I had heard recently thru a nosler rep that the material used to make primers is regulated and controlled by the federal gov't. Primer material is regulated by quantity, who the manufacturer can sell to and to purpose. If this is true, than that explains why I can't purchase primers anywhere. If the feds simply cut out the sale of primers thru the regulation of nitrocellulose, won't this achieve the same thing(nearly) as the banning of guns? I was wondering if anyone knows positively if this is true. Obviously this wouldn't be covered by the nat'l media and know one seems to be able to explain the primer shortage since ALL the distributors are out-so who is buying and horading if you can't buy any?
primers under federal regulation?
- Thread starter Akgunman
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jerkface11
Member
They also don't use nitrocellulose in primers.
You'd be the first person to break this story, but I think the combination of existing reloaders, ammunition sales, war, and the huge influx of new reloaders is the explanation. All components are in short supply, as is ammo. I think the manufacturers are cranking full out as many as their machines can produce.
NavyLCDR
member
No, really, it has got to be an Obama administration conspiracy! (stated while adjusting tin foil hat)
evan price
Member
Well, actually, the material used to make primers IS an explosive compound, regulated in much the same way as other explosive compounds are, and it's been that way for a long time. Just like back "in the day" you could buy dynamite at the hardware store to blow up a stump. Now it's a regulated explosive available only to blasters. Primer compound is an actual explosive regulated by the Federal gov't.
The reason primers are hard to find is not some new "regulation", it's people wanting to stock up. Seriously. Demand-induced supply shortages. It happened in '92, it's happening now. No conspiracy. Just us buying a bunch of them.
Kind of like in the Great Potato Famine, people who never bought potatos started buying them whenever they could find them- and it made the shortage worse. It's a spiral. People start buying, supplies get low, so people start panicing and buying more. Supplies get shorter, more people panic, etc.
The reason primers are hard to find is not some new "regulation", it's people wanting to stock up. Seriously. Demand-induced supply shortages. It happened in '92, it's happening now. No conspiracy. Just us buying a bunch of them.
Kind of like in the Great Potato Famine, people who never bought potatos started buying them whenever they could find them- and it made the shortage worse. It's a spiral. People start buying, supplies get low, so people start panicing and buying more. Supplies get shorter, more people panic, etc.
CypherNinja
Member
+1 to evan price
Primer materials are regulated because they are honest to god high explosives, different from the powder.
Primer materials are regulated because they are honest to god high explosives, different from the powder.
We used to buy dynamite in Laramie all the time at the ranchers supply store for blowing post holes in granite then setting the fence posts. Whole sticks were scored in 4 quarters and we used "slo-blow" fuses. we kept the blasting caps in the house and the dynamite was under one of the beds in the bunk house. There were always two of us, usually on horseback one carried the caps/fuses and the other carrying the hammer, rock drill and dynamite. This was back in the 60's. I guess now you have to be a "specialist".
I remember the primer shortage but
I also remember that there were primers available to distributors though in reduced quantities. I am not claiming conspiracy and I understand the explosive(not nitrocellulose as I thought) has always been regulated, but my question is why are there NO primers available. ALL the distributors RSR, Davisons, etc. have no primers and although I deal direct with remington they have none for sale either. Just seems strange an ammo company has no primers and given the current market and the rise in price shouldn't SOME primers hit the market after all these months even just to charge huge profits?
I also remember that there were primers available to distributors though in reduced quantities. I am not claiming conspiracy and I understand the explosive(not nitrocellulose as I thought) has always been regulated, but my question is why are there NO primers available. ALL the distributors RSR, Davisons, etc. have no primers and although I deal direct with remington they have none for sale either. Just seems strange an ammo company has no primers and given the current market and the rise in price shouldn't SOME primers hit the market after all these months even just to charge huge profits?
I remember the primer shortage but
I also remember that there were primers available to distributors though in reduced quantities. I am not claiming conspiracy and I understand the explosive(not nitrocellulose as I thought) has always been regulated, but my question is why are there NO primers available. ALL the distributors RSR, Davisons, etc. have no primers and although I deal direct with remington they have none for sale either. Just seems strange an ammo company has no primers and given the current market and the rise in price shouldn't SOME primers hit the market after all these months even just to charge huge profits?
I also remember that there were primers available to distributors though in reduced quantities. I am not claiming conspiracy and I understand the explosive(not nitrocellulose as I thought) has always been regulated, but my question is why are there NO primers available. ALL the distributors RSR, Davisons, etc. have no primers and although I deal direct with remington they have none for sale either. Just seems strange an ammo company has no primers and given the current market and the rise in price shouldn't SOME primers hit the market after all these months even just to charge huge profits?
Gun Geezer
Member
Cabela's indicates they are out of primers, also. But they do list that the backorder is only 3-4 weeks.
Cannonball888
Member
Not really. The famine was primarily caused by a potato blight.
