Primer Availability

[AZ-Stew]

I dropped in to my local Sportsman's Warehouse the other day and found them to be severely short on rifle and pistol primers. The first time I visited the store a year or so ago, I found them to have a vast selection of brands and types - Remington, Winchester, CCI, Federal, and almost the entire line by all manufacturers - a far better selection than any other store in town. Last Thursday, however, they were down to some CCI LR Benchrest, some Federal LR primers and almost nothing else.

I asked at the firearms desk but the kid on duty didn't know much.

I don't want to start another primer panic, such as we experienced 10 years or so ago, but I'm wondering if anyone else has noticed such a large reduction in availability at their local shops. Is this wide-spread, or is it poor logistics on the part of Sportsman's Warehouse?

Regards,

Stew

[jim4065]

The people at Ft. Thompson were low on both powder and primers when I went in there. Said it was because it's the slow season - they will start stocking up in the summer. I don't know whats true - bought 4 cases on line and don't have to worry about it for awhile. You might want to try Powder Valley if you're short - the lady who answers the phone is kinda crusty, but she'll take an order if you don't want your CC #'s on the web.

[sundog]

I mentioned this on another thread seveal days ago. I talked to the folks at Powder Valley at the Tulsa Gun Show, and they are short also. They say, 'no Rem primers this year.' And, they've been out for a long time back last year. Shortages with other brands, too, but I think much of that is due to Rem users putting more demand on the other brands. Three or four years ago I bought some cases of Rem primers and they were $65 a case. I got some Win at the show from Powder Valley, and they were 97.50. Last year Fed was around 80ish.

The story I heard, FWIW, is that since the M14s are being pressed back into service that the ramp up to feed them 7.62 is consuming resources (primers). Have no idea if that is true. Could be a guard house rumor.... Whatever it is, they're short and expensive. I got 2 bricks of Rem SR the other day locally (last ones in the shop), and the guy says, 'oh, you get them for the old price.' They were 19 and change apiece.

Bad enough with the primers. Have you noticed the jump in brass prices?

[GSM]

Sportsman's Warehouse in Lewisville has been short on Winchester primers (big empty hole on the shelf) for 6 months or more - not too bad on the CCI & Federals though.

Their powder stock seemed fairly full - not too many gaps.

[UweJ]

Here in germany we have the same problems. I got lucky and could order some large pistol primers.W-W 5000 for €152.00 about $180.00. For germany thats still a good price.
Uwe

[Obsolete]

I went down to a very small local Gun Shop here in the East Bay Area and they had plenty of Federal and Winchester.I bot 1000 each of Win WLR @ $28.95 , Win WSPM @ $28.80 and Win WLP @$28.95 respectively....They had quite a bit more there also.They had all the normal major brands of powders also.... a few holes here and there but for the most part well stocked.

[J Miller]

In the last Midway add, they do not list any Winchester primers. All the other brands , but no Winchesters.

Not sure what's going on, but I'm beginning to be thankful I got a few in reserve.

joe

[LAH]

Just purchased 30,000 from Powder Valley. They had plenty...........Creeker

[sundog]

Creeker, roger that. They brought my order of various Win primers, and Fed SR (other Fed out of stock), to the Tulsa Gun Show for pick up. If you want CCI and Win from Powder Valley they seem to be flush.

[Navahojoe]

I stopped by my local Gun shop today to check on primers. Sticker Shock! Large Pistol,CCI, $2.99/hundred. 10% discount by the thousand + local and state tax.
Total $3.24/hundred or , 29.99 -10%=$26.99 + 8% tax per thousand.

The last primers I bought were $19.99 less 10% + tax per thousand. That is dang near 50% price increase. Good thing I bought 5k at that time. I am going to check out Gander Mountain on the morrow. [smilie=2: Wish me luck!

regards,
NavahoJoe :Fire:

[Sundogg1911]

stopped by my local gun shop for a fix (Yeah.....it's an addiction!) He had a full stock of CCI (What I usually buy) and just about everything else. If there's a shortage on the horizon, It hasnt hit the Pittsburgh area yet.

[danski26]

No problems in Wisconsin. Sportsmans wharehouse is full-up. I didn't pay attention to price because I buy from a local shop who stocks Win "all i use" and they where full-up also.

[AZ-Stew]

Sounds like a spot shortage. I'm glad it's not wide spread. Maybe there's a shortage rumor floating around the Phoenix area that I haven't heard about yet causing some localized hoarding. Anyway, I'm glad to hear that the majority of the country has plenty in quantity and selection.

Thanks for the responses, guys.

Regards,

Stew

[lovedogs]

Just bought some more CCI's last week. The store owner, who I know real well, said they were all going up in price. There's no shortage though. They just had a big sporting goods show and many were waiting to order there because they get a price break. Maybe others were waiting for that, too, and creating their own shortages by waiting to order. They're sure trying to put us out of business with this price increase stuff. Between primers, brass, and bullets this is getting to be a rich man's game.

