Primers..

[fragman]

I'm not advocating price gouging in any way, but something to consider. The numbers I'm going to use are arbitrary, but hopefully serve to make the point.

Say that an LGS has rent and utilities of $1000 a month (I can assure you it's more) and payroll of $3000. So he has to make $4000 profit just to stay open. He WAS buying primers for 20 a 1000 and selling for 30. He buys 9mm for 7 a box and sells for 12. So if he sells 500 boxes of 9mm and 150 boxes of primers, he can stay open. Key factor is that he his distributor could supply as many as he could sell.

Problem is, during the crunch, suddenly he can't source 500 boxes of 9mm. He might be able to get 50. And he might just get two cartons of 5000 primers. If he wants to stay open, he has to get $4k out of those. Maybe he cuts payroll temporarily, but the rent is the rent. He has to make more per item to survive. Not only that, but he is not sure if he can get another two cartons of primers next month.

I'm guessing that scenario has been a driver of prices too. So, as supply increases, not only will the wholesale price per unit decrease, but the amount these guys need to markup their stock will go down.

And no, I am not an LGS!

[TXTad]

I'm not advocating price gouging in any way, but something to consider. The numbers I'm going to use are arbitrary, but hopefully serve to make the point.

Say that an LGS has rent and utilities of $1000 a month (I can assure you it's more) and payroll of $3000. So he has to make $4000 profit just to stay open. He WAS buying primers for 20 a 1000 and selling for 30. He buys 9mm for 7 a box and sells for 12. So if he sells 500 boxes of 9mm and 150 boxes of primers, he can stay open. Key factor is that he his distributor could supply as many as he could sell.

Problem is, during the crunch, suddenly he can't source 500 boxes of 9mm. He might be able to get 50. And he might just get two cartons of 5000 primers. If he wants to stay open, he has to get $4k out of those. Maybe he cuts payroll temporarily, but the rent is the rent. He has to make more per item to survive. Not only that, but he is not sure if he can get another two cartons of primers next month.

I'm guessing that scenario has been a driver of prices too. So, as supply increases, not only will the wholesale price per unit decrease, but the amount these guys need to markup their stock will go down.

And no, I am not an LGS!

Exactly correct. Most people don't understand that many business expenses are not proportional to sales, and that is so for every step in the supply chain.

Politics has stolen so much from people and they don't even realize it. It's not, or at least not just, the big box stores and the internet that killed the LGS. It's the unbearable swings in the market caused by the machinations of politicians. I just want to be able to walk into a gun store and grab as much as I felt like carrying of primers, powder, and bullets from a full brand size selection all at reasonable and predictable prices like I could in the 90s.

[OS OK]

"All the comments were 'OFF THE RECORD' ... for whatever that's worth!"


What's Up With Primer Production? What MAJOR Ammo Manufacturers WOULDN'T Say On Camera!

[tmag97]

Local gun shop has full shelf of cci and remington for $83 a thousand and $109 for fgmm
if you want to pay that much

[charlie b]

Small businesses do mark stuff up more than a big box store. Lower volume and lower number of customers means they need to have more profit per purchase than the big stores.

And those people who live far away from a big box store pay more for their stuff. Same kinds of reasons.

The availability of products on the internet, and fast shipping, has caused a decline in small business for all those reasons.

So, if you like having your local gun shop, then go there and buy stuff even if it is a bit more expensive than internet shops.

[35 Rem]

I think prices are going to go down over the next year or two. Of course they won't be the same as they were in 2019 before all the madness started but then prices go up every year due to inflation so nobody should expect that. On-line suppliers are starting to have "Free Shipping" sales and I even saw one that is having a "Free Haz-Mat" deal again. Haven't seen one of those in a long while and they wouldn't be doing that unless supply was catching up with demand. Also I get "Shooting Industry" magazine since I'm a FFL holder, and the last two issues have been full of articles concerning a significant slowdown in buying and the inevitable price drops the industry will have to endure to keep customers coming back. This has happened before and it always seems hopeless but it always returns to normal.
For those who are running low on primers or powder, learn from this and the next time a Republican gets in the White House BUY BUY BUY. Get lifetime quantities of everything while it's cheap and plentiful.

[murf205]

Yep, Barrack Obama taught me how to buy primers and powder-and 22 RF ammo. Sooner or later, the primer market will level off but it might be at $100 per thousand. Kinda' like gasoline in the 70's. There was a shortage of gas until it doubled and presto! Gas again. We're at their mercy.

