loadedround
Member
Sure do!
Reloading Presses, Demand
- Thread starter BobW.
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New to reloading, I started to purchase all the required things. I will admit didn’t realize that there was a shortage previously, however I understand it now. No fault of my own it was just not my focus at that time, so please don’t brow beat me and tell me I told you so. So with that said I have remained patient and have waited as components become available I have purchased them, no I did not pay scalper prices. I have been able to find SPP for less than $60 and have started stocking up when they become available, I have not went crazy and bought more than what was needed. I will only buy one pound 1 box at a time. One just needs to be patient. I did buy a Lee value turret press and 9mm dies, manuals all for around $270 and that was through Midway. I still need to buy something to clean brass but for a start I can reload. The point I’m getting at as a new reloader you can still reasonably get into it. Most of you have said “be patient” “take your time” “don’t be in a hurry” and that is what I have done. Components should and will come back on the shelf, we just need to follow the advice that is constantly be given on these forums.
packetloss
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We are already into February and it's getting worse and worse. We will be lucky if things even become remotely available in 2022.
If that were strictly true, there wouldn't be a crazy backlog on target ammo and primers. They would buy a few boxes of home defense ammo and be out of the equation. I agree most of them were coaxed into buying guns due to the pandemic and riots, but have taken it up as a hobby as well. The ranges near me have been packed to the gills with folks going through boxes of ammo.
I hope I'm wrong, but I would be shocked if things even remotely returned to normal before 2022.
Mark_Mark
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it’s only getting worse because we are buying, let the gougers buy it all up and let them sit on it.
STOP PANICKING & start picnicking people!
WeekendReloader
Member
Ammo consumption in the northern states is down now that it is cold outside. This should relieve some pressure on production for a few months. I don't see any new stories about Covid running rampant through factories. I think people have become a little more responsible about their jobs now, so that should help the labor side of the equation and allow the ammo making machines to run at full capacity. This is all good news.
Many of the 8M new gun owners are happy just owning a gun with a box of ammo in the drawer. Many are also going to the range. How many of the 8M will continue to go to the range as a long-term hobby? Who knows? Once demand levels out, the manufacturers will then determine whether the new state of the market will support the expense of adding new machines to increase their capacity. Until then, we have what we have. Remington bet wrong last time, spent a lot of money expanding capacity betting on what would be the new normal, then the bottom fell out of the market and they went bankrupt. If they could have lasted 6 months longer to make it to this shortage, they probably could have survived.
Many of the 8M new gun owners are happy just owning a gun with a box of ammo in the drawer. Many are also going to the range. How many of the 8M will continue to go to the range as a long-term hobby? Who knows? Once demand levels out, the manufacturers will then determine whether the new state of the market will support the expense of adding new machines to increase their capacity. Until then, we have what we have. Remington bet wrong last time, spent a lot of money expanding capacity betting on what would be the new normal, then the bottom fell out of the market and they went bankrupt. If they could have lasted 6 months longer to make it to this shortage, they probably could have survived.
DukeConnor
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I have one of those. I'm not talking about the press.
tightgroup tiger
Member
The indoor range I shoot at is sure making money on the ammo that they sell. $30.00 to $40.00 for cheap $9.99 ammo. People flock in there and buy it up.
The gun sales counter is always full.
I don't know which is the bigger epidemic, the pandemic or the run on guns and ammo.
The gun sales counter is always full.
I don't know which is the bigger epidemic, the pandemic or the run on guns and ammo.
Reloadron
Contributing Member
I just sold a member here about 43 Lbs of assorted powder for 12.00 a pound. Powder I have had since the mid to late 90s all properly stored. Maybe it's time I looked at stuff like loading dies because I have a pile of them in cartridges I will never shoot or load. I turned 71 a few days ago and I don't see any new cartridges coming into my life. 
Like the powder I would never use it's time to do house cleaning in other areas. Eventually I just look at all this stuff and figure enough is enough.
Ron
Like the powder I would never use it's time to do house cleaning in other areas. Eventually I just look at all this stuff and figure enough is enough.Ron
greyling22
Member
Look at the numbers of guns sold, the rising number of new shooters, and the way people shoot now. People don't go to the range and fire 36 rounds through a revolver and 12 through a bolt gun, have a cup of coffee and go home anymore. The number a rounds fired has gone WAY WAY up. It's not about hording, though there is an aspect to that I suppose, but just that the number of new shooters and the amount of rounds they consume far has outstripped supply.
As far as things returning to normal, I don't foresee it in the next 3-5 years at least. Until production capacity comes up, there will be no additional supply. And no company is going to invest millions into expanding production when laws may easily and quickly be enacted to shut their whole business down, so don't expect anything on the supply and demand equation to change.
Speaking of laws, where have the foreign primers gone? magtech, tula, wolf, fiocchi, etc? there is a reason they're no longer imported, and it's not an economic one.
And finally, look at the consolidation that is going on within the industry. Hogdon recently bought western. There will soon be, if not already, only 2 powder suppliers (hogdon and alliant) Federal bought Remington, so there will soon be only federal, winchester, and maybe fiocchi and aguila? Consolidation never seems to lead toward more supply and lower prices. And I don't foresee any new players joining the field, as the barriers to entry (both legal and economic) are just too high. So with no imported foreign competition, and basically only 1 domestic competitor you can easily fix prices with, prices will creep up year after year.
