Never thought I would pay….

I have paid more than $109.00 for a box of primers!

It’s a longer box than normal but inside there are 5 more boxes with 10 trays of 100 in each of them.

If the prices stay high enough and I live long enough, I probably will pay even more though. Nothing else I enjoy doing is getting any cheaper. For that matter, even stuff I don’t like at all keeps going up.

Too bad I couldn’t pay a couple decades of property tax ahead of increases in cost. Certainly would saved me more money that buying primers just because they were plentiful and cheap.

CQB45ACP said:

Not that it ever rains in the Sunshine State. Up here we just need heavy duty blades to wipe away the BS coming from across the Potomac.

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I don't know weather the old days were better when we just had to watch out for Mr. Byrd poop..

As many of us contemplate what price is too much and where we will stop is arbitrary and pointless !.

NONE of us should have ever paid more than $40.00 per K ,for ANY of them !. The ONLY way primers ,powder , bullets WILL come down is by ALL OF US ,NOT PURCHASING THEM PERIOD !. Manufacturers have made a KILLING off reloaders FEARS !.

I can't wait to see WHERE one draws the line on FUEL OR FOOD

I know of (1) LGS that has been reasonably consistent with having some type of primers in stock through all this. Prices range from 6 to 10 bucks a sleeve / limit one of each type per person.
As July, August, and even parts of September can be pretty hot/muggy around here, it's the perfect time to stay inside / do a bunch of reloading.
I have enough inventory to keep reloading for a while, but not 3 months worth if done at my 'normal' summer pace.
So, I've been 'slowing down / enjoying the ride' so to speak. Didn't think I'd like it, but it's something different and it helps to keep me going through the lean times.

Bill M. said:

$109.00 for a box of primers. But I just did. Walked into a store that had mag small pistol primers. So a box of primers and a bottle of HP 38 and I am good for a while.

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What did you pay for the HP38?

I never thought I'd pay $50 for a pound of powder, until I did so today. H110. I also bought a pound of CFE Pistol, "only" paid $28 for it, which is more than I paid for the last pound of H110 I bought. I'd like to have found SMP primers for $109 the last time I bought primers.

PSA: you may want to stay away from the New CCI 450's unfortunately they have tendency to Fail to fire in anything.

GBExpat said:

<nodding> "O" years (2013? '14?) I paid my highest, ~$45? at Clark Bros. in Opel, VA (prices were always a bit high there anyway) for a box of CCI LPP. OUCH!

I can handle being without the most things but not my 45acp ammo, and I was getting dangerously low on LPPs so ...

After that Silliness abated, I used the ensuing opportunities to loaded-UP on both reloading components and ammunition (I really enjoyed all of those assorted Rebates and Federal Black Pack deals) whenever I saw a Good Deal offering.

When things calm-down & level-out again, I will resume the hunt.

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I use to frequent Clark bros... 35 years ago... And online (not from CB) I've had to pay 100$/1000 recently... And it was harder than I could ever have imagined...

BushMaster-15 said:

As many of us contemplate what price is too much and where we will stop is arbitrary and pointless !.

NONE of us should have ever paid more than $40.00 per K ,for ANY of them !. The ONLY way primers ,powder , bullets WILL come down is by ALL OF US ,NOT PURCHASING THEM PERIOD !. Manufacturers have made a KILLING off reloaders FEARS !.

I can't wait to see WHERE one draws the line on FUEL OR FOOD

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What's the alternative? Sit home and vegetate in front of the boob tube? If you start another hobby to take up the free time you have while you boycott component manufacturers, you're going to spend more money for that than you would have two years ago, too. Do those home improvement projects you've been putting off? You'll pay through the nose for materials. EVERYTHING is more expensive now.

bluetopper said:

No matter what price you paid somebody will boast of a better deal. You can bank on it. And they will tell you how well prepared they were that they haven't had to buy primers in several years and how short sighted and ill prepared you were.

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I hope my post, #20, did not come across this way. It was not intended and I apologize if it came across wrong.

