Bought My First Primers In Five Years

[rintinglen]

As the title states, I just bought 5,000 SP primers from Midsouth, Aguila, IRC. $369.00 with tax, no Hazmat, free shipping, delivered. Just about triple the cost of what my last purchase ran, back in 2019, but in line with what 22's are running these days, a shade over 7 cents a piece. Had I but known, I'd have doubled my purchases back then.

[jdgabbard]

I think we all feel that way. I bought my first primers in 10 years about 6 months ago. Big change from the $20/1k Wolf primers I was buying back then. Literally 5x the price over the course of a decade. Powder and Primer manufactures should never again be considered friends of the sportsman. As soon as there is a startup that doesn't railroad people I'm swapping over to them.

[challenger_i]

I am proud I began stashing primers back during the Obama Unpleasantness. Got blind lucky that my crew change day coming home from The Great Lake of Texas corresponded with Lafayette Sports receiving their monthly shipment. Even at a 2000 limit per customer (primers and 22 LR), over time I was able to build a good stockage. Everybody thought I was nuts.

[Baltimoreed]

Bought a few bricks of Winchester LPP from Academy a couple months ago for 79.99 per. But I’m still using my stash of prepandemic 30.00 CCI srp/lpp. I traded all my CCI spp for lpp in 2022 but thought that i’d get some more. Crazy times.

[dverna]

I regret not buying more of the Wolf and Tula primers when they were $16/k.

If we would stop pissing in Russias Cheerios, I bet we would see $35/k primers again. Nothing wrong with those Russian primers.

[Bmi48219]

I regret not buying more of the Wolf and Tula primers when they were $16/k.

If we would stop pissing in Russias Cheerios, I bet we would see $35/k primers again. Nothing wrong with those Russian primers.

I don’t think Russian Cheerios have much to do with it. Our fearless leaders a bound and determined to choke off anything having to do with our sport. And I’m not buying the ‘raw materials prices are up’ spiel either. How can primers and powder be almost triple the 2019 prices when we’re seeing factory loaded range ammo only 30% higher than before the buying surge?
A contrived shortage IMO.

[Delkal]

Sold out............

[beemer]

Manufactures can sell for 3X more, why increase production or build more plants, using in ammo makes more $ anyway. The only thing high on the list is profit, could care less who gets them. Reloaders are only important if there is a surplus of components.

I have picked up a few here and there but shoot less than I had planned after I retired. Seems most of the younger shooters don't reload, just pass the ammo.

[dverna]

Manufactures can sell for 3X more, why increase production or build more plants, using in ammo makes more $ anyway. The only thing high on the list is profit, could care less who gets them. Reloaders are only important if there is a surplus of components.

I have picked up a few here and there but shoot less than I had planned after I retired. Seems most of the younger shooters don't reload, just pass the ammo.

Exactly. The prime objective is making money. Servicing customers is a necessary “evil” to that objective.

And I do not blame them. I have no loyalty to them either. When excellent foreign primers were less than $20/k I bought 10’s of thousands of them.

It does not matter how pissed off we get with either the manufacturers or distributors gouging us, we will buy what we need or stop shooting.

The people who hoarded primers a decade ago are not the problem. They are not buying them now.

[dannyd]

I shoot 12,000 rounds a year or more, so there's no such thing as an "Old Primer" on the shelf. ;)

Plus I stay within the National Fire Safety code, just in case something goes wrong.

[murf205]

I am proud I began stashing primers back during the Obama Unpleasantness. Got blind lucky that my crew change day coming home from The Great Lake of Texas corresponded with Lafayette Sports receiving their monthly shipment. Even at a 2000 limit per customer (primers and 22 LR), over time I was able to build a good stockage. Everybody thought I was nuts.

That might be the only thing that Obama did correctly.. He taught me how to buy primers--many and often. When he was in office, primers around here were restricted to 100 at a time. There was a lull when Trump was in office and that's when I resupplied. I'm afraid that the $80 per 1K is the new norm.

[nicholst55]

Now that primers are becoming more readily available - if still highly overpriced - we have to worry about powder. Alliant has stopped production of canister grade powders for the indefinite future. I expect others to follow. This is due to a shortage of nitrocellulose, which we used to buy from China. They will no longer sell it to the USA or any NATO country. Defense contracts for ammo and explosives to replenish the stuff that has been shipped to Ukraine and Israel have priority right now, and likely will for the foreseeable future. Then will come commercial ammo manufacturers. Reloaders are barely a blip on the radar screen of the powder manufacturers.

[murf205]

From what I have read, the supply chain of raw materials and the volatile fluctuations in oil prices (thanks a lot Joe) are causing the price increases on nitrocellulose, which is exacerbated by the war in Ukraine and Israel. I don't believe that any nitrocellulose is made in the US but I might be wrong. Since it is made with cotton linters, which are the short fibers of cotton seeds, and nitric and sulfuric acids, the US should be making out own. Maybe then the price of a lb of H4831 wouldnt be $60 out the door at my LGS!
However, there is research that shows Alfalfa grass fibers makes an even better microcrystalline cellulose with a higher gas content and it was said to be an excellent alternative to guncotton for propellants and it is temperature insensitive. That is from the SCISPACE website, which reports on scientific breakthroughs.
All this should lead a country like ours to consider NOT depending on other countries for critical components to defend ourselves. But when you get a huge amount of life saving drugs from other countries, I cant expect much else.

