Just out of curiosity I went to GB and did a search for Small Pistol Primers. I have to say I was astounded not only by the prices but also the number of people willing to pay them. My first thoughts were "Good luck buddy. Nobody's gonna pay that price" but then I noticed that almost all of those had been bid up to those prices. I understand that things are a little crazy right now but no crazier than paying over $20 for a tray of a hundred primers. What in the world is going on? Who needs primers so bad that they will pay those prices. It can't be guys trying to save a buck because just buying primers puts you over the top. I can only come up with a couple of crazy scenario's where it might be worth it but when confronted with those scenario's a bag of primers won't make much difference.

Uh, in one word: D-E-S-P-E-R-A-T-I-O-N!

More's the pity!

Look at the price of factory ammo, it is ridiculous also. The local gun shop is getting $45.00 a box for .38 Special range ammo. And people are buying it!

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

Its all the guys who chime into the “where is the ammo?” threads and say “Haha! I load my own!”

Not without primers, you don’t.

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

Powder Valley had them with 1000 limit they only lasted a few minutes


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

There’s just not much available locally at any price. I’ve seen 9mm range ammo as high as $50/box. Two dealers that had 22LR were selling Winchester bulk 333 round boxes for $40/box. 5.56 generic ammo has been running as much as $1.43 a round. I saw an ad last night for 7.62 NATO for almost $1.50 per round.

I reload everything but rimfire and have plenty of supplies and been finding 22LR cheap but you have to invest some time scouring little dealers locally and searching the internet.

$20.00 a tray? I’m rich!

Why are folks willing to pay those prices? Real simple. They're scared. Yep. You have to admit, these are crazy times and those folks who were not prepared or who had convinced themselves there was nothing to worry about all of the sudden got a rude "wake up call."

They see the rioting, looting, and civil unrest on television and think, "Dang! That could be happening to me!"

Now we're seeing people, who had previously been against guns, who are realizing that maybe it's not such a bad idea to have a firearm in the home. We're also seeing people who maybe had a firearm or two stashed away in the closet or at the bottom of the bureau drawer, but had little or no ammunition for said firearms, who are now panic buying.

Because there's the element of fear and the realization that they are ill-prepared, they are willing to pay whatever amount necessary to gain even a modicum of peace of mind.

Sad, but nevertheless, it's human nature. I mean, what price would you be willing to pay for the safety of you and your loved ones?

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Pack light and cinch tight.

What we REALLY need to do is Stock Up when all of this anxiety goes away and prices get back to whatever the "new normal" is. I saw this same thing happen during WW II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War along with the Obama years. Buy cases of components when they are realistic and NEVER FORGET! Keep stocked, THAT is the by-word!

FWIW
Dale53

I would guess two things. They can not find factory rounds or if they can they are even more than the cost of reloading with overpriced primers, The second thing is some people have a lot more money that some of us. So $200.00 to them is like $20.00 to me in relation to their bank account.

My two cents, I think much of the spending on overly expensive components is due to panicking in uncertain times, much like Mule Packer states.

On Monday, while traveling back from Savannah, I stopped at the local Bass Pro. They had some ammo, some at a reasonable price, some at exorbitant prices. For example:
Winchester 44 Magnum, 50 rounds, just under $50
Federal 224 Valkyrie, 20 rounds, 75gr TMJ, $14
unfamiliar brand 9mm, 50 rounds, $35
100 round 308 battle packs (M80 style), $174

They also had 300 Black Out and 300 WSSM, but since I don't own either chambering, I didn't take notice of the price.

The one brick of Remington LRR primers sold for $40 while I was there. They had a smattering of rifle bullets for reloading, but nothing for pistol. There was much more loaded shotgun ammo, but no visible shotgun components. I didn't see a single can of powder.

I am not at a critical level for primers (yet), but I am still reloading for matches and putting together some surplus. I will buy powder and primers if I see them at a reasonable price. I am toying with picking up 250 rounds of factory 9s, only because when I participate at the Adaptive Defensive Shooting Summit at the Sig Academy, I have to use factory ammo, and I have little in reserve.

Supplies don't seem to be getting more plentiful in my area, or in my travels. The current political uncertainty isn't helping!

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Judge control not gun control!

I'm not looking for ammo or components, but have come across some things at good/regular prices. Just yesterday, went into a local Ace Hardware store. Was looking at the Case knife display when I noticed some ammo in a case behind it. Low and behold 5 boxes/50 rounds of Winchester Super X 37 grain jhp 22 LR. I asked how much-$1.99/box! Took all 5 and smiled all the way to the car :-) Sometimes NOT looking is when you find the best deals.

