Where Are All The Primers?

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Lots of primers for sale in my area.

[parkerhale1200]

Started looking around and saw that primers are $30~$40 a thousand. Wow!

WOW....in the Netherlands IF there are availeble....big IF: 130 to 150 euro a 1000....
Last batch i bought was for 31 euro a 1000...4 years ago

[jimb16]

Stopped at a LGS yesterday. They had plenty of primers and that was no surprise; not with what they were charging! 80/1000 for cheapest shotgun and 90/1000 for cheapest rifle or pistol. $40/# for powder. I doubt much was being sold at those prices.

[wyowillys46]

I'm continually amazed that people are still crawling out of whatever cave they've been in, somehow ignorant to the economic events of the last few years, to bemoan how expensive reloading components are.

[BBarrett]

Don't go to Gun Broker, they will rape you with prices on primers.

[BBarrett]

Brownell's claims they have primers at $96.00 per 1000-ouch

[openbook]

I've been seeing small rifle and small pistol filtering back into stores for around the past 6 months. Several months ago, one LGS, that was selling cards, let drop that they were selling bricks behind the counter. I picked up one brick, the first (brick) I've seen (in stores, besides 209s) in a couple of years. Most places are selling cards at $17 to $21 per card.

I wish I'd been there when powder existed at the prices some of you guys talk about. I watched for years before I got a chance to lay hands on some Unique. I see people saying $50 a pound is too expensive. The best stocked brick and mortar store I know of probably has 60 powders on the shelf, the most expensive is $75.

[Tonto]

If shooters keep paying those prices, then the prices will remain high. It’s the market, not the politics.

[Wag]

Target Sports USA has small rifle and small pistol primers but prices are no better than anywhere else. I think they do free shipping if you hit a large enough order which should be easy with those prices.

Ugh.

--Wag--

[rintinglen]

Primers are more available: but not very much more affordable. Right now, the cheapest I have seen primers going for is 80.00/1000 or .08 a primer. You can buy .22's for less. I have been conserving my primers, shooting about the same--5,000 rounds a year--but I shoot 3 to 4 times more rimfire than centerfire. For most of this century, it was the opposite, in fact for several years, I didn't fire any rimfire cartridges.

[Willie T]

Where are all the primers? They are going into 9mm and 5.56 ammo. We won't see plentiful primers until the ammo makers clear up their enormous back-orders for loaded ammo. I see the price of bulk 9mm is steadily declining, so this is at least a hopeful sign.

If shooters keep paying those prices, then the prices will remain high. It’s the market, not the politics.

I respectfully disagree. Politics are driving the current shortage. Politics drove the previous shortage. Politics will drive the next shortage as well. The number of new first time firearm owners in the last few years is astounding. Politics are the main driver for that movement. Factory ammunition is what the masses and virtually all first time firearm owners shoot. As reloaders we are minority consumers. The primers we buy are mostly production overages for suppling the manufacture of military and factory ammunition.
Willie

[farmbif]

my gut instinct gif that is any indicator or not is that prices will not come down from what the big legit sellers like powder valley, Grafs, mid south and midway are charging.
Jeff Bartlett had sm rifle primers last time I looked at $350/5000
and a whole bunch of powders including varget is now just about $50/lb wherever you might actually find it available.
also got a feeling it will be quite a few years to maybe never to see primers as clearance items like Grafs had unixgines primers several years ago for $120/5000 or Tula or seller beloit for similar prices like it was a dozen or so years ago.
the past is history and retailers seldom if ever lower prices unless they are strapped for cash.

[jimb16]

Just a couple years ago, I was buying Cheddite 209 primers for 24/1000. The other day they were 80/1000. I find it hard to believe that the cost to make them more than tripled in two years.

[Hogtamer]

Lead shot at $70 is what ‘s killing me.

[Willie T]

Just a couple years ago, I was buying Cheddite 209 primers for 24/1000. The other day they were 80/1000. I find it hard to believe that the cost to make them more than tripled in two years.

Broaden your view a bit. The dollar is buying about 1/2 of what it did just a few years ago.

[huntinlever]

I haven't seen anything but small pistol or small rifle for months, unless it's Outdoor Limited charging $140/1000. Shooting bot shows no one has any, but them. I've worked with some people seeking fair prices on GB, but only for bullets. Brass or primers, won't work with those sellers capitalizing on a bad market and hammering reloaders.

[jdgabbard]

As a side note, if anyone is in NE Oklahoma and needs 209s, or LP Primers, I have a brick 209s I'd swap you.... I need SR Primers, as I'm currently down to my last two sleeves. The local shops are still out, and I'm not going to pay $100 + $50 shipping/hazmat for them...

[dtknowles]

Broaden your view a bit. The dollar is buying about 1/2 of what it did just a few years ago.

I kind of disagree with that. The price of gasoline has not doubled. The price of houses has not doubled. The price of my favorite beverage has not doubled. The cost of my car insurance has not doubled. My property taxes have not doubled. I could replace my truck for only a little more than I paid for it 8 years ago but the price of primers and powder have more than doubled. Lead is unchanged, still a dollar a pound been that way for decades.

Certain things have gone up a lot but not everything. Mostly things that the supply chain thinks it can get away with.
Tim

[Willie T]

I kind of disagree with that. The price of gasoline has not doubled. The price of houses has not doubled. The price of my favorite beverage has not doubled. The cost of my car insurance has not doubled. My property taxes have not doubled. I could replace my truck for only a little more than I paid for it 8 years ago but the price of primers and powder have more than doubled. Lead is unchanged, still a dollar a pound been that way for decades.

Certain things have gone up a lot but not everything. Mostly things that the supply chain thinks it can get away with.
Tim

Milk, eggs, loaf of bread, beef, land….

[john.k]

With all the new primer producers coming online in the next 12 months ,possibly to coincide with a recession.......its not the time to buy more than what you need.