Primers - 2nd shortage, or pure fiction?

[coloradokevin]

I'm starting to wonder if we're having another primer shortage, or if my favorite local store is just having some issues.


Here's the situation:


Anyone who has been reloading for more than a couple of years certainly remembers the primer shortage that took place following the 2008 presidential election. In my area of the country it seemed that primers were nearly impossible to find (at any stores) for about a year.

Since then the inventory of primers has been doing pretty well, and the overall situation has improved: Prices have come down a bit in my area (less than $30/1,000 for Win primers here in Colorado), and there has been enough selection to allow me to be a bit choosy.

UNTIL THIS WEEK!

I went to my local Sportsman's Warehouse for some primers the other day. It looked like 2008 again. Whereas this same store had a few hundred boxes of primers on the shelves in previous weeks, they were once again down to only carrying shotshell primers.

I asked an employee about the primer situation, and he told me "there's another primer shortage going on, and we may not have any for a while". Given the events of 2008-09, this idea at least seems possible.

On the other hand, Sportsman's Warehouse has had some serious inventory control problems ever since their bankruptcy (which, incidentally, took place around the time of the last shortage).


So, what do you guys think on this situation, and how are things in your area as of the last week or two?

In your mind, is there another primer shortage, or just a problem with this one individual store?



Thanks!

 

[Walkalong]

Fiction.

 

[rfwobbly]

I see primer prices dropping in the southeast. Especially Federal, which I prefer.

 

[IMtheNRA]

I think it is just Sportsman's Warehouse having some sort of a problem. The local stores and the Internet dealers seem to have everything.

 

[blarby]

I smell fiction.

In my area, there are a few guys and gals who routinely go into our local shops and purchase EVERYTHING in primers on the shelves.

One of my favorite stores actually keeps a small list of " non-golden horde" buyers with phone #'s to call after their newest shipments arrive to have lots set aside to prevent critical shortage hoarding.

As far as a manufacturing shortage- not that I can see

This hording is what caused the "shortage" the last time( in my opinion), I think folks may just get the whim to buy everything up because it happened before.

One of the side effects I've noticed is that few stores are willing to negotiate on primer pricing for large orders/ buy lots from the shelf.

Granted, wal-mart wont give you a break anyway...but most private owners are willing to discount most relatively large purchases of a single item to facilitate a sale- which shows something in this case

 

[subman47]

i was just at a gun store today, loads of primers cci , Winchester, and Federal's

 

[Redneck with a 40]

Plenty of primers at the gun show's I've been frequenting. Also, our local Sportsmans Warehouse has plenty of primers on the shelf, $30/1000, Colorado Springs.

If there is going to be another shortage, I'm ready for it. I've got 6K of small pistol, 5K of small rifle, and 3K of large rifle. I can weather another storm.

 

[ranger335v]

"So, what do you guys think on this situation, and how are things in your area as of the last week or two?"

The shortage of two years ago was driven by panic buying and hoarding, not a real shortage condition, and we have no reason to think the same minds won't do it again. If so, it's no biggie; after the Chicken Little's storage lockers get saturated, or they go broke, things will return to normal. Again.

 

[GLShooter]

Al fiction. They are running off the shelves with primers here in Phoenix. Sportsman's included. Only limited by your pocket book.

Greg

 

[redneck2]

Cabelas has CCI small rifle's for $19.95/1k. Just saw them again this week. I already bought 6k. Another guy at the counter was getting 17k. Guessing they had at least 40k on the shelf at that price.

 

[gamestalker]

I live in Arizona and am seeing the same trend, but it seems to be issolated to just Sportsman's for now. The thing that seems off though, is the brand and type of primers Sportsman's seems to always have inventory issues with. I use a lot of CCI-250 and CCI-550 primers, which are the ones they just can't seem to keep a good inventory of. They had ton's of Winchester and Remington Magnum pirmers in every flavor, and with good pirces, under $30.00 per thousand. But because I only load with CCI I just can't seem to go with anything else.
I am keeping an eye on things though, because during the 2008 shortage, magnum primers were the primary issues around here.

 

[GLShooter]

Cabelas in AZ had the sale end about 10 days ago.

Greg

 

[codefour]

Powder Valley Inc

About two weeks ago, I ordered 3,000 primers from Powder Valley Inc. They told me their stock was fine on primers. Brass or bullets were in some forms on short supply.