In short, without laws changing to allow importation of ammunition and components, we're boned. And if you are hoping on gun laws changing for the better......... well, don't hold your breath.
As far as things returning to normal, I don't foresee it in the next 3-5 years at least. Until production capacity comes up, there will be no additional supply. And no company is going to invest millions into expanding production when laws may easily and quickly be enacted to shut their whole business down, so don't expect anything on the supply and demand equation to change.
Speaking of laws, where have the foreign primers gone? magtech, tula, wolf, fiocchi, etc? there is a reason they're no longer imported, and it's not an economic one.
And finally, look at the consolidation that is going on within the industry. Hogdon recently bought western. There will soon be, if not already, only 2 powder suppliers (hogdon and alliant) Federal bought Remington, so there will soon be only federal, winchester, and maybe fiocchi and aguila? Consolidation never seems to lead toward more supply and lower prices. And I don't foresee any new players joining the field, as the barriers to entry (both legal and economic) are just too high. So with no imported foreign competition, and basically only 1 domestic competitor you can easily fix prices with, prices will creep up year after year.
In short, without laws changing to allow importation of ammunition and components, we're boned. And if you are hoping on gun laws changing for the better......... well, don't hold your breath.
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AJC1
Member
Any chance Canada will produce something other than oil and lumber... a primer plant would be an easy money maker and they have tons of areas with no people
Klaatu Barada Nikto
Member
Magtech, Tull Ammo and Wolf are all imports. There's probably more. Even Academy lists Tull Ammo primers, of course nothing is in stock.
I think the issue people see most is Canadian primers. I have relatives in Canada that can't buy primers because Canada is like Illinois, you have to have a FOID(?) card just to purchase anything considered ammo or components.
Americans can't just jump over the border and buy because we don't have that FOID card that says we can purchase.
I might be all wrong on this, but from the data that I've gathered that seems to be the case.
Mark_Mark
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JB just shut off that big ass pipeline! was that connected to Canada?
Mn Fats
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I should have said "newer" or maybe people who have dabbled but weren't fully into the sport. I was a new shooter at age 5 and I didnt have a press on my mind
.Example being my Mom who finally retired from the USPS. She shot guns her whole life but really only ever plinked a few times per year. Now that she has time on her hands she wants to get into reloading. I think that's really cool. So I helped pick out my favorite brands/equipment but when the availability of some things became an issue she didn't understand why.
Is she new? Nope. But is she new to the other layer of shooting? Yes. She didnt have the "foresight" because, like how another poster put it, you dont know what you dont know.
That's all for me.
AJC1
Member
I'm kinda happy to live in a country where everyone could literally buy as much of anything they ever wanted.... this is a minor inconvenience and should be looked at as a lesson, not the end of the world. Maybe the idea of instant gratification is amplifying the current shortage. It's hard to not feed into the problem and emotions even though I know better. Help when you can but dont feed into the hysteria any more...
Mark_Mark
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they had tons of components and even .223 for $8 a box. I bought 2 packs of jigheads, and 2 packs of bullet weights aka line weights
Sportsman Wearhouse!
Encoreman
Member
I will go as far as to predict $6.00+ gasoline. As for reloading supplies, the ammo mfg's mostly sell reloading components when they have an excess. We as reloaders are the low man/woman on the totem pole so to speak. I will gladly reload my primers 1 at a time before I pay some gouger $250/1K for any. I do feel sorry for the newbies, but as for those that have been shooting for 10 years, you should have listened the last time.
It’s gonna take every bit of 2 years from now for this to settle. And that’s only if the deep state doesn’t start working back up on gun legislation.
Heck stuff like 22 shells have only been back down for like 2 years. Inflated from 2012 to 2018. Still 50% higher than they were.
Heck stuff like 22 shells have only been back down for like 2 years. Inflated from 2012 to 2018. Still 50% higher than they were.
Mark_Mark
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I give it 3 months
SunnySlopes
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I'll say more like six months. Maybe less.
Americans have millions of dollars they can't wait to spend on shootin' stuff. As we speak, enterprising entrepreneurs are maneuvering to fill the void.
And by early next year, we'll see a lot of this equipment and components popping up in the used market.
Mark_Mark
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I like your outlook! we’re there a way there will
WeekendReloader
Member
When this all flattens out, we are going to see some of these reloading manufacturers consolidate or go out of business. All this hype is pulling demand forward. Everyone who was thinking about getting into reloading in the near future to two years out is already buying anything they can get their hands on. This big short-term spike in demand will cause a big slump in demand for a few years. Any new reloaders in the next few years will be feasting on the deals on slightly-used equipment bought during this time. New sales will take a nose dive. Hopefully these businesses are stashing their cash to ride out the coming industry recession.
Mark_Mark
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HELL YEAH! I want like 4 Lee App press to build my ammo factory bench
George P
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Not quite; prices a few years ago were the lowest in decades and we got spoiled; get used to paying more for ammo; just the way it is. The head Fiocchi sales manager said minimum of the end of this year just to get caught up on backorders - so much so they aren't taking any new sales orders.
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