Why primers?

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gvnwst

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So, pretty much all of us have "noticed" the lack of reloading supplies, and i have noticed in particular, primers are hard to get. I am able to buy pretty much anything i want around where i live, they have huge amonts of powder, but NOT 1 rifle primer?! Why is it all primers, you need just as many projectiles, no? And it seems to be mainly limited to "rifle" primers, "pistol" primers are very available...(and i don't need to reload for any centerfire pistol:() Why is this?
 
Pistol primers are very available?
Grafs & Sons Out of Stock
Natchez Out of Stock
Powder Valley Out of Stock

Don't sound very available to me.
 
Okay, from large places. Around where i am, there are a LOT. Gander Mtn (stopping selling stuff, because they CAN'T sell it!) had like 50k last time i went, all pistol. No rifle primers. Same for the super small reloading store i have.
 
small boxed, relatively low price.. easy for hoarders to get and attempt to sell at a later date.... my guess anyway...
 
lead, gunpowder and brass can be found or improvised... primers...not so much...much like a gun is useless without a cartrige, a cartrige is useless without a primer...
 
Easy to understand the small rifle primer shortage.......fear of another AWB caused a panic buying frenzy on AR15's, most all are chambered for .223....which causes a run on ammo....which causes a run on components....etc.

Primers are out there, but not on the internet. Most gun shops are getting metered supplies in on a weekly basis. I picked up another 12K pistol primers this morning, (7K small and 5K large).
 
Okay, lets see here...how many primers do you have Rembrandt? Well, since you have so many, i get the next bunch, so i have some in the first place!:neener::D

Really, it sucks to not be able to even start with 200 primers! Just halt your buying some a newb can start, please!:eek:
 
I think it is because primers are (were) less than $30 per K.
Good bullets are about that per 100 or 50 on some cases.
Powder is roughly $20-25 per pound.

So on say .223 (rough math & pricing)
you get about 250 rounds per $25 on powder.
you get about 200 rounds per $25 on bullets. (Cheap Bullets! not SMKs)
you get about 1000 rounds per $25 on primers.

Then there is the HazMat fee your avoiding. 1K primers equals about 4lb powder in the .223 example.

If I had the money I'd have more primers than Rembrandt. I'm not criticizing Rembrandt. Most guys that can afford them already had plenty and can still buy more. I just try to buy my components in balanced quantities.

It is self fulfilling prophecy, cyclic and stampeding in nature.
 
Keep buying some powder when you can not find primers. One day, roles will reverse and primers will be plentiful and powder scarce.
 
Keep buying some powder when you can not find primers. One day, roles will reverse and primers will be plentiful and powder scarce.
Click to expand...
Exactly what i am plannning oon doin. now i just need to get some $ for powder, and a good setup for all the different calibers i will ever want.....
 
I'll bet the factories that produce primers have one machine for each size. The machines run day and night seven days a week producing X number. So they've been truckin along for years, they are producing a steady supply for their distrubuters who then sell to brick and mortar as well as e-stores. All of sudden demand shoots sky high, some dip wads are hoarding 20K or more. Now they can't turn up the machines much and they can't buy new machines because they are super expensive and the machines take 6 months to build. And what plant manager wants to be stuck with a gazillion dollar machine when the demand slacks six months from now?

That's my take anyway.:barf:
:)
 
Powder is rare: Primers are more rare

Common primers come from America and Brazil. Why are both country's so light on primers? I feel it's a conspiracy, like when sugar circled landing ports to INCREASE prices, or when gasoline became unavailable in 1974. I hate conspiracies, yet here we are: primerless. We must live with the dirth, until prices become RIGHT. We, consumers, have no say within a world market. cliffy
 
I just got a 5k case of Federal 205M's (small rifle match) last week.
Really, it sucks to not be able to even start with 200 primers! Just halt your buying some a newb can start, please
Click to expand...
I'd suggest getting at least 1k at a time as they become available. Actually they are, you just can't walk into any store at any time and get them. Gotta look around.

A few months ago there weren't any bullets. Now there are plenty. There wasn't any powder. Now it's showing up.

Are you stocking up or just waiting for the next shortage?

I'm going to start putting back lead. I suspect it will be banned or more likely heavily taxed before Big O's first term is up. I'm looking at maybe 2-3 tons.
 
Woohoo! I managed to lay my hands on a thousand of each Federal small pistol, small rifle and large rifle primers today - at regular prices. I am officially prepared for zombies.
 
well, those of you who think pistol primers are easy to come by consider yourself lucky. I have two gun shops in my area. Both have always been waaay overpriced. Last I checked it was about $5 per hundred and thats even If they have them. Most of the time they dont. I have to order my primers online and no one has any online or has had any the last two months Ive checked. I am on the "contact when they come in stock" list on all the major suppliers. You guys that can just stroll into your big box stores and pick up what you want count your blessings.
 
I think it is because primers are (were) less than $30 per K.
Good bullets are about that per 100 or 50 on some cases.
Powder is roughly $20-25 per pound.

So on say .223 (rough math & pricing)
you get about 250 rounds per $25 on powder.
you get about 200 rounds per $25 on bullets. (Cheap Bullets! not SMKs)
you get about 1000 rounds per $25 on primers.
Click to expand...
With the above logic the math for small pistol primers for 9mm with cast bullets should be:
- .75 cents a shot for powder (Titegroup 4gr, $13/lb)
- .36 cents a shot for lead (WW, $.2/lb, 125gr)
- 2.5 cents a shot for primers as said above.

Rife primers should go up in price, but pistol can not.
 
to much hoarding going on. many things are not available regoinally. some shops seem to have this, the next has that. you just have to look in every nook and cranny. you will find what you need. think of it as a treasure hunt! it is a PITA, but what are you going to do?:banghead:
 
Primers are simply the one thing you don't have, can't make, or can't reuse. You can make bullets for just about anything, and probably have SOME brass (which is reloadable until it wears out). Yes, you do need powder, but many of us can substitute other powders we have until we use them all up. If we are out of primers, we stop reloading right NOW.........
 
gvnwst said:
Okay, lets see here...how many primers do you have Rembrandt? Well, since you have so many, i get the next bunch, so i have some in the first place!
Click to expand...

Not buying to scalp, buying them to use. Reload not only for myself but our kids families as well. We use to be quite heavy into the shotgun sports but the kids interests have gravitated in recent years to AR's and handgun competitions. We load and shoot in excess of 100K-to-150K rounds each year.

Never worried much about primers when the local stores carried inventories, now have to buy in larger quantities for the upcoming year because of the shortages. It's simply economics and buying in a timely manner. Started buying components as a group over a year ago to get better price breaks and spread out hazmat charges. Unfortunately we didn't start buying up rifle & pistol components in time.
 
Refer to my previous post named 'Yippie'. I just ordered powder and primers from Graf & Sons on 3/31 and received them both on 4/3. I put the products on b/o and they filled the order as soon as they could I guess? Their web site said 'out of stock' then and still does. I think they have tons of supplies but just don't update the web site...

Mike
 
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