 

[coloradokevin]

Thanks for the helpful replies, everyone! Though I tried to stay neutral in the post I started this thread with, I also suspected that this newly alleged primer shortage was probably not all it was cracked up to be.

I've also been seeing primers on store shelves pretty routinely, with prices falling from their previously inflated highs. However, I figured this question was worth answering, after I saw how quickly the supplies were depleted the last time the free world got scared!

 

[Tim the student]

No shortage in my area as of a couple days ago.

 

[Wildbillz]

Sounds more like a supplyer issue then a shortage issue with Sportsmans?

WB

 

[MtnCreek]

I've had no trouble getting primers. Projectiles are a different story. I've had .40 cal projectiles on back-order from Powder Valley for +/- 7 weeks and .40 and .45 projectiles on back-order from BHSS for a couple weeks.

 

[jmorris]

Many already had the 2nd shortage with the Democrats victory in the election before last. The first one was caused by the AWB over ten years before that. A lot of us had plenty to ride on through all of the panic buying. Actually the only folks you heard from were the reloaders who buy primers by the 1000 or less, for the most part. I think I am out (of that size/type) and reorder when I start on my last 5000 but never have worried about having enough.

 

[D94R]

Sportsmans might be having inventory issues because they are having problems paying their suppliers (after or from the Bankruptcy). People like to get paid for their products. Then agian, maybe this isn't an issue at all.


Cabela's had a deal going with the 19.95/1000 CCI primers. I picked up 12k and didn't feel the slightest bit bad about being a potential "hoarder". They had at one time an entire end cap full of them, which was atleast 100k, plus what they had behind the counter.

Now, if they'd run a sale on large rifle, and both pistol primers I could set myself up for a long time. Otherwise the online stores have plenty of options to choose from to keep primer cost's under ~$25/1000.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

Supposedly increased demand for copper, etc., as the third world industrialises is driving up world market prices on metals, raising prices and availibility of primers, casings and bullets.

Just as talk about banning ammo or taxing ammo drove panic buying and stockpiling in the 1980s, similar antigun talk today pushes panic buying and stockpiling causing artificial shortages. (Sometimes I long for the 1950s when no one worried about ammo: we could always count on the gas station or general store on the way to the mountain being stocked with ammo.)

Fron talking to wholesalers and retailers, my impression is that there is not continuous production on a lot of ammo related commponents or ammunition like .30 Carbine. The makers do a production run for what will cover the projected sales for the year, and that's it. The production line is shut down or retooled for another product until next year's production on projected numbers based on last years' demand. If the demand is higher than the projected numbers, there's a seasonal shortage. I have learned to buy this year for next year's season too.

So my hoarding or stockpiling might create a shortage for someone else, but I finished one match season shooting questionable ammo from odd leftover lots due to shortages, and don't intend to do that again.

 

[TonyT]

Pure fiction - no primer shortage from what I see on dealers shelves.

 

[amlevin]

Sportsman's Warehouse is right about there being a shortage. It isn't primers though. The shortage with them is MONEY. They seem to have a problem keeping inventory of anything in their reloading component department.

Money has been a problem for them for some time. Even had to sell off some stores to keep their head above water. The local "successor" has a similar problem. Can't keep anything on the shelves and what they do have is overpriced.

All my "Online Suppliers" seem to have plenty. And at good prices too.

 

[788Ham]

There are two Sportsmans in my end of town, within 20 miles, neither one will get my business again. The shelves for primers are always empty, maybe just lazy employees? When asked if a shortage, the reply is always, "Haven't gotten them out yet." Maybe Cabelas' is the place to shop!?

 

[Bush Pilot]

Just spoke to my nearest Cabela's store (Post Falls,Id) They have piles of CCI 400 primers @ 19.99/1000, the clerk wasn't sure when the sale would be over. It would be a great deal if I didn't already have 12 billion.

 

[raz-0]

I think at the moment you are seeing retailers getting squeezed between slow moving inventory and a price increase from a lot of vendors.

This probably has some places trying to decide between a vendor switch, waiting out slow inventory before biting the bullet on higher priced new stock, shuffling stuff around between stores, and other such fun things.

From my take. I can buy where I want and get something usable. I can buy exactly what I want without getting gouged, but I might have to shop around. I can get the price I want, but i might have to switch brands and shop someplace new.