I called Remingto today about the ammunition shortage.

[oldhickory]

I spoke to a lady named Sandra in quality control at Remington this morning about the ammunition shortage and "rumors" of Remington slowing production lines down. She and I talked for about ten minutes on the production and shortage of ammunition.

She told me the shortage has been caused by panic buying and hording. The center fire production lines I'm told have been running at full capacity. She also said they DID lay people off earlier in the year from the shotgun and rim fire lines. Those people have since been re-hired and those lines are now running at near, or full capacity.

The center fire lines, (from what I've been told) have been running at least six days a week, and at least ten hour shifts. On occasion it's a seven day work week and a twelve hour shift since the election.

I was very pleasant and sympathetic with her, (she said she receives calls all day long about, "Where's the ammunition?") and I feel bad for the production workers having to put in that kind of time with few breaks for their personal affairs and family lives. She also said, "You don't just hire someone and turn them loose in the plant, it takes a lot of training and experiance to run the machines that make ammunition, and transfering people from the shotgun and rim fire lines still require training that takes time on the center fire lines."

A final quote from Sandra, "We're doing all we can to meet demands...I honestly don't know where it's all going. Drive by our plant any day, (except some Sundays) any time, and you will see a full employee parking lot."

[Papa Foxtrot]

Good info!

[longhorn47]

I wish some one would tell me where I can but primer so I can hord them. sounds like a lot of bandini to me

[oldhickory]

I wish some one would tell me where I can but primer so I can hord them. sounds like a lot of bandini to me


I've dealt with Remington's quality control people before on other issues and have always been more than satisfied with the way they handled things. I have no reason to doubt what Sandra told me in our phone conversation. We did not discuss the component shortage as she indicated components were primarily going into the production of ammunition.

Last Saturday I paid a visit to my local gun shop and he had all but small rifle primers available. I bought 1000 large pistol primers and even had my choice of brand. Powder on the other hand was limited to either pistol/shotgun, or the slow rifle, there was no med. burning powder to be had at my local gun shop and very little ammunition on the shelves.

The factory's first priority is loaded ammunition with hand loading components second.

[TAWILDCATT]

any one thinking that manufacturers ar holding back are idiots.there out to make money and there is only so much of a window to do it in.and they cant up the production,no matter what one thinks.plus they have to have primers and if they dont have them production stops cold.:coffee:[smilie=1:

[imashooter2]

I wish some one would tell me where I can but primer so I can hord them. sounds like a lot of bandini to me

Your problem is you're trying to get into the game after all the experienced hoarders are finished.

[ddeaton]

They need the primers we are looking for to meet the manufacturing demands. Like Wildcat stated, no manufacturer of any goods now would hold back. And dont feel sorry for the workers at the plant working all that OT now either. They could be the ones outside looking in like so many are right now. I am in manufacturing myself now with my own buisness and I wish I could work my guys 6 days a week 12 hrs a day! It has been like that the past 10 yrs and we all took it for granted. We have hit bottom, and I see things in my buisness starting to open back up. Hang in there a little longer and dont panic. We will all be ok.
Look at it this way, we have gained a large number of new people reloading now and hopefully they will stick with the hobby. After the demand is met and the manufacturers are caught up what do you think will happen? They will be begging us to buy their goods. Look at the Harley Davidson motorcycle boom the past years. Couldnt get one and had to pay over retail and wait to get one. Now they are plentiful.

[oldhickory]

I called and left a message with Federal, we'll see if they call me back. I can't find a phone number for Winchester, but they do have a news link concerning the shortage;http://www.winchester.com/news/newsview.aspx?storyid=263

[mike in co]

I wish some one would tell me where I can but primer so I can hord them. sounds like a lot of bandini to me


i agree,,,,you sound like a bunch of bandini..........a day late and a dollar short....


mike in co

[swheeler]

Old Hickory; thanks for following up on this, good to know.

[captaint]

My son is looking for LPP's as we speak. He's gonna call me back. French Creek Outfitters. We'll see. Mike

[captaint]

Nope. Was afraid of that.

[oldhickory]

I PMd you if you want to make the trip to Halifax.

[DLCTEX]

Midway had primers in stock earlier this week.

[Jbar4Ranch]

I've talked to Hornady and they say they are turning out bullets and ammo 24 hours a day, 6 days a week at nearly 200% their normal rate and are still back ordered until October... of 2010.

HSM (Hunting Shack Munitions) in Stevensville, MT, is turning out mainly .223 at the moment and they say they are producing 90,000 rounds per day, and falling 10,000+ rounds a day behind.

[oldhickory]

HSM (Hunting Shack Munitions) in Stevensville, MT, is turning out mainly .223 at the moment and they say they are producing 90,000 rounds per day, and falling 10,000+ rounds a day behind.


Somebody ought to be getting a message, "Don't tread on me!"