[beemer]

That might be the only thing that Obama did correctly.. He taught me how to buy primers--many and often. When he was in office, primers around here were restricted to 100 at a time. There was a lull when Trump was in office and that's when I resupplied. I'm afraid that the $80 per 1K is the new norm.

Seem to remember that Obummer was said to be the top firearms salesman of the century.

[nicholst55]

From what I have read, the supply chain of raw materials and the volatile fluctuations in oil prices (thanks a lot Joe) are causing the price increases on nitrocellulose, which is exacerbated by the war in Ukraine and Israel. I don't believe that any nitrocellulose is made in the US but I might be wrong. Since it is made with cotton linters, which are the short fibers of cotton seeds, and nitric and sulfuric acids, the US should be making out own. Maybe then the price of a lb of H4831 wouldnt be $60 out the door at my LGS!

There is at least one source here in the US, Radford Arsenal in VA. They are strictly a USG provider, I believe.

[murf205]

There is at least one source here in the US, Radford Arsenal in VA. They are strictly a USG provider, I believe.


That's a relief to know.

[rcslotcar]

I also bought a lot of primers when obama was on the loose. I still have at least 100k stored in 4 different family locations. Many box's marked either $27 or $32 so I'm set for a while.

[30calflash]

It's easy to play yesterday's ballgame, woulda, coulda, shoulda. Don't get drawn into that, not healthy for anyone here.

I'm thinking prices won't drop, will continue to hold at best. Startup companies aren't starting up to undercut the major players at least for long, it's to turn a profit after spending huge$$$ to start. Expect more droughts due to supply, labor, accidents and world demands.

We had it really good for a few decades or longer, depending on your take. Locally components were only available thru a dealer and that changed 40 years ago with laws, shipping regs, etc. Bulk ammo became available and that dropped prices further. I'd purchased products 15 years ago that were far under the costs of retail 30 years before then. It was a buyers market.

The world has changed, a dollar is worth between 5 and 10 cents depending on what you buy. Be thankful that we had it good for the years we did. That's something many new shooters haven't experienced and never will most likely. They're paying full boat not knowing what 'the good old days' ever were. So we've new purchaser demographics that are happy to get it, period.

I think it's good to figure on this the being new norm, higher costs, limited product & supply chain issues. Although many may disagree, I pickup less product,only what I hope to use and leave some for the next guy. Shoot lesser quantities, try to pace it better and be thankful for what you have had and now have, it can easily be worse. JMHO.

[JimB..]

I stocked more primers than I’ll ever shoot, distributed across numerous locations, powder too.
Of course only for metalic cartridges and now I’m thinking about starting shotgun for which I have no primers.
So it goes.

[Jtarm]

I stocked more primers than I’ll ever shoot, distributed across numerous locations, powder too.
Of course only for metalic cartridges and now I’m thinking about starting shotgun for which I have no primers.
So it goes.

Do some trading.

I got lucky.

In early 2020, my favorite LGS closed out Remington 5 1/2s, $100 per 5K, no hazmat since they’re local.

[jimb16]

I was at a LGS the other day looking at primers. SRP, LRP. SPP and LPP were all marked between $130 and $149/1000. Shotgun primers were between $70 and $90/1000 depending on brand. That is one of the few shops that even have them for sale around here. I'm glad that I have an ample supply of all of the above; enough to last me for years. I've got an ample supply of powder as well. Since I cast my own bullets and drip my own shot, the only thing that I buy these days is wads, and they are still reasonable. And I have plenty of lead, tin, COWWs and lino, so I'm good there too. When I die, my friends will have fun sharing the remains! (of the reloading supplies, of course!)

[littlejack]

My wife and I drove to Meridian Idaho this week to visit the grandkids and great grandkids. While there, we went to Scheels department store. They had thousands of CCI #34 large rifle primers. I live in the Willamette Valley in Oregon, where large rifle primers are non-existent. I bought 3k @ 90.00 per. Although the price is high, I believe now days, we are looking at the new norm. One of the sales person told me they do get the other named brands in from time to time, but they don't stay on the shelf but a few days. People seem to shy away from the CCI 34's.

[gc45]

Yeah, it is all pretty sad imo. Corp america has taken over production, buying up the small makers of much of our economy and they only care about stockholders now. My decision to stop reloading much of anything is based on price of things and not throwing away more of my retirement income and into these corp thiefs pockets. We are being gouged now on everthing, not just reloading so choices have to be made. Have thought to sell everthing and just stop shooting accept one or two 22 guns on occasion. Maybe a Trump election would change it some but still prices will be to high imo.

[littlejack]

I'll probably never stop. Just shoot less. I don't compete, and never have. Well, only against myself. I move purty slow, and I enjoy that. I punched a time clock for 40 years. I don't even wear a watch. At 6 months from being three quarters of a century, I am in no hurry to get anywhere. Sorry to hear you've decided to stop. It's just to relaxing to play at the reloading table.

[dtknowles]

Yeah, it is all pretty sad imo. Corp america has taken over production, buying up the small makers of much of our economy and they only care about stockholders now. My decision to stop reloading much of anything is based on price of things and not throwing away more of my retirement income and into these corp thiefs pockets. We are being gouged now on everthing, not just reloading so choices have to be made. Have thought to sell everthing and just stop shooting accept one or two 22 guns on occasion. Maybe a Trump election would change it some but still prices will be to high imo.

The thing that would stop corporate greed inflation would be competition. The big companies (Vista for example) need to be broken up; they should have never been allowed to buy up all the smaller companies. Sometimes we need to Federal government to protect us from big powerful companies.