Why primers?
- Thread starter gvnwst
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kimbershot
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- Jul 22, 2008
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primers etc
just got back from 4 diff. gunshops. two were out of large pistol primers, two others had some--i picked up 2k in one store and 3k in another. all complained of shipping delays. basically i stocked up on primers as i will be casting my own bullets (have enough 1x fired shells). i should be self sufficient for several years with my level of participation. (also--mold/handles) are on back order in many places.:banghead:
will opt for several more pounds of 231 as it is still readily available in my area.
good luck to all.
just got back from 4 diff. gunshops. two were out of large pistol primers, two others had some--i picked up 2k in one store and 3k in another. all complained of shipping delays. basically i stocked up on primers as i will be casting my own bullets (have enough 1x fired shells). i should be self sufficient for several years with my level of participation. (also--mold/handles) are on back order in many places.:banghead:
will opt for several more pounds of 231 as it is still readily available in my area.
good luck to all.
coloradokevin
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- Mar 22, 2008
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- 3,285
I've really never been more frustrated with shooting sports than I am right now.
I've been searching for winchester small pistol primers for months now. Eventually I found one box of Federal small pistol primers at a small local shop, for something like $3.75/100. The price was crappy, it wasn't the brand I wanted, and the box was at least 10 years old.
Here in CO I've checked:
Green Mountain Guns
Reloader's Corner
Sportsman's Warehouse
Bass Pro Shops
The Firing Line
This is getting a bit out of hand. I'm just SOooo glad that so many people felt the need to stack themselves 100,000 primers deep at home! Good luck in a house fire!
I've always kept about 1,000 primers per kind on hand. I'm out of all pistol, have 100 large rifle, and 800 small rifle primers. That isn't going to take me very far by my estimation!
I've been searching for winchester small pistol primers for months now. Eventually I found one box of Federal small pistol primers at a small local shop, for something like $3.75/100. The price was crappy, it wasn't the brand I wanted, and the box was at least 10 years old.
Here in CO I've checked:
Green Mountain Guns
Reloader's Corner
Sportsman's Warehouse
Bass Pro Shops
The Firing Line
This is getting a bit out of hand. I'm just SOooo glad that so many people felt the need to stack themselves 100,000 primers deep at home! Good luck in a house fire!
I've always kept about 1,000 primers per kind on hand. I'm out of all pistol, have 100 large rifle, and 800 small rifle primers. That isn't going to take me very far by my estimation!
redneck2
Member
Shortage for the same reason shelves of bread and milk are empty before a big snow storm. Everybody wants a lot at once.
41 Mag
Member
Years ago when I started getting serious about loading, I bought powder a pound at a time and enough bullets and primers to use up that particular powder. I ended up with a dozen or more powders, for loading several rifles and handguns. As time wore on, I purchased primers and bullets in bigger quantities, but still only bought the one pound containers of powder. I ended up having to retest some loads more frequently due to changes in burn rates and that got to be annoying. That led me to purchase some powders 8# at a time.
Then I started to consolidated my powders to ones like 4895, 4831, Unigue and 296, in order to cut out some of the powders which sat unused for years. Once I did this I started buying bullets and primers in bigger lots as well, and since, I have always had at least 1-2K of each primer size on hand.
I sat down year before last, and figured up what I had on hand, and based on what I shot the most of, needed to have on hand in components. This was based on how much I had shot and loaded for several rifles and handguns over the previous couple of years. Then I slowly started to purchased enough to last me for a few more years.
Now every load will not be the absolute top ended load for each and every firearm I own, but with the components I have, I will get good accuracy, lots of shooting, and hunting with every firearm I own, and won't have to worry about anything changing on my loads until I use up my current lots of components.
As to what is referred to as hoarding, by some, or simply filling inventory by others, I look at it as nothing more than clearing out older stuff, and restocking my inventory. Bottom line is I got mine before any panic, I shoot WAY less than some here and WAY more than others, and will be content with what I have for a goodly amount of time, or until the goon squads come a knocking at the door. At that point in time, I guess we will all have to decide, to either put up or shut up.
Then I started to consolidated my powders to ones like 4895, 4831, Unigue and 296, in order to cut out some of the powders which sat unused for years. Once I did this I started buying bullets and primers in bigger lots as well, and since, I have always had at least 1-2K of each primer size on hand.
I sat down year before last, and figured up what I had on hand, and based on what I shot the most of, needed to have on hand in components. This was based on how much I had shot and loaded for several rifles and handguns over the previous couple of years. Then I slowly started to purchased enough to last me for a few more years.
Now every load will not be the absolute top ended load for each and every firearm I own, but with the components I have, I will get good accuracy, lots of shooting, and hunting with every firearm I own, and won't have to worry about anything changing on my loads until I use up my current lots of components.
