I just saw where someone paid $205 dollars for 1000 Winchester Small Pistol primers at an auction. Then add 15% buyer's premium and shipping.


Is it that bad, or are some people just plain crazy? Total cost has to be more than 30 cents per primer. Since when are primers being made of gold?

Its bad, and people are crazy. Maybe that's how the new government will get around our 2nd Amendment. Buy all the guns you want. Good luck getting ammo! A gun is at best a ****** club with out it. You can put a bayonet on it and you kinda got a sword. Where I live in Colorado, there is no ammo, no reloading supplies, no 22's of any flavor S L LR Mag. Zip, none, nada. But, people are buying guns like crazy! Still some shotgun shells, but very little; and mostly steel shot. Ill start shooting my bows and air rifles more I guess. I will never resort to this madness. I hope I'm wrong. But, the new administration knows how to stop our 2nd Amendment. This is going to be worse than the Obama years by far. Someone please tell me I'm wrong. I really want to be wrong this time!

Like every other panic before it...it's all self inflicted.

Look at the 22LR stupidity of early 2013? What did that get us? Years of dry ammo shelves and super high prices. In the end, nothing happened, nothing was "banned".

I say this every time this comes up, this is self inflicted.

Only $205? Probably because they are for small pistol. 1000 Winchester Large Rifle Magnum primers just sold for $525.


Winchester Large Rifle Magnum primer, 1000 - Reloading Supplies at GunBroker.com : 884683907

__________________
Birds like shiny new toys too.

Welcome to your first "gun panic" . Panic driven supply and damand. $200+ is the current fair market price for a brick of primers. Either pay it or sit on the sidelines. Rule #1 that very few strictly follow is "shoot one bullet , buy two".

Scared, desperate people do stupid things.

It's always got me that people aren't willing to drop $150 on 5000 primers when the getting is normal...but then are willing to drop $250+ for 1000 when it's not.

This is an order I made March of 2019 from Brownell's:



I bought that to load 9mm. That's enough powder to load nearly 6900 rounds and 5000 primers...free hazmat, free shipping, items on sale. The powder was $17.74/lb and the primers were $26.40/case.

Why these people willing to drop $250 on a single case of primers weren't willing to part with $210 of 5000 rounds worth of 9mm is WAY beyond me.

I'll say it again...this is completely self inflicted. There's no "shortage", there's no conspiracy...just panic and poor planning.

I hang on a lot of forums and its dissapointing to read that so many gun guys are obssesed with being cheap and saving money. I get it, we all would love to shoot forever with little or no cost involved, but lets face facts, guns are expensive, and feeding them is an ongoing expensive cost. Live within your means if you cant afford to feed 5 different guns, than sell off and shoot happily with what you can afford. Its not rocket science. Instead of buying another gun, buy ammo, or better yet get into handloading. What sets this current unique panic apart from past gun panics is the 5+ million new, never before gun owners that now need additional ammo. I too am completely independent of gun panics. Over the past 7 years ive purchased almost 90,000 rounds worth of reloading components. Ive also invested into lead and bullet casting. He who is "proactive" sleeps well at night.

Before I started reloading, I had a self imposed rule of only having a few calibers that I needed to stock up. 9mm, 223, 22LR, 12ga. For years, this was all I had, save an old family passed down Mosin that I never shot.

Once I started reloading, I allowed myself to get into more oddball calibers, like 460 S&W.

I agree with you 100%, firearms (and feeding them) is an expensive hobby. I think more people need to be aware of it before they dive into it.

Slightly on topic, at least 9mm and 223 make sense this time around. New gun buyers getting common 9mm semi auto and ARs would drive sales of that ammo. What I never understood with that 22LR panic of 2013...that one made no sense.

Got a link to that auction?

__________________
USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

I can't find any that high...but they're commonly going for $200-250/case on GB. Then again, they've been fetching that much for 2 months now.

Meares Property Advisors November 29, 2020


End of November Ammunition Auction

Not my first panic. I always keep a stock of primers and other reloading supplies, and ammunition. I started the morning of the first Wednesday of November 2008. The problem now is that I own two 9mm machineguns. A WW2 British Lanchaster Mk. 1* and an Uzi. I let my friends in California shoot them when they visit me, and I am going through small pistol primers like there is no tomorrow. From now on, they have to bring their own ammunition.


