The primer shortage had me shaking my head and laughing a bit

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Targa

Targa

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Unfortunately, the once great State of Colorado
Was at the local Murdoch’s yesterday just to see what they had in stock. There was a line stretching from gun counter half way through the store.....well it was ammo day. As I made my way to the front of the line as people looked at me like I had lost my mind I finally reached the gun guy who was “issuing” out everyone’s ammo allotment. He kind of looked at me like I was crazy as well and I realized I had better make it clear that I wasn’t cutting in line for ammo or I might be the victim of a lynching. I explained that ammo wasn’t what I was after and asked if they had any primers? He said that they did get small pistol primers and told me that he had to deal with the mob first to get them off the truck and if I wanted to come back later he would get me one.
Ok silly me, by one I was thinking a brick. I come back, he pulls out a brick of SP Federal primers sets them on the counter.....Hot damn!!! In your face hoarding panic buyers! Then there it was, he opens up that brick and proudly hands me a box of a hundred and explains that they havent seen these things in months and that it was a good thing I asked about them because this brick, apparently the one and only they received in the shipment was going to go fast.
Then there I was thinking to myself..nope in your face moron for thinking you were actually getting a brick of primers. I felt a bit like this guy when I realized I was just blankly standing their.

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I had a friend needing some small rifle primers and I had a bunch of them. Offered them to him for $50 a brick, but he didn't want to pay that. They were bringing $150-$200 a brick on line. 2 weeks later he called ready to buy them, but alas, they were gone. Not really but I decided to keep them and ordered a new Weatherby Vanguard in 223.;)
 
I've had the opposite problem here. 9mm ammo is sitting on the shelf, but not seeing primers at all, other than one forgotten unicorn that fell behind the display of Barnes bullets that nobody wants.

I guess I'll stretch my SP primer supply by shooting some <ugh commercial> 9mm this summer.
 
I got lucky and found a few sources. I had a couple thousand sp primers still this year but was able to round up another 1k. Was snooping around and walked into one of my local custom shops and as I walked towards the reloading section the owner set a brick n a half of fed lr magnum primers on the shelf. I was like hey I’ve been looking for those. She said well you better get some. I asked about the limit. She smiled and said well for you I don’t really care st don’t take them all. So I left the half brick grabbed a thousand and said thanks
 
Wondering when the shortage will be over, I would have been happy with a 100 SPM primers, I only use them for specialty loads for my single action 357. Getting a little concerned, down to 1600 LP primers, though I don't shoot them as much either. I have enough SP primers to get me through the year, then I'm out.
 
It pays to have a good relationship with the guys at the LGS. Mine got some primers in a couple weeks ago and they had a 200 per customer limit, but that first day he sold me 500 because I was a regular customer. I then went back twice a week and bought 200 each trip, and usually also bought a bottle of powder as well. Earlier this week the primers were gone and the powder shelf is almost empty but I got a decent supply while I could.

I would never presume to go to the head of a line just because I thought I was buying something different from the others in line. I wait my turn unless I'm specifically called up to the counter while someone is filling out paperwork.
 
bullseye308 said:
But the real question is how much were those precious 100 primers?
Click to expand...

That's almost not a factor anymore if you want or need them. I'm certainly not wealthy and not completely out either but even though the price was $15/100 on the last ones I bought, I would have bought a couple bricks if they didn't have a limit. I will be very surprised if once the shortage ends the new normal price is much less than that. I'd be willing to bet we'll never see $3/100 again.
 
A local place has been limiting primers to 100/customer for some time now. They're also the range I'm a member of and only sell to members. I've been able to allocate a case of primers over the months just buying them one at a time. The best part is they're selling them for $5/100 and I cannot complain. They've cemented themselves in my mind as stand up guys doing this, I'm very thankful.

Last I've spoke with them, they haven't received any primers since March of last year.
 
Deals are out there but are few and far between. Just a couple months ago I got 1000 CCI500’s from Sportsman’s Warehouse shipped to the store for $23.99. Sadly they had a limit of 1000 per person so I had a few other people order a box and I passed them along at cost to a couple new guys just getting started. I did keep 1k for me just because, but the other 5 boxes really helped out some folks.
 
I blame my wife more than anything....the main reason I need these things is to keep her five 9mms fed that she goes though like John Wick. But....she has really taken a liking to the 27-2 that I got for Christmas which she is now calling her own..:what:.
That .357 slows her ammo consumption down a bit, stretching out the 800 SPP I do have.:D
 
FROGO207 said:
I am so happy that I bought a brick or two every trip for years when I hear these stories. Sadly at least they are spreading the wealth so to speak. At least 10 reloaders get some satisfaction. I feel bad for the poor clerk having to deal with all the people in line trying to get theirs. Sigh!!:confused:
Click to expand...

Oh yea, so true - from some 11-years ago, If I spotted primers, I bought a brick. All my favorite powders by the 8lbs jug too. Wads, shot. Anybody that's out hasn't been paying attention and did not learn from history! Nay, nay, nay. :neener:
 
It's nuts right now. But sometimes you get lucky. I offered up some CFE pistol powder for trade on our local classifieds forum, 2 pounds for 1,000 primers since that's a comparable normal price amount. A few days ago a guy calls me up about it says he has some primers and asked if I ever go to Scheels. I said yeah sometimes I'll stop by on my way home from work, he says you should go, right now. Said he just got 6,000 primers. :what: Needless to say I ran down there and picked up 2,000 primers, small rifle magnum and large pistol magnum. I would have bought probably 10,000 but they have a 1-box limit, though the associate did let me have one of each. This was late in the evening and they still had a decent amount (I guess the memo didn't get around as nobody was hoarding the primer case) so I went back the next morning and picked up another 1,000 large pistol magnum. God bless that guy for giving me a heads up, I made out pretty good that batch.

Powder however has not been an issue for me. I've been able to buy a ridiculous amount of powder the past couple months. I've got a healthy stock now, easily last me a few years and then some.
 
Captcurt said:
I had a friend needing some small rifle primers and I had a bunch of them. Offered them to him for $50 a brick, but he didn't want to pay that. They were bringing $150-$200 a brick on line. 2 weeks later he called ready to buy them, but alas, they were gone. Not really but I decided to keep them and ordered a new Weatherby Vanguard in 223.;)
Click to expand...
Don't mean to hijack the thread, but what is the twist rate on your Weatherby?
 
Wyo82 said:
Hopefully not the situation, I picked up a brick of 1000 for $34.99 yesterday at Scheels, a big box store....
Click to expand...
My Scheels MN is $3.49/hundred and they have a 200 limit. Yesterday all they had was LPP. I have enough but always check for my customers at the range where I RSO.
 
I am thankful that I am not on E.
No big stash, but enough to hold me until the winter breaks.
Saw a Craigslist ad. where he is selling Federal LRP Mag primers for $250 per 1K!
He is also selling an 8 lb jug of Varget for $750! That's right $750.
Hard times bring out the worst in some people.
 
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