[LAH]

I think prices are going to go down over the next year or two. Of course they won't be the same as they were in 2019 before all the madness started but then prices go up every year due to inflation so nobody should expect that. On-line suppliers are starting to have "Free Shipping" sales and I even saw one that is having a "Free Haz-Mat" deal again. Haven't seen one of those in a long while and they wouldn't be doing that unless supply was catching up with demand. Also I get "Shooting Industry" magazine since I'm a FFL holder, and the last two issues have been full of articles concerning a significant slowdown in buying and the inevitable price drops the industry will have to endure to keep customers coming back. This has happened before and it always seems hopeless but it always returns to normal.
For those who are running low on primers or powder, learn from this and the next time a Republican gets in the White House BUY BUY BUY. Get lifetime quantities of everything while it's cheap and plentiful.

What 35 Rem said.

[gloob]

I'm guessing that scenario has been a driver of prices too. So, as supply increases, not only will the wholesale price per unit decrease, but the amount these guys need to markup their stock will go down.

Only if we buy more of them than before. We're possibly the most unpredictable part of the entire chain. It's not like fresh eggs or milk. A lot of us buy enough powder and primers in one purchase to potentially last until we die. We don't buy more because we're out. We buy another lifetime when the prices are good enough and we have money to burn!

[Longfellow]

I’m settled in my mind that this Bullseye season will be a 22 only season. Better to accept, be patient and be at peace and check back this time next year.

[gloob]

Yep. Shooting the heck out of my airguns and got round to scoping my 22LR. Pulling down and upgrading some of my old ammo, to get my reloading fix.

Problem is the missus. She only wants to shoot the semiauto 223 and 45 ACP. Primers AND j-words! And for pistol, the most lead per shot!

[fragman]

Only if we buy more of them than before. We're possibly the most unpredictable part of the entire chain. It's not like fresh eggs or milk. A lot of us buy enough powder and primers in one purchase to potentially last until we die. We don't buy more because we're out. We buy another lifetime when the prices are good enough and we have money to burn!

And this is also true!

[Longfellow]

I tried 45 amp with small primer pockets since I had quite a bit of those left and there were too many misfires. Your guns may be more reliable. I have hammer springs on all my Bullseye guns set to be 100% reliable with LR of the softer flavors. If you have stock pistols, it may be an option for you.

[fredj338]

Yep, Barrack Obama taught me how to buy primers and powder-and 22 RF ammo. Sooner or later, the primer market will level off but it might be at $100 per thousand. Kinda' like gasoline in the 70's. There was a shortage of gas until it doubled and presto! Gas again. We're at their mercy.

Its well below $100 no. I just got a notice from PV, they have primers for $80.

[Bird]

CAUTION..PV, Powdervalleyinc, should not be confused with Powdersvalley.com.
Powdersvalley.com looks like powdervalleyinc, with lower prices and better availability. It looks like a scam.
Just called Powdervalleyinc, and they are in the process of having that other website taken down.

[TXTad]

More evidence of lower prices to come: https://shop.tactical****.com/servic...pistol-primers

$69 per 1,000 is still too much, but as long as prices remain high, more foreign manufacturers will continue to try to enter the lucrative US reloading market. Eventually the effect of competition will return to its usual level of influence and we may actually be surprised at where prices end up. I doubt $10.95 again. but $30 to $40 seems easy.

[35 Rem]

More evidence of lower prices to come: https://shop.tactical****.com/servic...pistol-primers

$69 per 1,000 is still too much, but as long as prices remain high, more foreign manufacturers will continue to try to enter the lucrative US reloading market. Eventually the effect of competition will return to its usual level of influence and we may actually be surprised at where prices end up. I doubt $10.95 again. but $30 to $40 seems easy.

I'm thinking about the same prices too. As much as I would love to see all our products manufactured here in the USA, the foreign competition is going to help shooters wallets considerably. I can't see primers staying above $50 for the long term.

[Bird]

Looks as though interest rates will rise another 3/4 of a % this year. The Fed will try to stop inflation by taking us to the edge of economic collapse. They will either collapse the economy, which is very doubtful, or they will flood the economy with more easing, and thus more inflation.
I think prices on everything may be at their lowest in August or September this year, and that may be the window of opportunity to buy anything at the best prices.

[Outer Rondacker]

At the end of the day if I want to shoot I will buy when needed if I run out. I do not see primers going below 50 dollars ever again.

[TXTad]

I'm thinking about the same prices too. As much as I would love to see all our products manufactured here in the USA, the foreign competition is going to help shooters wallets considerably. I can't see primers staying above $50 for the long term.

I agree. I would prefer to keep buying CCI, Winchester, and Federal primers as I always have, but because those companies are reluctant to increase capacity, for both good and bad reasons, there will be a market for a marketeer to come in and take advantage of those conditions. I think at this point the limiting factor to how fast prices are going to correct is the amount of expensive inventory in stock and how long it takes for that to be sold.