When I moved from California to Nevada, I had to move somewhere between 500 to 600 pounds of ammunition.

Holy cow...was than an estate sale or something? Good night...I'll be honest, if I could get prices like that...I'd probably auction off all the ammo I have. 40 rounds of very mediocre "X-Tac" 5.56, $30-50 for 40 rounds. 50 rounds boxes of .380, $30+ a box. Super generic "maxxtech" 9mm for $45-60 a box?!?

Good grief.

Went by my two favorite LGS’s today that normally carry reloading supplies. Not a single primer!!! I did buy a # of W231 and CFE pistol.

I did some primer trading a few months ago, got rid of some primers I was never going to use for stuff I do use, I think I still have 1,000 large rifle magnum primers I could still get rid of. The only reason I think I ended up with it was because its what they had on the shelf during the last panic of 2012-13. Sometimes ammo/primers/powder are better than cash.

Going to a gun show tomorrow. Don't really need anything, but you never know what you will find. Targets of opportunity!!

__________________
USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

I give all the rifle primers that I get to a friend of mine. He loads rifle ammo for me. I just load for handguns.

__________________
USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

"Gun shows" at least out my way are nothing like they used to be 20 years ago when you would bring a pocket full of cash and potentially score some GREAT deals, and an abundance of cool stuff. The last gun show I attended about 4 years ago was just a lot of junk, more of a vintage military clothing and knife show. Some decent guns , some decent ammo but still not worth my time and the $10 entry cost. YMMV

Our gun shows are not the same either. However, we can still find some good deals among the local selling their stuff, not the dealers selling theirs. Just have to search a bit harder is all, adds fun to the hunt.

__________________
USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

So you're saying that if I sold my primer and powder stash, I could retire 15 or 20 years early? -

__________________
Chris
SWCA #2243 SWHF #292

I have enough reloading components to last me 4 years IF I shoot wisely and not let my kids just blast away ammo. Been working hard on getting them to think accurate shooting and not just squeezing to hear a boom Im a working guy with bills and a family to feed ; so I never hoarded component's and 22's. Just bought a 1K primers here and there in the good times. Ive still got my Black Powder rifles and revolvers that I really enjoy shooting. Ive never met a small game critter that I couldn't kill with my RWS 350 Magnum .22, or a deer/elk that I couldn't kill with my compound bow or muzzle loader. Even if I didn't have reloading supplies or ammo; a bad guy coming in my home or property is going to be real sad when that Muzzy Broad Head sinks home. If Im forced to shoot my center fires part time for the next 4 years I can get by. Doesn't make this stupid situation any better

No to mention Winchester ran a 25% rebate in 2019. I ended up with a case of SP primers for $108.

I see SPP available now for .31 cents, funny thing is they will sell out!

Well if I do my primer inventory math based on a brick of primers selling on gunstroker for about $175 : my 92 bricks purchased locally costs me about $32 per brick , so im looking at a net profit of about $13,100 if I sold them all. So yes primers are worth more than gold currently. Yet, my primer stash is not going anywhere except for helping out close shooting friends who need them.

I added it to my post #4

__________________
Birds like shiny new toys too.

Reading between the lines here, I guess I’m now a rich man...! Just need to sell some stash.

__________________
NRA Life Member

I partially agree.......

For those of us who have been in the hobby 20, 30, 40 + years and didn't see this coming - I totally agree with your assessment!

For those who are recent gun owners, people who do not reload and who do not eat, live & breath guns, sort of like most here - not so much. While I will admit they may not have been prudent, they possibly were caught being naive or unaware of the current situation. Yes I know it was obvious to most here, but not to relative newbies.

I have talked to a few gun owner and shooter friends hour upon hour over the last year or so about getting started reloading and buying components. They basically placated me up till a month ago until they realized ammo is basically unavailable. NOW they want to start reloading, however Dillon (I would bet other Co's are as well) is now back ordered up to 6 months, there are little to zero components available at reasonable costs and they are now up the creek without a paddle! If things ever return back to normal (which I sincerely question), if they don't grab the opportunity to be self sufficient, then yes they are idiots!