[BruceB]

I am awed by the high primer prices quoted here.

One of my two local sources has just upped the ante to about $24 for CCIs, but the other one is still below twenty bucks per thousand for all but the benchrest primers, in several makes.

The one with expensive primers has powder several dollars per pound cheaper than the other fellers......looks like I'm gonna be spreading my business around a bit.

[9.3X62AL]

My usual primer source locally told me last month that she had no trouble getting whatever primers she wanted in any amount she wanted--but that a "panic" was under way and she was selling out as the supplies landed. Prices weren't bad, $22/K, that could be why she was getting wiped out as the supplies arrived.

These "panics" can be a vicious cycle--prices go up, so people think a "shortage" is upon them, so they hoard, driving prices up, feeding the frenzy further. Add in the Internet Mall Ninjas on some of the gun boards whipping up the issue, and a full-scale run on some component can take place.

[357maximum]

:roll: Apparently everyone has forgotten the fake/imagined/bull$&! 1994 primer stampede:roll:

The only thing I have noticed locally is the relative scarcity of rem 7.5's,

Glad I stocked up on primers/powder in general awhile back when I had the cash...

[dakotashooter2]

3 or 4 weeks ago you couldn't find a winchester primer at any of the local outlets now they all seem to have ample supplies. At that time CCI's were dominant on the shelves and federals and remingtons were at minimal amounts. I think at least locally they had just run their stock down cause everything is pretty much available now though in my area a store carrying 5K of each size is "well stocked". I do have to say that I did stock up though. I normally don't have more than 1000 of any size on hand but figured now was as good a time as any to build and maintain my stockpile at a higher level and I managed to snag a few thousand at the old price (under $20). I am relly watching prices on powder now. There is a lot of variation in prices and I have seen any were from $19 to $27 (Cabela's) on the same canister of powder.

:castmine:

[Uncle R.]

I bought a few thousand Winchester primers last evening at a Sportsman's Warehouse here in WI. They had a good supply @ $25/M :eek: At that price I couldn't see any reason to lay in more than short-term requirements.
Of course I felt the same way when they were $20/M and now I wish I'd filled the cabinet.
It's scary the way prices of ammo and components are rocketing upward. Brass, primers, and loaded cartridges have risen 30-40 percent around here in the last year or two. The strange thing is that the price of shotshells hasn't kept pace. Apparently lead prices aren't rising as fast as copper & zinc. (?)
Uncle R.

[357maximum]

They spell it

R
A
P
E

[Billairgun]

I've been keeping an eye out for Rem 7 1/2 to use in my AR for the last year and a half. I bought some at a gun show last year for $20.00/K, last month I passed on some for $25.00/K. Makes me kick myself when I think that I did'nt have enough money at the annual meeting/swap meet when a guy was selling a case of WLR for $45.00 OTD, and they were still setting their for most of the meeting.

[Scrounger]

I've been keeping an eye out for Rem 7 1/2 to use in my AR for the last year and a half. I bought some at a gun show last year for $20.00/K, last month I passed on some for $25.00/K. Makes me kick myself when I think that I did'nt have enough money at the annual meeting/swap meet when a guy was selling a case of WLR for $45.00 OTD, and they were still setting their for most of the meeting.

I have easily 20,000 Rem 7-1/2s excess to my needs. $20 a thousand but shipping and HazMat is a killer.

[klw]

Primers, bullets alloy, powder and cartridge cases are something that I started stocking up on years and years ago. Every time I got some spare money I bought more. I've got a lifetime supply of primers and cartridge cases. I've got a five year supply of powder and linotype. Though it seemed like serious money at the time, by todays prices this stuff was cheap. I really think that you want to buy ahead in these areas.

[buck1]

My local gun shop owner (shooting buddy) said its just the hazmat charge. He will almost run out before he orders in a big lot to cut costs. I bet thats true of a lot of your gun shops too..........Buck

[Billairgun]

I have easily 20,000 Rem 7-1/2s excess to my needs. $20 a thousand but shipping and HazMat is a killer.
Thanks for the offer but I should have enough to finish out the year. Right now I'm getting set up for casting, planning on sending off for a M1 carbine and have a major overhaul due on my car. So buying enough primers to make it worth while is a little out of my budget right now.

[DLCTEX]

Unclr R: In response to your post about lead prices in relation to copper and zinc. Lead shot has risen to more than double in price, so its strange that prices of loaded shotgun ammo haven't doubled what with the price of powder and primers being what they are. Also the cost of plastics have risen with the increase of oil prices. We will probably see an increase soon. My brother and nephew have quit reloading shotshells for trap as prices for components have made it more practical to buy loaded ammo considering the time involved. Dale