Cost of primers

[Castaholic]

So I went to buy some primers today at the local gun shop which have been $3.29 per 100 for a couple years now and the new price was $3.73 per 100. Has anyone else seen a recent increase on primers or is this just good old fashioned price gouging?

[Oreo]

You buy primers by the hundred?!

Yes, primers took a real big price hike back in '08. They came down some when the madness settled but not back to their previous prices. They're on their way back up again but are still available at "normal" prices at the larger internet retailers if you buy them in bulk.

$3.73 is $187/case (5k). Unless you're buying match grade primers or something else special $125—$150/case is the going rate. Split an order with a friend or max out the hazmat shipping charge weight limit (50lb) to keep shipping costs reasonable.

[Castaholic]

I usually buy about a 1000 at a time but I remember the costs better by 100. I am on a pretty limited shooting budget which is why I reload and cast

[Lloyd Smale]

heck the local gander mountains primers went up to 5 bucks a pack in the shortage of 08 and never came back down!

[Olevern]

Shop around or buy online, I recently found cci primers on sale for $26.50 a thousand.

[Linstrum]

Just some thoughts on primers:

Because cartridge primers are the most difficult and most dangerous ammunition component to make yourself, it is a good idea to have as many of them on hand as is safe and/or practical. Without primers your cartridge gun is useless, so because of that, owning a flintlock may be a good idea because it is hard to shut off the rock supply, enforce making ownership of rocks illegal, as well as enforce confiscation of rocks. We fought a few wars with flintlocks and won or at least gave the others a real hard time, so even though they are traditionally single shots they still get a boolit out the barrel in a respectable manner and will make someone think twice before bothering you, as well as put meat on the table in a pinch.

Since 1964 I have gone through three or four periods of primer shortages when they couldn't be had for love nor money. So, starting back in 2001, every week when I got paid I bought one 1000 primer brick each of large pistol, large rifle, small pistol, and small rifle primers. Once in awhile I bought some shot shell primers even though I'm not a shotgunner and have just one 12 gauge. I think I have somewhere around 100,000 primers on hand and as I use them up I replace them with new primers as I am able to afford them. Modern lead styphnate primers keep a long time and I haven't had any problems with my 11 year old primers not going "BANG!". Just remember primers are real sensitive to mis-handling, so safe storage in a cool dry place out of reach by children where they won't get banged around is a must.

rl 1129

[Goatwhiskers]

There is a LGS that still has his marked $6.50/100. Locals don't know any better and keep buying 'em. Goat

[trapper9260]

I was at a place not long ago I will not say what store it is . It is a big chain one and I ask if they had any cci sp primers and how much for a brick and they told me for 100 and try to give me the 100 I said to them I want the cose of the brick and they finally came up with it and it was ober $5 cheaper then buy the same amount by 100 . Got me mad for a well know place like it is try to do that. But ammo and reloading supplies went up due to gov. contracts I was told that at a differnet store that I did not have no problems at and they are also a large chain store. The guy let me know what was going to happened and why .It will also show in guns too he told me . That was toward the beging of this year .

[41 mag fan]

heck the local gander mountains primers went up to 5 bucks a pack in the shortage of 08 and never came back down!

Gander Mtn is a price gouge within itself

[Sasquatch-1]

Just visited a place called Sportsman's Outlet in Bradford, Pa. Right down the street from the Zippo/Case factory and museum. Payed $31.80 with tax for a thousand CCI 300. Wish I had more money left from the trip. Best price locally for me is around $31.50 before tax at Walmart. At the local gun store they run between $35.00 and $40.00 a thousand.

[Hardcast416taylor]

The Wal-Marts here abouts don`t carry loading supplies.Robert

[Sasquatch-1]

The Wal-Marts here abouts don`t carry loading supplies.Robert

I have two walmarts near by. One is about ten minutes from the house and the other is about 20 minutes from the house. Of course the one that carries limited reloading supplies is the one that is further away.

[felix]

At Walmart, it is up to the individual store's management team to have certain items or not. Depends upon many factors specific to a sales area, such as product turn-over rates (profit per space allocation). ... felix

[darkroommike]

Do not automatically assume that a price increase by a local retailer is a "price gouge". Retail prices reflect wholesale costs of the item and overall cost of doing business in a local brick and mortar establishment. Heating fuel, labor costs, shipping costs, local, state and Federal taxes all have to be covered out of that markup. Panic buying and hoarding can temporarily effect price and availability of loading components as well. (Look at gas prices at the pump as another example of what I mean and the number of failed and closed gas stations in your neighborhood.)

[FISH4BUGS]

I shoot submachineguns with cast bullets. The only way to buy primers is in lots of 5000. Powder Valley has usually the best pricing.
Like Linstrum says you can't buy enough. I have about 20,000 of each on hand and rotate them out.
Buy as much as you can afford of primers and powder and store them....be prepared.

[Four-Sixty]

If there is any kind of economic collapse, primers sure would be a great bartering material. They can, of course, be made into bullets to be used to feed or defend your family or home. If people are scared or hungry, gold won't hold it's value long.

Last week I priced shotgun primers and powder at Bass Pro.

Shotgun primers were $6.49 per one hundred.
Gun powder was $29.99 per pound.

[fryboy]

i used to buy by the brick ( and a couple of bricks at a time ) i now buy by the sleeve ( 5 bricks ie; 5000 ) when i can , between metal prices going crazy ( anyone recall that ? lolz ) and the o8 election bricks went from $10-15 to $30 + , i refused to buy from the gougers at gunshows and it was starting to get desperate when some form of sanity ( and supplies finally returned ) $25-35 is about average ( which also means i have no idea what 100 cost )

[MtGun44]

Primers have gone up massively in the last 3-5 yrs.

I never buy less than a case of 5000. I use $100-125 as my benchmark, and have bought
about 4-5 cases in the last couple years at those prices. Just have to keep looking and
buy quantity when the prices are reasonable. At $3.73 per 100, that works out to $186.50
per 500 and I'd never pay that price.

I guess buying in tiny quantities is always going to cost more, but I think you should see
if there is a significantly better price for 1000.

Bill

[Sasquatch-1]

At $3.73 per 100, that works out to $186.50
per 500 and I'd never pay that price.

Bill

Bill, I think you need to check your math. 5 X 3.73=18.65 not 186.50 Either that or you forgot a zero somewhere.

[462]

Bill was saying that he buys in lots of 5000. He mis-typed and left out a zero.

The moral of all this is: Buy in bulk.