It Can't Be Just Us- No Components

Except that it is just us. The government demand has not substantially increased this year...the rumors of large fed orders are basically vaporware (the orders are for basically the same amounts that have been purchased in the recent past). It's just everyone stockpiling and the entrance of many new reloaders (like myself) into the hobby.

AethelstanAegen said:

Except that it is just us. The government demand has not substantially increased this year...the rumors of large fed orders are basically vaporware (the orders are for basically the same amounts that have been purchased in the recent past). It's just everyone stockpiling and the entrance of many new reloaders (like myself) into the hobby.

Click to expand...

You new guys.... stealing all the fun stuff! There's a serious uptick in reloading just local to me. I am personally helping 3 people start reloading - something I've never even been asked to do before. Not only that, reloading classes at my local range are ALL booked and they had to add extra classes to accomodate demand.

I would say that it very much is "us"!

It'll be OK. You could practice your draw and hammer drop in the meantime perhaps.

I've been wanting to get into reloading for about 10 years, just started a little over a year ago. Even with my limited experience I've been teaching 3 friends and I have 4 more that want me to help them get started when they get the time. On top of that I have another friend and his 2 sons that started on their own about 4 months ago. Just like all of us reloaders got off guard (all to different extents) the component companies got caught off guard a bit too. It didn't help that the panic started during holiday season. It's just going to take a little time before the manufacturers can catch up.

And don't bring up .22lr being scarce, if there's 10 manufacturer's all capable of producing 2mil rounds of .22 per day, it'd still take them 1.37 years to make a 555rnd brick of .22lr for every one of the estimated 100mil gun owners in the US. Then take into account all the people that buy multiple bricks, plus the global demand for .22lr.

I don't know why the government is at fault, Iraq has pretty much wound down, we're not expending millions of rounds a month. Afgan is pretty much heading that way. So the ammo they used to get is now going to the civilian market, and that includes the components. People are just going crazy to get their hands on anything gun related. Look at 22LR, I don't think that was used by the military, but it's all gone too.

The military used a lot of 22lr, at least they did back when I was at Ft Sill. The 45ACPs were converted for training purposes.

Ken70 said:

I don't know why the government is at fault, Iraq has pretty much wound down, we're not expending millions of rounds a month. Afgan is pretty much heading that way. So the ammo they used to get is now going to the civilian market, and that includes the components. People are just going crazy to get their hands on anything gun related. Look at 22LR, I don't think that was used by the military, but it's all gone too.

Click to expand...

The wars in the middle east winding down is not going to help ammo "shortages". Lake city produces quite a bit if not most of the military's small arms ammo. Lake City doesn't manufacture any ammo for the civilian market. Everything they sale on the civilian market is either .gov contract over run or it didn't meet the required specs for the military. Lake City is in the process of trying to get a good portion of their older employees to retire (even some retire early) because of the wars winding down.

But that could mean that more components get freed up. Since ATK won't be sending all of their primers, bullets, and brass to Lake City their production of those components could go towards making more for the civilian market.

Look to our fellow sportsman. Scalpers.

The Feds aren't the ones lined up 5 deep at the Wally World sporting goods counter when a shipment of ammo arrives. It's people like us. Sorry to break it to you.

Pretty sure Federal has the LC contract.

ATK owns Federal.

There's nothing I put past the administration but I don't think it's the problem this time. I can't see the feds buying out supplies of 2 cavity bullet molds, cast bullets or round ball for muzzleloaders or single stage presses. Even the supply of black powder is spotty.

I believe the intensity of the reaction to various federal and state proposals and laws caught the industry by surprise. The continuing rhetoric from the gun-grabbers (people used to call it lying through their teeth) inflames, justifiably, peoples' concerns and makes the situation worse.

Jeff

Here is the answer from Hornady. BTW....I got a similar reply from Hodgdon when I asked them the same question. Don't believe it unless you hear it from us. Maybe folks just get a bigger thrill from hearing and repeating conspiracy theories, than plain, simple truth.......

Why no reloading components?

It is definitely just us, and our numbers are climbing fast.

Take a tour of the Hornady factory if you don't believe us

Click to expand...

Now that would be cool.

If it is the Government, then I can't believe they bought out Powder Valleys shipment in 40 minutes. That hurt, I think I am usually fast on the draw, but dang it.

About 1/3 of the population of this country is running scared. Afraid they will never be able to buy anything gun-related without it either being outlawed or tracked by the officials we have elected. That is about 100 million people. Not even our government has that much purchasing power.

About 1/3 of the population of this country is running scared.

Click to expand...

That made me remember something I was thinking about earlier. When I am walking around a store or am at the doctor or any public place I just start talking to people I don't know, caught that from the wife. I can't believe how many new people I have talked to the last few months that are buying a gun for the first time or are taking a concealed carry class. A guy I work with signed up for a CC class and it was a four month wait. It's the club I belong to and I know they do at least one class a week with 20 per class. Haven't met anybody that is getting into reloading.

Haven't met anybody that is getting into reloading.

Click to expand...

I think it's KansasSasquatch that's teaching people. Here in Wichita there are now waiting lists for reloading classes. And look at all the newbys on this forum.

Good. I'll do without for a while to get more people into the sport.

I just became a archery instructor for a new class that it's being offered for the first time & we had to make 8 classes something like 130 first time bow shooters. It is assume that all these people are getting into this stuff.

How do you thing all the new sportsman are going to vote next time. I don't like Onions but he has been one of the greatest things to happen to the gun & ammo industry.

Jesse Heywood said:

I think it's KansasSasquatch that's teaching people. Here in Wichita there are now waiting lists for reloading classes. And look at all the newbys on this forum.

Click to expand...

Oh now you can't blame this shortage on me, all the friends I've taught have been using components from my stash. They pay for what they want to load and I walk them through it and "supervise" to make sure they aren't going to blow up a gun or a person. Told them they gotta go slow though as I'm pretty low on lead. Got a decent stash of primers and I have powder that should be delivered tomorrow, but not enough bullets for all the powder and primers. One buddy is actually going to invest in some casting equipment before he buys a press/dies/etc. I told him my press is always available for a donation of boolits. I'll take up casting one of these days when equipment is more readily available.

I have learned over the years following Clinton's "scare" that lead us to 10 years of the AWB. I ordered everything I needed for this seasons competitions before the election and haven't lot any sleep.

The shortage won't hit me for another 6 months, at least enough to cause me to start coveting my stash a little more. I still have some less used powders and primers from back when I stocked up in '93-'94.

Ever realize how long 5k primers lasts used just for hunting loads?

jmorris said:

.Ever realize how long 5k primers lasts used just for hunting loads?

Click to expand...

One month of prarie doggin? lolz

That's just target practice. We don't have them here anyway, just pocket gophers that don't hang out above ground.

Had to build a special plow to poison them. Not much fun but will clear a hay meadow for longer than a ream of primers.