As to what is referred to as hoarding, by some, or simply filling inventory by others, I look at it as nothing more than clearing out older stuff, and restocking my inventory. Bottom line is I got mine before any panic, I shoot WAY less than some here and WAY more than others, and will be content with what I have for a goodly amount of time, or until the goon squads come a knocking at the door. At that point in time, I guess we will all have to decide, to either put up or shut up.
Dark Skies
Member
In the past I used to buy a few hundred primers in advance of a session on the range for whatever rifles I intended to shoot. The nearest full bore range to me is a good sixty miles so it's really a whole day event with 120 + miles of driving. I tend to shoot during weekdays because it's too crowded over the weekend - which means taking time off work. It also rains a lot here. Consequently I don't get to shoot there as much as I'd like. Now that there's this drought I've had to seriously upgrade my stock quantities to be sure that I can shoot on the days I can wangle. NOT shooting my rifles can have serious consequences at the end of a year.
In the UK you have to have permissions for each and every firearm you intend to shoot. We call them 'slots'. To obtain permission you need to be able to show good reason for wanting to purchase each firearm. If your main reason is for sporting / target shooting then you're expected to shoot each firearm at least three times per year. This was a recommendation after the Dunblane enquiry. In terms of curtailing firearm crime it's, obviously, absolute bollocks. However, that's the sort of law we have to contend with over here. So you can see, no primers, no shooting, which would mean I could end up in the situation where I have to squeeze in a years worth of shooting a quite sizable collection of full-bore rifles into quite a reduced time frame just to justify my continuation of my sport. It's ridiculous. So I'm having to stockpile components to make sure I'm not placed in that situation.
EDIT. Laughably there doesn't seem to be any fixed figure for how many rounds you shoot. Technically, I guess, I could take all of my rifles to the range three times a year and only shoot one round through each rifle per session and still be within the realms of 'good reason'. On the other hand I could take all my rifles to the range just once a year, shoot two hundred rounds through each rifle and NOT meet the 'good reason' qualifier. How this has any bearing on keeping the public safe I cannot imagine.
In the UK you have to have permissions for each and every firearm you intend to shoot. We call them 'slots'. To obtain permission you need to be able to show good reason for wanting to purchase each firearm. If your main reason is for sporting / target shooting then you're expected to shoot each firearm at least three times per year. This was a recommendation after the Dunblane enquiry. In terms of curtailing firearm crime it's, obviously, absolute bollocks. However, that's the sort of law we have to contend with over here. So you can see, no primers, no shooting, which would mean I could end up in the situation where I have to squeeze in a years worth of shooting a quite sizable collection of full-bore rifles into quite a reduced time frame just to justify my continuation of my sport. It's ridiculous. So I'm having to stockpile components to make sure I'm not placed in that situation.
EDIT. Laughably there doesn't seem to be any fixed figure for how many rounds you shoot. Technically, I guess, I could take all of my rifles to the range three times a year and only shoot one round through each rifle per session and still be within the realms of 'good reason'. On the other hand I could take all my rifles to the range just once a year, shoot two hundred rounds through each rifle and NOT meet the 'good reason' qualifier. How this has any bearing on keeping the public safe I cannot imagine.
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Read this ...
There is a very good post on the subject here: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=5489211#post5489211
There is a very good post on the subject here: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=5489211#post5489211
Primersinmyshoe
Member
Dark Skies, can you have pistols in the UK? I mostly shoot 1911's as was wondering what it's like to own and shoot handguns across the pond.
Dark Skies
Member
If a gun is of historical interest - WWI and WWII or similar vintage pistols then yes you can. But the pistol must genuinely be of this era rather than a modern copy or continuation of the model. It MUST be kept at the club and you cannot remove it from the premises - although if you swapped clubs you could have this done for you.
We can still own and keep cap and ball black powder pistols in our own home and take them to a range for shooting. Western style pistols have a large following here.
You can also keep a modern pistol if you are a vetinarian - strictly for humane destruction of an animal - no shooting for fun.
You can own a modern pistol if it has an extremely long Buntline-type barrel - size matters here - in our crazy country this is actually classed as a rifle in the same manner as a carbine. But if it's bigger than .22 then you can't have semi-automatics. Wheel guns are OK in bigger calibres.
We can still own and keep cap and ball black powder pistols in our own home and take them to a range for shooting. Western style pistols have a large following here.
You can also keep a modern pistol if you are a vetinarian - strictly for humane destruction of an animal - no shooting for fun.
You can own a modern pistol if it has an extremely long Buntline-type barrel - size matters here - in our crazy country this is actually classed as a rifle in the same manner as a carbine. But if it's bigger than .22 then you can't have semi-automatics. Wheel guns are OK in bigger calibres.
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