As I finished loading the last of my .45ACP Berry's plated bullets, I noticed the primer tray sleeve that I was using to keep the loaded rounds from falling out of the Akro bin.



I remember buying 2 cartons of 1000 and the checkout lady was going to charge me $.97 per carton. I had to tell her it was times 10 per carton.

KO

put them up for sale on Gunbroker, you can get 97 dollars for the full tray. Yeah, people really are foolish enough to pay 97 cents for one single primer.

I found a treasure in my garage. Reorganizing some cabinet drawers, I found 350 large pistol primers, obviously sitting for years, since it's been a long time since I've done any reloading. Buying right, factory ammo has been cheap enough, and stacked. I was horrified at the current primer prices, as I was going to buy some for backup, just in case. Then I found these. Not a major thing, but life's small victories can add up.

Anyone have an idea if there is a "shelf life" for primers? I'll probably just prime some brass, and accomplish two things at once - test the primer, and test the firing pins. But, the real question would be if whatever the result of, say, 5 shots is representative of the batch.

Primers’ shelf life is measured in decades, not years.

As long as you haven’t stored them in a vat of oil, they’re just fine indefinitely.

Thanks for the info

Oh yeah... the good old days. I've some .224 Sierra 55gr Spitzer boxes marked $3.50 and a can of BL-C with a $3.39 price tag. Problem was, I was only making around $1.20 an hour back then!

John

Indefinitely ain't necessarily so.
Rem LRM primers from '81.
Loaded my last 24 primers and you can see the double strikes on some.
IIRC, 7 did not go bang.
Will follow up with more info in another thread.
This happened in 2020 in my 460.

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Have Fun/Stay Safe

You have to laugh. Maybe some head shaking first.

Picked up a box of 1000 cci 500s today for $80.

That seems to be the new normal.

At least some one had some....

I don't see the good old days coming back, dont know whether to laugh or cry either.

Consider yourself lucky to find them at that price. I think I could learn to live with that “new normal”

A guy over in the middle of the state had those same CCI 500’s listed in the classifieds for $500 a brick!

I’m seeing the prices slowly creep up...first it was $100 a brick, then $200, $250, $300, and so on. And they seem to be getting it. Crazy crazy times.

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USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597

This box is almost empty. I finished my small pistol primers from the same period a few months ago. Since then, I have been loading .38, .357, and 9mm with primers bought this century.

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My $.97 per 100 have been gone for years. Luckily I have a good supply of $2.70-$3.00 per 100 of SP and LP.

KO

Been looking for the case of S&B SRPs and found 'em finally. Also found a case OF S&B SPPs and found 5 or 600 Rem LPPs in a tool box that came from a WWII B-29. The primers aren't that old but the are Red & Green Remington boxes in wooden trays. I also found the old WWII FA large rifle primers in my stash JIC ya know

Some of the things that people think are now over priced are actually cheaper now according too wages than when I was making $1.25-$1.50 an hour. Whether or not one is willing too pay the price is determined by their priorities. I have always thought powder and shot was essential. Larry

Man, that’s almost as good as digging up gold in your backyard!

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USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597

Primers will usually remain usable longer than the shelf they are sitting on.

I have some SPM primers that are older than the box I posted. They just don't have a price tag.

I have never had a primer not go bang.