[redneck2]

Talked to the owner of my local gun shop today. He said there will be no more Federal primers until after the 1st of the year, and maybe also Winchester. Bullets are getting hard to get.

I've seen threads about small shortages, but this looks like the real deal. Hadn't seen anything about primers. I use Federal Match for my rifle loads. Looks like I've gonna have to start searching.

[Hawk]

When I first started loading .357 not too long ago, the only small pistol magnum primers the local Sportsman's Warehouse had was Federal "Match" spm.

I don't know what the functional differences are between standard and match but I did notice right off that the match versions are packaged in a fat container sideways.

Thanks to that, I learned what the ridges in a primer flip-tray are for.

There didn't seem to be a consensus that I bought the last of the Fed primers though. Time will tell, I guess.

[Walkalong]

Federal uses the most experienced people when making match primers. That is about it, as explained to me by a couple of knowledgable folks.

[Hawk]

When cranking them out on a progressive, those Federal match small pistol magnum primers are probably like putting perfume on a pig. Their goodness is there but not noticed or appreciated. They're sideways packaging is most assuredly not appreciated.

But when there's nothing else...

[redneck2]

I'm going on a prairie dog hunt this fall. I'm trying to start to build up inventory to load rounds. I guess the post is a "heads-up" to anybody that wants components. My dealer was extremely pessimistic about availability of most anything. Ammo is hard to get and the price is doubling on some stuff.

[def4pos8]

My local guy has no trouble obtaining Winchester primers or powders. Bullets don't appear to be a problem either. Some items, like Speer's .223, 62gr FMJ are only available sporadically, but these are lead-core clones of a military projectile so their scarcity is not a surprise.