Exactly, I am glad you said that.

Over time I believe this will balance itself out and adjust itself. Might be a little different and not as good as before, but a lot better than it is now.

If you have been in the hobby for 20,30,40+ years you should have known that this was coming....

I don't like to gouge nor do I like to be gouged, but I do have enough ammo and components to probably carry me to End of Life. In the meantime, I have been willing to trade MSRP for MSRP ammo and components to keep it fair to me and the other person.

Bob

__________________
Sag Harbor & Manhattan, N.Y.

Went to the gun show here today. Only saw one person selling primers and those were $48 a brick. Most ammo was astronomical in price by my standards. We did buy some .22 Magnum at $12.50 a box, which I felt was a decent buy. Firearm prices are up and folks were buying AR's and handguns.

__________________
USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

That’s darn cheap compared to what I’ve seen recently. Last couple of shows over here on the southwest coast had no primers and powder going for over 2x normal prices.

__________________
USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597

Powder here going for just over $30 a pound depending on the brand.

__________________
USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

At my semi-local reloading supply shop it’s $31.99 for powders like AA#7 and W231 still. Can’t find 2400 anywhere. It was at the local gunshow where it was going for double, and I think it was Unique. I’ll have to check next time I stop in to see if he has Unique and if it’s the normal price.

__________________
USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597

I have about 30+ pounds of powder, so i figure that I can outlast this. I use Bullseye for 99% of my target shooting on paper and that is almost all the shooting I do nowadays. Shoot mainly handguns and 2.8 to 3.0 grains of Bullseye will load a bunch of rounds out of a pound of powder.

__________________
USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

If you can wait, just wait. Reduce your shooting a little if needed. I recall previous primer shortages years ago, and it will all return to some kind of normality. So far the max I have ever paid for Primers of any kind was $32 p/1000. I just bought a supply of shotgun (209) primers a case of 5,000 for $107.00. I have enough on hand of all types for the foreseeable future for the amount of shooting I do.

__________________
H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

The New currency will be primers. Who needs gold!

If they can do it with Toilet Paper, they can do it with anything. Panic brings out the Fools.

The thinking that being a handloader protects you from ammo crises that empty store shelves is faulty.

As a handloader you avoid the ammo crisis but hit a primers, components, and powder crisis instead.

I think everyone should buy enough ammo and components to get through a four year drought -- one presidential term.

As someone who just started reloading at the beginning of this year I don't have as good a stockpile of components as I'd like. When I'm able to get components again I certainly intend to do just that. Even though at 69 I don't know how many more presidential terms I'll see.

I was starting to build up supplies when the crisis hit so I'm in better shape than some but not as good as I'd like to be.

Two weeks ago I scored CCI-250 primers at a store that quit selling them years ago. Best luck I’ve had in a long time

Attached Images

BB18BCE1-2AF0-47EA-9281-5786C0BCCFB2.jpg (41.3 KB, 49 views)

You got to start somewhere.

Heck, at only 69 you probably need to get through at least 5 more presidential terms..

Just got these awhile ago, last box on the Shelf, at one of the
Big Box Stores. $32.99 + tax = out the door $35.13

I shoot a lot of 45Colt, 44Rem Mag, and 44S&W Spl. so I buy
when I can even though I have Horded so much already over the years.

The Best to you and your Endeavors.

Attached Images

WIN_20201214_10_07_17_Pro.jpg (76.3 KB, 20 views)

__________________
SD social distanc'n since 1889

Some years ago I identified my self as a SHOOTER. That means I sought out the proper training and personal associations. Some of the training was extreme (USMC), but I survived anyway. If I am a shooter I need supplies so I hang out at suppliers and stay supplied. I have never suffered from any shortage because I don't need to ask permission from a mother, sister, or wife to be who I am.

For those experiencing shortages: Why do you care if you are not a shooter?

One of my favorite songs by Tom Waits: "Better off without a wife".

__________________
"Don't Give Up the Ship"