I was in a Cabella's yesterday and saw primers on the shelves behind the counter. Also bought some pistol primers at the same Cabella's three weeks ago and bought pistol primers at local gunshops recently.
Rifle primers are apparently more scarce - none at Cabella's yesterday, none at local gunshops last week. Too bad we can't use shotshell primers in rifle brass - everybody seems to have shelves full.
Rifle primers are apparently more scarce - none at Cabella's yesterday, none at local gunshops last week. Too bad we can't use shotshell primers in rifle brass - everybody seems to have shelves full.
jerkface11
Member
Now there's a primer blight??? OMG!!11!!!!
evan price
Member
To go back to my post above- there is no conspiracy. Primers are still available- they are making more every day- it's just that we have a "perfect storm" if you will that is making them scarce:
1. The expense of loaded ammo is driving more people who already reload to reload calibers they didn't reload before- like 9mm for example, when it was $5 or $6 a box lots of folks didn't bother reloading it. Now it's $10 a box and UP so the time/expense makes sense.
2. The higher price of ammo is driving many shooters who never reloaded before to start reloading, which means they have to buy everything.
3. We have elected men to rule us who have made no secret the fact that they do not respect the 2nd Amendment and do not believe we should own guns. Also, the economy is in the toilet so people are trying to be more secure, so they are buying more guns and ammo.
Some of those people buying guns reload already and are getting stuff to reload for their new purchases. Being able to roll your own could become a necessity.
4. Lots of people are aware that the Heller decision will make it difficult to outright ban guns, but know that ammo is available to be taxed or regulated to the point of making it hard to get. Remember Ammunition Accountability wants to make reloading go away entirely so there is doubt as to if components will be available. Therefore we want to lay in supplies in case that happens.
5. Since so many people are buying guns and ammo, it is putting a hurting on the supplies of ammo. Some things you just can't find. Being able to load for yourself is a necessity if you can't find ammo. That means even more new loaders.
Basically, the number of reloaders was not that large a couple years ago. It was something most casual shooters didn't bother with. Fast forward to today, and the reloading equipment makers can't keep up with demand. Prices of used gear as astonishingly high- check eBay someday, die sets were going for $10-$15 max, and suddenly they are just about at MSRP now, for USED stuff.
Now, since there are less supplies to go around, there are the die-hard loaders who stock up at every opportunity (especially those who remember the Clinton "Expiring Primers" scare of 91-92, and people are buying bricks instead of trays and cases instead of bricks. It's so bad now people are trying to buy a year's supply at a time instead of a brick every month.
That's why they are in short supply, because no manufacturer is sitting on a gazillion primers in their warehouse just waiting for this to happen.
This too shall pass.
1. The expense of loaded ammo is driving more people who already reload to reload calibers they didn't reload before- like 9mm for example, when it was $5 or $6 a box lots of folks didn't bother reloading it. Now it's $10 a box and UP so the time/expense makes sense.
2. The higher price of ammo is driving many shooters who never reloaded before to start reloading, which means they have to buy everything.
3. We have elected men to rule us who have made no secret the fact that they do not respect the 2nd Amendment and do not believe we should own guns. Also, the economy is in the toilet so people are trying to be more secure, so they are buying more guns and ammo.
Some of those people buying guns reload already and are getting stuff to reload for their new purchases. Being able to roll your own could become a necessity.
4. Lots of people are aware that the Heller decision will make it difficult to outright ban guns, but know that ammo is available to be taxed or regulated to the point of making it hard to get. Remember Ammunition Accountability wants to make reloading go away entirely so there is doubt as to if components will be available. Therefore we want to lay in supplies in case that happens.
5. Since so many people are buying guns and ammo, it is putting a hurting on the supplies of ammo. Some things you just can't find. Being able to load for yourself is a necessity if you can't find ammo. That means even more new loaders.
Basically, the number of reloaders was not that large a couple years ago. It was something most casual shooters didn't bother with. Fast forward to today, and the reloading equipment makers can't keep up with demand. Prices of used gear as astonishingly high- check eBay someday, die sets were going for $10-$15 max, and suddenly they are just about at MSRP now, for USED stuff.
Now, since there are less supplies to go around, there are the die-hard loaders who stock up at every opportunity (especially those who remember the Clinton "Expiring Primers" scare of 91-92, and people are buying bricks instead of trays and cases instead of bricks. It's so bad now people are trying to buy a year's supply at a time instead of a brick every month.
That's why they are in short supply, because no manufacturer is sitting on a gazillion primers in their warehouse just waiting for this to happen.
This too shall pass.
GregGry
Member
Its an artificial shortage. With everyone buying way more ammo then their needs (aka they could get by with 200 rounds a month but they buy 2,000 rounds as often as their bank accounts will let them) the shelves are empty at the store, but peoples houses are packed. This is just like the toilet paper shortage of 73, except the product (ammo) takes a lot more to manufacture (in money/materials/time) then toilet paper, thus the demand has not been able to be filled.
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