$0.20 for a primer leaves $0.80 for powder and bullet when factory loaded is $1.00 per round. Everything that I price now is $0.80-$1.20 per round.
If a person doesn't have any ammo I think 100 rds. would be the mother lode. Larry

In some circumstances even 50 rounds could make all the difference in the world

"Why are these very high prices paid for small pistol primers?" Answers:
1] Stupid
2] Scared
3] No ammo

Like every other shortage in the past 15 years, TIME will make the correction.

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S&WHF 366

Think "Toilet Paper".

What good is a gun without ammunition? If you need it what is it worth? When will it be available? Deer season and no hunting ammunition to be found. Major split in politics scares people that hate guns into buying guns. Defunding the police. Take your choice there are more if you want them.

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Hue 68 noli me tangere

That's why I reload and buy components in bulk when the price is right.

Me too. I have several thousand pistol and several thousand small rifle primers. When all this is over, my goal will be to never have less than 10,000 primers of both rifle and pistol.

It’s gambling. Pay a high price now, or risk never getting a chance in the future. Some are confident there will be a better future with freedom and plenty of cheap ammo, and clearly many people are not.

They would be wrong.

I’m very thankful of two things
1) I have plenty of primers
2) I have other hobbies

It’s going to be nuts for a while. The new administration has even begun discussing new restrictions. Just wait until that happens. Won’t need to ban anything because there won’t be any inventory to ban once they start talking about it.

There are plenty of people for whom $20 is couch cushion money. They can get what they want with a click of a mouse and the money is no object. They were the ones paying $1/rd for 5.56 and $100/brick for .22 back in 2013.

Wish I was one of 'em.

If I had no handgun and no ammo I would give whatever it cost for a pistol and a box or 2 of ammo. I sure wouldn't be in the market for a thousand rnds at a dollar + per round.

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dd884
JMHO-YMMV

Lots of people have more money than brains.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

Since 2012-13, I have been advocating just that; 10k reserve of primers in the size you use most, always. When you hit 10k, order another 5k min. Never get into your reserve unless you have no choice. Its called being prepared. Btw, date your components & rotate out the older stuff.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

I am thankful that after the last shortage I started spending an average of about $100 a month on reloading components.
I'll ride this shortage out, keeping my eyes peeled to buy ammo and reloading stuff any time I see reasonable prices.
Once this panic passes, I'll go right back to spending my budgeted $100 a month.

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Send lawyers, guns & money...

Well Federal Small Pistol primers 1000 box are still around $76 AUD at the moment. That's about $56 USD. Only a couple of years ago, they were only $48 per 1000 box. Centrefire factory ammo has always been expensive in Australia so most shooters are forced to reload.

Figure about how much you shoot a week and make sure to have at least a five year supply. Buy in times of plenty, not now.

I'm in the same boat. I just started reloading at the beginning of this year so I didn't have as much of a component stockpile as I'd have liked when the shortages hit.

I do still have 5k or so of primers and a few thousand loaded rounds in the three calibers I shoot a lot, so I'm not really hurting right now. It's impossible to tell when this all ends but when it does I agree that 10k each will be my minimum goal on primers.

If people would get off of FB and other crazy trains we wouldn't have so many nut jobs creating apocalyptical scenarios that will never happen unless those same people start them. Creating your own nightmare is what's really happening.

Before I pay those prices Ill put my guns up and go fishing.......providing no one starts hoarding worms.

I have to disagree. The people who are scared into hoarding munitions are more likely to be current pro-2nd members of society that fear that "Theyz comin' fer me ta' take mah gunz!" Just my $0.02 worth...

As many posters have said/inferred in the past, government restrictions have never been as restrictive as has been feared, never. Take a deep breathe, and this will pass...

Old Blues Song -
‘We got the good times here,
But it’s better on down the road.’
Not sure that’s true!
Lots of other folks seem to feel the same way!

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

No where close to a very good stockpile. I shoot about that much a year between rifle and pistol. That is down from the 50K a year when I shot IPSC. Now I am paying for that with arthritis in my shooting hand.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

Of course I hope you are right. However, if Beto does get the job as Biden said, Beto said he is coming for the guns ..specifically AR's but that sentiment could be applied to other platforms as well when making policy.
I don't want to be the "sky is falling" guy but this coming round has me a little concerned.

