Shortages

[DonHowe]

it's a phenomenon! The millions of folks who bought a gun for the first time in the last year need ammunition for them (creating the ammo shortage) but they apparently are also (each and every one of them) reloaders and bullet casters as well because everything is in short supply. I have never known casting and reloading to be so popular even among lifelong gun owners/shooters. Rdloading/casting equipment and accessories appear to be the new toilet paper!

[bruce381]

ah yeah now what

[gun toting monkeyboy]

The only thing I worry about is primers. I have lots of brass. I cast bullets. And powder can still be had. It is primers that seem to be the weakest link in the system. I am not out by any means. But I don't want to dip too far into my reserves at this point. Especially not small pistol, which seems to be the hardest to get.

-Mb

[dverna]

Once some of these people start reloading, I will be thankful I do not need to go to a public range to shoot.

[1I-Jack]

Once some of these people start reloading, I will be thankful I do not need to go to a public range to shoot.

Pray for us that do. We'll need to "social distance" for a new reason.

RE: Primer shortages...Today Brownell's had SRP in stock selling for ~$47 per brick (1000) with case quantity ordering available. Had to go to a meeting and they were all gone before the meeting ended. After shipping that would be about 5 cents/primer. Looks like prices are starting to come down (when they're available)

[charlie b]

Once some of these people start reloading, I will be thankful I do not need to go to a public range to shoot.

ROFLMAO

Ain't that the truth!

I was actually surprised that the local Sportsman's has a Forster Coax press on the shelf. Has been there a couple weeks now. And last week I picked up another 1000 sm rifle primers. They were $24.

[upnorthwis]

I was in the LGS a couple months ago and there were maybe 30 one pounders on the shelf of various types. Was thinking that there wasn't going to be a problem with powder way up here in the boonies. Went there this morning and it was cleaned out.

[Hodagtrapper]

I was in the LGS a couple months ago and there were maybe 30 one pounders on the shelf of various types. Was thinking that there wasn't going to be a problem with powder way up here in the boonies. Went there this morning and it was cleaned out.

Noticed that too in Hodag land!

Chris

[bluebird66]

Powder and primers are almost non existent in my area.

[fredj338]

Guys around here are paying $200+ for small pistol primers, ridiculous. Yet so is paying 80c a round for 9mm ball ammo. Maybe by this time next year things will get back to a little bit of new normal.

[tazman]

Cheaper than dirt sent me an advertisement today listing Winchester M22 22lr ammo $240 per box of 500.

[Martin Luber]

I'd rather eat dirt! New shooters are not reloaders so guys, hate to say it, but it's us!

I was in a LGS last fall, they had 2k LPP. I could have bought and flipped but I left them for someone else. No components means no competition shooting.

[murf205]

Martin, you are a gentleman of the first water for leaving those primers for someone else. Not many would do that.

[charlie b]

Guys around here are paying $200+ for small pistol primers, ridiculous. Yet so is paying 80c a round for 9mm ball ammo. Maybe by this time next year things will get back to a little bit of new normal.

Don't know if your state will ever get back to normal :)

[Cosmic_Charlie]

My lgs is now out of almost everything. I think people bought what powder was left to try selling it on Ebay or something. They are low on guns too. Since starting casting I shoot very little factory ammo anymore. Some .223 and .22 rf. Got plenty of powder, brass and lead but primers will be a problem this time next year if the supply does not improve.

[44Blam]

Since we are on all the new folks at the range.

So yeah. I went to the range on Sunday to do some more testing on my TACO 300 BO boolit and there was a guy there that reloaded 7.62x54R with the old school single caliber lee loader. He had his boolits a bit too far out and was having issues getting the bullets into battery. He stuck one bullet in the bore and dumped a load of powder getting it out. Then went to give up but then gave it another try or two... That involved the RO pounding out the stuck bullet and also keeping a pretty sharp eye on the guy.

Same day, the range was empty and I was just kind of farting around picking up .223/556 brass to turn into BO brass and a guy came up with a revolver that shot 10mm. I asked him if he was shooting with moon clips and he said he wasn't sure what a moon clip was. Then he said his gun shoots 40 S&W as well as 10mm and was shooting 40 S&W. He had problems with them going off and I asked "do they seem like they are too far down in the chamber?" and he said yes. Then he said "but if I rock the gun back and then fire they go off"... The same guy picked up that same firearm off the table and put it away while I was down range. I was kind of rough on that guy.

Another fun time -- we were shooting trap and an SUV just drove out in front of us. Then drove back and parked so his tail gate was easily accessible to the range. When they got out, I walked up to the driver and said "You just DROVE OUT ON A HOT RANGE!!!" (I was actually yelling...) He puffed up like he was going to do something and his friend started apologizing profusely. It was amazing. I mean - the guy was thinking of trying to fight me when I had a loaded shotgun at a hot range???

Another one - a lady unpacked her brand new pistol at her bag in the storage bench and then turned (with finger on trigger) to the shooting table at the pistol range covering pretty much everyone at the range.

This was all within the past 2 months! Never have I seen such bad behavior.

[DonHowe]

I'd rather eat dirt! New shooters are not reloaders so guys, hate to say it, but it's us!

My point exactly! And it is getting to be ridiculous
iMO. I understand a lot of the thinking regarding powder, primers, etc but dies, molds, everything is out of stock or at scalper prices. Maybe prices need to get prohibitively high for a while. But hey, what do I know?

[tazman]

Given the way supplies are right now, I have vowed not to purchase any new(to me) firearm that I can't load with components I have on hand.
I am not going to sit around waiting for the necessary wherewithal to shoot a gun I have no ammunition for.
I don't buy guns to look at.

[Winger Ed.]

There's a shortage, but it's not the all new reloaders hoarding up everything.
The new gun owners that barely know which end of a pistol does what want ammo,,,, not powder and primers.
When they see it on the shelf, they buy as much as they can afford.

For components:
Its us that have been reloading for years that are making the shortages worse than it should be.
It's us that see something on the shelf, and grab up most or all of it that we might not even load with for a year or more.

[tazman]

I have been reloading for decades. I have not purchased components for over 5 years now.
I stocked up before Trump became President in the expectation that Hillary was going to get elected.
I haven't bought any components since.
Same for most 22LR. Except for a recent purchase of Eley Tenex, which I doubt has much effect on bulk ammo availability, I have not been buying 22lr either.
I seriuoly soubt any shortage issues are because of anything I, as a reloader, am doing.

[Iowa Fox]

I have been reloading for decades. I have not purchased components for over 5 years now.
I stocked up before Trump became President in the expectation that Hillary was going to get elected.
I haven't bought any components since.
Same for most 22LR. Except for a recent purchase of Eley Tenex, which I doubt has much effect on bulk ammo availability, I have not been buying 22lr either.
I seriuoly soubt any shortage issues are because of anything I, as a reloader, am doing.

Same here.

Two years ago Gander Outdoor went out of business so I loaded up on Colibri and Super Colibri at a good price.

[charlie b]

I don't need much. All of what I 'require' has been in ammo boxes for a long time, at least back to when the first Bush was president (rotated as needed).

Everything else is for recreation. I do have more primers and powder than I have ever had before, only because I an shooting more now than I ever have before. Yes, I am shooting more now than I did before the pandemic.

I have been able to buy primers and powder to keep me going. Bullets that I shoot are either cast or are premium jacketed (Sierra Match King, Berger, Lapua) so I can usually find them somewhere.