Ammo Related Raw Material Shortages

[bassjam]

Since the other thread got closed right after I put in the research and likely seconds before I was ready to post, I'm going to just drop this here so I don't feel like I wasted my time.

Copper mine output lower because of Covid shutdowns and restrictions:
https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Copper-Mines-Devastated-During-Covid.html

Lead production is lower because of Covid shutdowns and restrictions:
https://store.globaldata.com/report/gdmmgl004mr--global-lead-mining-to-2024-impact-of-covid-19/

Here's one that hit me, can't find any Caffeine Free Coke which is my leading ingredient in Woodford and Coke. Aluminum shortage:
https://frugalcooking.com/caffeine-free-coke/

Mexico shut down much of their manufacturing. I assume that impacted Aguila, and likely hurt many of the raw materials used for ammo even more.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/27/mexico-american-production-coronavirus-212971

Other raw material shortages:

https://www.dailycommercial.com/sto...expect-covid-19-to-delay-materials/112595106/

I don't know if any of you have done any home projects in the last year, but I've done a couple and lumber is basically twice the price from 2019. I've gone into Lowe's multiple times and can't even find the lumber I need. Here's a time back in September I needed some treated 2x4's and there was none. I couldn't even buy a larger piece and rip it because there just wasn't ANY treated lumber that day. Imagine if lumber was like ammo, and people started going to the store every day and panic buying JUST because they saw the shelves were nearly empty?

 

[aaronu]

Good post, thank you. It is definitely a "perfect storm" of factors impacting (among other things) ammunition supply chain.

 

[NuShootr]

Yep, lumber is priced ridiculously high now. In Southern NJ, it's 4X what it was the summer before COVID hit. Happily, I was able to find knife making steel at the same price at ONE retailer. And also the price of insulated fire bricks I need for a forge haven't gone up either. I thank goodness for small favors.

 

[illinoisburt]

Yep, lumber is priced ridiculously high now. In Southern NJ, it's 4X what it was the summer before COVID hit. Happily, I was able to find knife making steel at the same price at ONE retailer. And also the price of insulated fire bricks I need for a forge haven't gone up either. I thank goodness for small favors.

Home improvements, car repairs, and pretty much all outdoor hobbies including golf, camping, and shooting have experienced huge demand increase as more people have been laid off or work from home. Personally I think even after the restrictions on business lift nationwide we will see a permanent change in how people choose to work and structure their time.

 

[BigBore44]

Home improvements, car repairs, and pretty much all outdoor hobbies including golf, camping, and shooting have experienced huge demand increase as more people have been laid off or work from home. Personally I think even after the restrictions on business lift nationwide we will see a permanent change in how people choose to work and structure their time.

For awhile. But most people have very short term memories nowadays.

 

[earlthegoat2]

I know I paid around $9 per sheet of 4x8 7/16" OSB at HD two years ago. I looked last week and it was priced at $29. That is triple. Interestingly I am going to be building a kitchen soon and high end cabinet grade plywood has stayed the same. Hardwood prices have barely moved either. My kitchen project is virtually identical to the price it would have been pre-Covid. Not so much if I were to be building an entire house. Construction lumber and plywood has been the only lumber affected so far.

 

[BigBore44]

Well to keep this gun related so it doesn’t get shut down, how are prices for wood blanks to make grips and stocks?

 

[George P]

Yep, lumber is priced ridiculously high now. In Southern NJ, it's 4X what it was the summer before COVID hit. Happily, I was able to find knife making steel at the same price at ONE retailer. And also the price of insulated fire bricks I need for a forge haven't gone up either. I thank goodness for small favors.

And yet the plywood plant about 2 miles from my house is running 24/7 and the supply yard gets emptied to make plywood every other day.

 

[bassjam]

Personally I think even after the restrictions on business lift nationwide we will see a permanent change in how people choose to work and structure their time.

I've been working from home since April, been told it'll be at least through June still and I hope I never have to back to the office 5 days week. I decided to jump the gun and built myself a permanent office/man cave in a corner of my basement, just finished over the Christmas break. It sure hurt paying $6/stud but at least the room is small.

I used the opportunity to add a workbench for gun cleaning and smithing too, and it's nice to have my reloading presses behind a locked door now I have a toddler son that is fascinated by tools, he's already smashed his finger up in one of me presses when my wife wasn't watching him when she was in the storage area of the basement where my stuff used to sit, out in the open.

 

[NuShootr]

Well to keep this gun related so it doesn’t get shut down, how are prices for wood blanks to make grips and stocks?

That's an interesting one. Materials are hard to find, but the price is stable when you find it. The problem is, the companies that sell the materials are charging a fortune for shipping. Something that used to cost $5 to get shipped, now is suddenly costing ten times that. I'm not kidding. It's crazy. I just spent $50 on shipping for 5 Firebricks. These are super light, and that company used to charge a flat rate if you bought 6 at a time. Now, not only is there a minimum purchase to be able to buy from them, but they charge shipping PER BRICK.

 

[FFGColorado]

I've been working from home since April, been told it'll be at least through June still and I hope I never have to back to the office 5 days week. I decided to jump the gun and built myself a permanent office/man cave in a corner of my basement, just finished over the Christmas break. It sure hurt paying $6/stud but at least the room is small.