[1Shirt]

Ole Hickory's last thread says it all in my book. Appreciate all the info!
1Shirt!:coffee:

[Bulletlube]

I talked to someone at Federal about large flash holes in 9MM cases and asked about primer recomendations and was told to use whatever I could find. They said that they would be behind all of 2009 and most of 2010.

[BD]

I'm actually happy to see the run on components given the current administration and political climate. I think this situation is sending a very powerful message to the gun control crowd. It speaks louder than NRA membership numbers ever could.

I suppose I'm a "hoarder", even though what I'm hoarding was mostly bought in the 90's. The downside is that I'll soon be digging into my stash of small rifle match primers. My job/life/location will be the limiting factor for a least a year or two.
BD

[The Double D]

I'm actually happy to see the run on components given the current administration and political climate. I think this situation is sending a very powerful message to the gun control crowd. It speaks louder than NRA membership numbers ever could.


..and what does it say? It says we are in a panic and running scared, and they say good!!!

[chg]

BD, The component shortage does not speak louder than NRA membership numbers. It only shows people are panic buying. Want to make an impact on the gun control crowd? Send the NRA a contribution equal to the cost of a thousand primers.

[oldhickory]

Better yet, send the contribution to Gun Owners of America. The NRA compromises way too much!

[Trey45]

Better yet, send the contribution to Gun Owners of America. The NRA compromises way too much!

+1 +1 +1 +1 and then some. Times 10 to the nth power, squared.

[Daves1]

Good report

[BD]

I will respectfully disagree.

The NRA claims about 4 million members, the liberal media and congress critters are used to sparing with it as an organization while discounting it's actual political clout by claiming that it doesn't represent ALL gun owners, and that most gun owners really do favor "sensible gun control" blah, blah blah.

That's why they always say "The NRA" has a stranglehold on congress, rather than saying "Gun owners" have influence on congress. They try continually to represent it as some kind of dehumanized corporate entity, rather than as an organization of grass roots political influence.

3,800,000 actual firearms purchases in just the first quarter of this year, along with the current run on ammo and components, despite a poor economy, sends a much clearer message that a significant portion of Americans believe in the second amendment and are willing to support their gun rights by actually buying a gun.

The NRA was here long before the election. IMHO it's the actions of the population since the election that convinced even idiots like Nancy Pelosi that they're not gonna pass another AWB at this time.

Don't think the congress critters are unaware of it either. As soon as the saw which way the wind was blowing 60 democrats jumped at the chance to oppose any reinstatement of the AWB.

This may be getting a little to political for this forum so I'll shut up now.

BD

[9.3X62AL]

Good report on Remington, and I tend to agree with BD's take on the effects of the "shortage". Yeah, it's a PITA when you want to find primers--but this isn't my first "primer scare" (remember 1999?). Neither NRA nor GOA are buying all that ammo or all those reloading components--it's shooters, hunters, and sportsmen/women.

VOTERS, not lobbyists, in other words. YOU BET the Congress notices, and they well remember what happened to their homeboys that supported AWB I in 1994--so long, majority. All those empty suits inside the Beltway got that message, loud and clear.

I agree that things will settle out over time, we just gotta be patient while the hoarding and panicked buying continues. We have seen this before, and we survived in fine order. The sky is not falling, friends.

[oldhickory]

I will respectfully disagree.

The NRA claims about 4 million members, the liberal media and congress critters are used to sparing with it as an organization while discounting it's actual political clout by claiming that it doesn't represent ALL gun owners, and that most gun owners really do favor "sensible gun control" blah, blah blah.

That's why they always say "The NRA" has a stranglehold on congress, rather than saying "Gun owners" have influence on congress. They try continually to represent it as some kind of dehumanized corporate entity, rather than as an organization of grass roots political influence.

3,800,000 actual firearms purchases in just the first quarter of this year, along with the current run on ammo and components, despite a poor economy, sends a much clearer message that a significant portion of Americans believe in the second amendment and are willing to support their gun rights by actually buying a gun.

The NRA was here long before the election. IMHO it's the actions of the population since the election that convinced even idiots like Nancy Pelosi that they're not gonna pass another AWB at this time.

Don't think the congress critters are unaware of it either. As soon as the saw which way the wind was blowing 60 democrats jumped at the chance to oppose any reinstatement of the AWB.

This may be getting a little to political for this forum so I'll shut up now.

BD


Oh, I'm not bashing the NRA BD, I've been a life member for the past twenty some odd years, It's just that they DO compromise way too much for my liking.

[JeffinNZ]

I kinda feel for the manufacturers right now. On one hand demand is great so business is good for them (and at this moment in time that is unheard of)but on the other hand nothing they do is good enough to please everyone. Worse, once the histeria dies down sales will ebb while everyone burns their inventory. No win real.