Supply and demand are one of the most fundamental concepts of economics. Throw a bit of a scare or uncertainty into the cocktail, and it gets quite volatile, as there is always someone with more money chasing the product that you may desire to have. Your only option to scratch the itch is to throw more money at it. The old standby "Buy low, sell high" may or may not apply to current prices being paid. Sadly my crystal ball got all foggy somewhere around November 3. I have contended for years that .45ACP may become the new currency, but what do I know.

Come on out to Kalifornistan.

No society ever voted themselves more freedom. You have to fight to get or keep freedom. If anyone thinks our liberties are in good shape, they’re frogs in a slowly boiling pot.

I think you're right. This won't last forever, but we have more compulsive paranoiacs today than ever before. They can't "take a deep breath" because they are much too busy being consumed and worried with the latest thing that consumes and worries such people. High prices are one thing and I see nothing wrong with paying high prices in a true supply and demand situation, but genuinely outrageous prices are something very different.

Exorbitant prices would quickly fade if no one was willing to pay them.

Well I look at it in a different way.

How much would it cost to drive and pick them up............
let alone Fly !!

The people who are willing to pay those prices are the ones who did not make sound preparations over the last decade or so and stock up at a time when they could do so easily and without undue expense.

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NHI, 10-8.

There is a Facebook page for Dillon Precision reloading machine Q and A. It is both appalling and hilarious. People come on the Facebook with all kinds of problems running their new press. They are mostly buying new 750s or 1050s and most clearly have never reloaded any ammo before. They will NOT read the manuals that come with every machine nor will they call the Dillon help line. They do take good photos of their screw-ups.

I started with a single stage RCBS press and ramped up after I had learned the fundamentals. When I have a problem I work it out myself W/O getting on the internet. It's sometimes very hard to help these people because they have no basic knowledge of machinery or reloading.

Needless to say, these newbies had no components on hand and are pretty frantic. Eventually some of this equipment will be on the resale market.

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Bob.
SWCA 1821

Shooting skills as with other skills must be practiced to be learned, and maintained.

New gun owners with not enough ammunition to learn and experienced gunners with not enough to practice is the greatest problem.

How do ranges stay open when ammunition is too dear to expend in practice?

A better question might be why do people pay thousands of dollars for revolver they never plan to shoot and will only take out of their safe maybe once a year to gaze upon.

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Chief

While it's hard for me to figure that one, too, ownership of safe royalty pieces is probably a bit different. I think most people that buy guns they won't fire likely pay fair rather than outrageous prices for them. It may seem a shame and a waste not to shoot a fine gun, but it's the owners' money and their business.

I have firearms that have never had a round fired through them, except maybe a factory test load.

I also have original 1800 black powder rifles and Navy Colts that might have been used by Boone , Crocket or a Texas Ranger , let alone who used the S&W model 1 & 3's ?

I agree on no "Scraches" ...........
and also to fire them if they are in good order. it that is your thing.

The thing now, is that our children could care less about shooting, in lots of homes, as we grow older and have no one to pass them down to.

I am hoping my weapons will stay in the "Family" in one form or another but hey, you never know what is going to happen in the future.

The man speaks the truth. I have Grandchildren that will be arguing over who gets what. In that fact I count myself lucky.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

I suspect that the top of this market may be in when we see new “boutique” ammo manufacturers popping up on the internet. Saw the same thing back during the post Newtown drought. That said, the prices buyers are willing to pay on Gunbroker are truly astounding. The political chaos and social unrest are simply pouring gasoline on the fire. I just hope that once the dust settles is that the “new normal” is not primers at $60 a brick with a corresponding increase in other reloading components...........tdan

To one degree or another, we are all a part of the problem. The hoarding, panic buying instinct lurks in each of us, at least that's what I think. I've cruised through LGS's lately just to see what's left and have succumbed a couple of times. I have always fancied fine firearms and own many. For years I disdained ugly black plastic guns, but succumbed to the curiosity of owning an AK-47 variant after reading C.J. Chivers excellent book "The Gun" about AK's. Early in the pandemic buying panic, there was an abundance of cheap steel case 7.62x39 in LGS's when everything else was gone. I found myself buying a box or two every time I window shopped. Now I have several hundred rounds of the stuff, suitable for nothing but plinking with an AK or SKS. I take perverse pleasure in caching the stuff when silly politicians pander to fears and threaten dire restrictions. I still think AK's are ugly but I understand their appeal better. Not totally rational. Fine crafted S&W's with polished blue finish and walnut stocks are still my passion. Now if I can get a flintlock going I won't need primers.