I have not seen a primer on a store shelf in 2 years.
The few I find online are not at a reasonable price.
$60 - $<70, I would possibly be a buyer.
I am not desperate or even low on stock, but I would replenish.

barnfrog said:

What's the alternative? Sit home and vegetate in front of the boob tube? If you start another hobby to take up the free time you have while you boycott component manufacturers, you're going to spend more money for that than you would have two years ago, too. Do those home improvement projects you've been putting off? You'll pay through the nose for materials. EVERYTHING is more expensive now.

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Aren't You paying through the nose now for materials ?. The ONLY way I can see any reduction in pricing ,is NOT purchasing .
Eventually ( sooner than later ) manufacturers are setting on inventory . Boycotting is generally a political protest measure ,I'm simply saying lessen the demand and as inventory stacks ,prices drop .

Have you ever ask yourself ,WHAT drove primer manufacturers to SCALP the general public in the first place ?.

What dramatic event drove raw materials to #4 times their cost ?. NOTHING because the Raw materials DIDN'T go up significantly .
GREED ,ADMINISTRATION AND INFLATION drove them to where they are now !. Again ask yourself IF primer manufacturers were losing so much money prior to 2020 , WHY didn't they UP PRICES THEN ?. They WEREN'T and primers were still $32.00- 36.00 per K nearly everywhere . Chose to believe this or not , this entire plandemic has been carefully orchestrated .

I'll give you a prime example of supply and demand and price restructuring . Sportsman's warehouse two weeks ago brought in 1-2K boxes of 9mm ,some off the wall brand at a ridiculous price . Seriously the shelves as in Plural were 20 boxes deep and #12 high one entire aisle plus and end display JAMMED FULL . I went there this AM ,to see about primers , NONE !.
I asked the Gun counter guy how the 9mm sale was going ,as I DIDN'T see any significant depletion . He replied most folks around here want Hunting ammunition ,don't know why corporate sent that crap too us !. They had #2 boxes of 6.5 creedmoor with Berger Match grade at $54.85 a copy . I WOULDN'T pay that for both boxes . I still believe retailers as well as wholesalers are artificially shorting the markets ,so as to keep demand high and prices UP UP and GOING FURTHER UP !. They see a FAT HOG ON THE HOOF ,as in TWO TO BE EXACT !. IMO

barnfrog said:

What's the alternative? Sit home and vegetate in front of the boob tube? If you start another hobby to take up the free time you have while you boycott component manufacturers, you're going to spend more money for that than you would have two years ago, too. Do those home improvement projects you've been putting off? You'll pay through the nose for materials. EVERYTHING is more expensive now.

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Wife and I used to love driving down to Cedar Key for seafood and the view. Can’t afford it now with gas at $4/gal. Even if it came down to $3.50/ the seafood costs more to cover higher prices and labor shortages. I’m not even sure the view is affordable anymore.
Some folks like to rant. It makes them feel better. I’m guilty too, as y’all know. Just let it go and live life as happy as possible. I’m sure brother Bushmaster will come around.

IALoder said:

The Scheels here has had primers for the last couple months. CCI 34's and 41's are 109.99 a brick, CCI 400, 450, &500's have been 69.99, all others have been 89.99 a brick. Powder has been pretty available at $35-50/lb as well.

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Our Scheels’ prices are the same, EXCEPT the Federal Gold Metal Match AR primers. They are north of the CCI 41s. I know because I bought a brick of each last time I was in there. But a limit of 1,000 per variety, what could I do? Primarily “muscle memory” since this most recent scare started.

In the Jeep I told myself, “Stop already, you’re set for life!”

Bill M. said:

I paid the 109 for the primers and the $44 for the powder of my own free will. I had not seen either on a store shelf for 2 years. I am not totally out of either but would like to load up some pistol ammo without worrying about running out of any supplies. At home I would have to order and pay hazmat. I would rather the shop have the money than whoever gets the hazmat fee. A really amazing store in Errol NH.