I used the opportunity to add a workbench for gun cleaning and smithing too, and it's nice to have my reloading presses behind a locked door now I have a toddler son that is fascinated by tools, he's already smashed his finger up in one of me presses when my wife wasn't watching him when she was in the storage area of the basement where my stuff used to sit, out in the open.

View attachment 973886

View attachment 973888

wow, USN ship furniture. Desk and chair....

 

[bassjam]

wow, USN ship furniture. Desk and chair....

I've spent too much time on desks that wobble and fall apart. And while my wife could deduct her $3000 well made office furniture set as a business expense, I can't and decided my best option for something that would last was an old tanker desk. Gave $40 for the desk, then happened to see the old chair and thought it'd match. Gave $25 for it. The cat has claimed the chair, she sleeps on it for 8 hours straight while I'm working and she's hiding from the kids!

I don't claim to be military, but stuff from the 70's and earlier certainly was well made!

 

[BlueHeelerFl]

Here's one that hit me, can't find any Caffeine Free Coke which is my leading ingredient in Woodford and Coke. Aluminum shortage:
https://frugalcooking.com/caffeine-free-coke/

View attachment 973723

I don't recall seeing aluminum cased ammo recently.

From what I can see as a super market worker, Coke is concentrating more on their better selling products because of the aluminum shortage. They do runs of their less popular products but weeks will go by without seeing them.

Coke has also discontinued nearly half their product line about 3 months ago. They went from 550 sku's to 300 IIRC. The real niche items like Tab got the boot

 

[lightman]

I've been working from home since April, been told it'll be at least through June still and I hope I never have to back to the office 5 days week. I decided to jump the gun and built myself a permanent office/man cave in a corner of my basement, just finished over the Christmas break. It sure hurt paying $6/stud but at least the room is small.

I used the opportunity to add a workbench for gun cleaning and smithing too, and it's nice to have my reloading presses behind a locked door now I have a toddler son that is fascinated by tools, he's already smashed his finger up in one of me presses when my wife wasn't watching him when she was in the storage area of the basement where my stuff used to sit, out in the open.

View attachment 973886

View attachment 973888

I like that! Thats nice! It looks good and it looks nice and comfortable. The Cat knows!

 

[JCooperfan1911]

Caffeine free coke?

You do know Woodford is a depressant and should cancel the effects? LOL!

 

[FROGO207]

OP I have the swivel chair that matches your set. Couldn't pass up the green chair for my reloading room.

 

[BreechFace]

I've been working from home since April, been told it'll be at least through June still and I hope I never have to back to the office 5 days week. I decided to jump the gun and built myself a permanent office/man cave in a corner of my basement, just finished over the Christmas break. It sure hurt paying $6/stud but at least the room is small.

I used the opportunity to add a workbench for gun cleaning and smithing too, and it's nice to have my reloading presses behind a locked door now I have a toddler son that is fascinated by tools, he's already smashed his finger up in one of me presses when my wife wasn't watching him when she was in the storage area of the basement where my stuff used to sit, out in the open.

View attachment 973886

View attachment 973888

As if you get anything done at your office desk there...

One email for you...one finished cartridge for me...

Very nice job there, such a great space. And you don't have to worry about your pro-2a stickers triggering any snowflakes.

 

[Guy48065]

The aluminum shortage is puzzling. To save money on my alcohol habit I had been buying Kroger brand mixers in 12 oz cans. Soda, tonic, ginger beer, etc. Pre-covid my local store devoted an entire 8-ft long shelf unit to this stuff. It has now dwindled to about 3 ft².
Management claims it's because they can't get aluminum.

 

[NuShootr]

Weird about the aluminum shortage. Some Baking Powders have Aluminum Sulfate in them. No shortage of that at the grocery stores.

 

[bassjam]

The aluminum shortage is puzzling. To save money on my alcohol habit I had been buying Kroger brand mixers in 12 oz cans. Soda, tonic, ginger beer, etc. Pre-covid my local store devoted an entire 8-ft long shelf unit to this stuff. It has now dwindled to about 3 ft².
Management claims it's because they can't get aluminum.

I actually do packaging engineering there. It's completely true, we're struggling to get enough cans for our plants.

 

[bassjam]

As if you get anything done at your office desk there...

One email for you...one finished cartridge for me...

Very nice job there, such a great space. And you don't have to worry about your pro-2a stickers triggering any snowflakes.

Thanks. I have a 100+ year old .22 lever action I wanted to hang on the wall behind me, but figured all it'd take is one complaint during a video conference and I could potentially lose my job. Instead I've hung a deer fur, couple sheds, an old recurve bow, and a couple old fishing rods and reels.

 

[BlueHeelerFl]

Weird about the aluminum shortage. Some Baking Powders have Aluminum Sulfate in them. No shortage of that at the grocery stores.

Although baking powers come in to keep the shelves stocked before they get completely empty at my store ,they are not completely full as they were in the past

 

[Bill Raby]

Well to keep this gun related so it doesn’t get shut down, how are prices for wood blanks to make grips and stocks?

Prices have gone up and selection gone down for stock blanks in the below $1000 range. Not much change for stock blanks above $2000.

 

[George P]

I actually do packaging engineering there. It's completely true, we're struggling to get enough cans for our plants.

Mt LQS (Local Liquor Store) told me they cannot get ANY Bud products except for Michelob Ultra; Pepsi can't get cans for the fruit juices the store sells, and on and on...............

 

[Robert]

Interesting, but we have drifted too far off topic.