-lot oddballs such as 4676. The French say, "the more things change, the more they remain the same." I never found a reason to disagree.

[dirtdobbertwo]

2) The sock monkey now runs things.

now thats funny right there i dont care what you say....
my mother used to make them sock monkeys.... you brought back memories. and i have a new handle for mr. pres. might send one to rush lembaugh

[DrBill33]

Spent 2 days (with a friend) visiting major and minor gun shops in Central Ohio.
1: After 2 days, I had 700 Large Pistol Primers ... other than some available shotgun primers, this cleaned-out the stores!
2: Found 8# of Unique ... grabbed it up. Otherwise, nearly bare shelves.

As for Primers: Prices ranged from 29.99 to 33.95 ... but none were available.

Have now spent a lot of time on web searching for primers for our club's members (being retired allows for this amount of time!). Found only 1 place that said that they have any! So far, no response to my e-mails ... and they have placed their telephone upon auto-reply, they say that this is due to the heavy traffic so they are not accepting calls.

My local dealer orders 25,000 each of Small and Large Pistol each week. IF LUCKY, he gets 2 to 4 thousand total!

As I said: If you have found Primers and Powder, you are lucky!


Doc

[high standard 40]

Dan the CEO stated in the last earnings call that they are planning to increase their investment in the consumer side because of the expected dip in US gov't and other sales.

That would be good news indeed. I have missed being able to purchase Federal brass. I'd like to see them again marketing a good selection of the popular calibers. I had seen a few weeks ago that Dillon was selling a limited few Federal primed cases but it has been a while since any real selection has been on the market. As I said, what I heard I was hoping was just a rumor but it came from a major wholesale distributor.

[Hardcast416taylor]

Called Hodgon about Varget powder. They don`t have any until their next shipment(?) from Australia (!) comes in.Robert

[jdgabbard]

but it came from a major wholesale distributor.

In my short experience I have had more problems with those guys spreading rumors then others. I had one tell me that there was a recall on all PSLs because the BATFE had determined that they were ALL machine guns. I promtly looked up this info on the web, and it turn out only to be a select group of serial numbers from a select importer. Mine was not a member of that elite club.

Don't believe everything you hear, but do be prepared for the worst.

[shooterg]

Just opened my last "old' box of CCI Small Pistol primers. They marked $13.30 (1000). Fortunately, I bought several 5000 count boxes of other brands too, back in the "good ole days" ! Someday we'll think this is the good ole days, I expect. Last 3 shows I went to here in Virginia were really light on reloading stuff. Local dealer seems to get a trickle of primers(now $3.50/100 or so), enough for the "regular" reloaders, but no quantities of powder at all.

[Gee_Wizz01]

I have several 1000 count boxes of CCI primmers marked with the price I paid a few years ago of $5.75 on them, well maybe more than just a few years ago.

Maybe 40 years ago? That beats my Rem Large pistol primers with $6.75 sticker from 1972. These Remmy primers shoot as good as they did in 1972 (which is more than I can say for myself)

G

[blackthorn]

Here is a cynical thought from an OLD Canadian who only has a dog in this fight by association due to the "trickle-down" effect:
The democrats had so much success selling the sheeple on Al Gore as "Chicken Little", that now they are trying to sell Obama as God!
All the magazine rags seem to have headlines to that effect, such as "Can Obama save the world" and so on. Even the first lady gets into the act with "the woman the worlds been waiting for" (or some such nonsense).
Having said all that it doesent hurt to be prepared to the extent of putting some critical stuff aside if you can.

[swheeler]

Things looked pretty grim around here for a couple weeks, you couldn't buy a LR primer in this town. I stopped in to one of the locals yesterday and he just got his primer shipment in, 60 sleeves(300K) all the powder you could want and a fair supply of brass. Looks like all the supplies will start showing up again.

[Slow Elk 45/70]

Good if the slow boat made it to Montana, there is still hope it may show here in AK, maybe next month?!! Supplies are in realy short supply up here..

[watkibe]

I have been trying to stock up on components like everyone else, for the same reasons. Well, I think it's the same reasons: I would rather have guns and no money than money and no guns ! Powder has been available, but yes, expensive. Primers, on the other hand, have been expensive and dang hard to find (except for 209s...). I did find large rifle, but pistol primers were backordered with all the online suppliers, and the shelves are empty locally. But, GOOD NEWS seems to be (at least temporarily) in the offing. I just got an email from Cabela's telling me that they have shipped my backordered CCI small pistol and large pistol mag primers to me. They are still waiting for small pistol mag and large pistol, but they now have a firm delivery date. Yeehaw ! Of course, if everyone who reads this orders primers from Cabela's right away, they will be out of stock again...but at least I will have mine.

[lead slead]

I am finding my local shops have plenty of 209 shot shell primers but 0 small pistol, 0 SR and just a few LR primers. Powder was was starting to grow short.