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Personally I don't know if I could bring myself to pay those prices BUT, it's you money and you do what you think is right for you. No one has the right to get down on you for your choices.

HP38/W231 is a very versatile powder, good choice. I use a lot of it in most of the 7 or so handgun cartridges I load for the range.

I personally know some shooters who migrated from slaves states (California, for example) to free states. They are in love with their new hobby, viz. the gun sports and shooting.

Multiply that times several millions and you get an idea of the demand on manufactured ammo. That's where the primers are going. There's much better profit margin with manufactured ammo than in selling individual components.

It's not rocket science. Hence, shortages to the end users of basic reloading components. Hence, higher prices.

BushMaster-15 said:

As many of us contemplate what price is too much and where we will stop is arbitrary and pointless !.

NONE of us should have ever paid more than $40.00 per K ,for ANY of them !. The ONLY way primers ,powder , bullets WILL come down is by ALL OF US ,NOT PURCHASING THEM PERIOD !. Manufacturers have made a KILLING off reloaders FEARS !.

I can't wait to see WHERE one draws the line on FUEL OR FOOD

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Couldn’t disagree more! As Milton Friedman said: free to choose.

uuolf said:

I use to frequent Clark bros... 35 years ago... And online (not from CB) I've had to pay 100$/1000 recently... And it was harder than I could ever have imagined...

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I love Clark Brothers because it’s a family run, small business. I don’t care if prices are high or low. But it’s a hike from Annandale.

I'm going on 80 and on a fairly fixed income, I think they are going to price me out of the game. Everything fun seems to become a rich man's game after a while.

dannyd said:

Did you ever run into Fran the lady from Old Town that sold primers and powder at the gun shows.

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Nope. I have avoided gun shows since the SKS craze, though.

CQB45ACP said:

Couldn’t disagree more! As Milton Friedman said: free to choose.

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Milton was from Chicago and wasn't purchasing firearm related materials , Granted each and everyone of us is free at the moment ( however that's about to forever change ) and I choose NOT to be extorted . The rest of you do as you see fit .

BushMaster-15 said:

Milton was from Chicago and wasn't purchasing firearm related materials , Granted each and everyone of us is free at the moment ( however that's about to forever change ) and I choose NOT to be extorted . The rest of you do as you see fit .

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Historically bans, boycotts and bounties have had the same net effect: an increase in cost of the targeted economic activity. It’s known as The Cobra Effect.
It should be called The Goya Effect, though. When the CEO of Goya foods declined to insult the sitting President of the United States, the president’s political opposition called for international boycotting of Goyas products. The resulting boom in sales depleted Goyas planned market footprint for the full year in under a month. Boycotts aren’t what some folks think they are.

BushMaster-15 said:

Milton was from Chicago and wasn't purchasing firearm related materials , Granted each and everyone of us is free at the moment ( however that's about to forever change ) and I choose NOT to be extorted . The rest of you do as you see fit .

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Right but that’s your choice to not participate in a transaction so by definition there is no extortion. Just sayin

Not even trying to predict the future of our sport.

SunnySlopes said:

I personally know some shooters who migrated from slaves states (California, for example) to free states. They are in love with their new hobby, viz. the gun sports and shooting.

Multiply that times several millions and you get an idea of the demand on manufactured ammo. That's where the primers are going. There's much better profit margin with manufactured ammo than in selling individual components.

It's not rocket science. Hence, shortages to the end users of basic reloading components. Hence, higher prices.

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It’s not just better profit, it’s contractual obligation - legal obligation, to vendors, federal, state and municipal agencies, many of which can spend billions in taxpayer dollars persecuting suppliers who break those contracts - not to mention obligations to distributors and foreign governments…
I think it’s a mistake to assume Vista is gouging when the evidence shows they’re filling pre-plandemic contracts and it would bankrupt the company not to show a sincere effort to meet those contracts. Some of the federal agencies with long-term ammunition contracts are salivating like feral dogs at the prospect of persecuting Vista and it’s officers. And putting the only sources for civilians to arm themselves out of business.