Compoments-Your thoughts?

In my local market we can buy:

Rifle powders and bullets, any size primer including shotgun, shotgun wads. Of course variety and amounts are quite limited.

Cannot buy:

Pistol or shotgun powders, pistol bullets, shot for loading. It seems these are quite limited on unavailable on-line either!

Any ideas. Not trying to get a conspiracy theory started, but it sure seems odd!

Pistol bullets are readily available online and powder is starting to show up, you just have to look.

Alk8944 said:

In my local market we can buy:

Rifle powders and bullets, any size primer including shotgun, shotgun wads. Of course variety and amounts are quite limited.

Cannot buy:

Pistol or shotgun powders, pistol bullets, shot for loading. It seems these are quite limited on unavailable on-line either!

Any ideas. Not trying to get a conspiracy theory started, but it sure seems odd!

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No pistol powder here from St. Louis south to Cape Girardeau. Other components are spotty but generally available. Still no WW 22's.

All available in abundance in Ohio.

We musta not got the invite!

More components keep showing up here.[

Handgun shooters fire an exponential amount of ammunition when compared to rifle shooters. The shortage of handgun bullets is a simple matter of demand outstripping the ability of manufacturers to supply them.

Lots of people are looking for pistol powder. Try GunBot. Also look every day at Midway, Recobs, Powder Valley, Graf's etc. for bullets and powder until the craziness subsides if it ever does. Good luck!

I suspect hand loaders might have created a bit of a mini panic by deciding to stock up on components in advance of any real panic after watching the 22 lr panic for so long.
I have only been reloading for about a year - but have been stocking up when items go on sale so that I will have enough stuff on hand to reload for maybe a year or two - but will continue to try to maintain stock levels, but only when I can get the best prices.
Pistol powder has been tough, gonna have to make a trip out the larger Fin soon and see what they have.
When I started a year ago the closer Fin had so many pistol powders on the shelf I wasn't sure which to try - by the time I was ready to go stock up the shelves were bare.

My thoughts are based on observations of the past 20 years or so. Like fishing-take what you like and throw the rest back.

Right now is the quiet time to be saving like the grasshopper. Wholesalers are dumping AR15 parts and completed rifles at historically low prices. Primers and Powder are showing back up in reasonable amounts. Once hard to find ammo in .223, 9mm and other calibers are not only available but being discounted.

After the completion of the midterm elections in November there can be little more damage done in implementing some laws and restrictions that have not been seen since Clinton. Remember cheap AK imports and Chinese ammo? Remember how just one executive order closed that door?

Without going on a political rant, I believe now is the time to invest and stock up for the long winter ahead. Powder, Brass, Primers and loaded ammo will be want most smart ants need to be gathering.

MichiganScott said:

Handgun shooters fire an exponential amount of ammunition when compared to rifle shooters. The shortage of handgun bullets is a simple matter of demand outstripping the ability of manufacturers to supply them.

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I think this nails it. Can only go by my observations at our range.

When handgun ammo got so expensive, non reloaders all started shooting 22 LR.
Now that is not available there is very little handgun shooting at the range, Only those that reload are shooting, but not like the used to.

It's like the 22lr, what ever shows up is instantly snapped up, same with handgun powder. The drought has been long so people grab what ever.

The hoarders and flippers have not helped the situation, I am sure there are many people out there with more primers then they could use in several lifetimes!

I see it every year when Hurricane Warning goes up. Shelves are bare in hours, gas lines are long. This is all stuff people should have already had on hand.

Moonman said:

More components keep showing up here.[

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Yes, it is improving here in NE Ohio. I even found some 22s not long ago.

I can find most bullets, rifle or pistol.
Brass ... that gets a little sporadic.
pistol / shotgun burn rate powder ... occasionally Ill find something in the magnum range .. H110 300MP 4227
rifle powder honestly isnt bad, and might be downright pleasant if your shooting a 30-30, 45-70, or a few of the other good old calibers.

through it all, I turned to working with some of the old classics.
the 32 special wasn't too bad .. I managed about 200 rounds worth of actual 32 special brass and some 30-30 brass to reform after hitting 3 or 4 shops to find it.
45-70 is a bit more lean on brass out there.
in either case, powders and primers were not the traumatic experience we have with pistols

One small point

You say people should prepare when you say This is all stuff people should have already had on hand. and then you call folks trying to correct their behavior hoarders and flippers!

Can't have it both ways

BTW, Midway has primers on sale and an extra $10 off if you subscribe to their email! So stop blaming me for the primer shortage

Rule3 said:

I think this nails it. Can only go by my observations at our range.

When handgun ammo got so expensive, non reloaders all started shooting 22 LR.
Now that is not available there is very little handgun shooting at the range, Only those that reload are shooting, but not like the used to.

It's like the 22lr, what ever shows up is instantly snapped up, same with handgun powder. The drought has been long so people grab what ever.

The hoarders and flippers have not helped the situation, I am sure there are many people out there with more primers then they could use in several lifetimes!

I see it every year when Hurricane Warning goes up. Shelves are bare in hours, gas lines are long. This is all stuff people should have already had on hand.

Click to expand...

MichiganScott said:

Handgun shooters fire an exponential amount of ammunition when compared to rifle shooters. The shortage of handgun bullets is a simple matter of demand outstripping the ability of manufacturers to supply them.

Click to expand...

My feelings/thoughts also...

There's a huge difference between being prepared and hoarding/flipping. I have a goodly supply of primers for a normal reloader/shooter, mebbe 10k total (for all my handguns and rifles). I'm prepared for shortages. If I were to scrounge and buy every primer I come across, regardless if I need them, that's hoarding. If I buy every primer I see, then turn around an try to sell it to you at a 200% mark up, that's flipping. Unfortunately there's a bunch of the last example reported (like those that stand in line before the store opens and buys the max. allowed every day, and bring along the wife and kids to make purchases too). That's just selfish and self centered...

I never have a problem buying supplies.

I am probably going to be called a hoarder. However this is the way I have been doing things since I began reloading and not a result of any shortage.

However, I keep enough on hand for well more than a year of shooting and keep backorders with the suppliers I buy from. I do not care when they come in. During the last primer shortage I had backorders from three different suppliers show up the same week. 45,000 pistol primers. I offered them out to the local clubs at my cost rather than turn down the order from my suppliers. So I can't be accused of being a capitalist(flipper)

I got a flyer from one of the suppliers last Thursday about a sale and bought a few thousand jacket bullets. I do not have a need for them at this second, but I like to stay way ahead of the curve, but I have been doing this for over 30 years

Here is my projectile shelving and this does not include some of the big bulk packaging on the floor and in 50 caliber ammo cans.





Then there is the lead, molds and casting gear.

And yes there are enough primers on hand and probably enough powder to load it all.


Buy in bulk. If you can not afford to, get two or three buddies and put together a big order to split. You will get better pricing and better shipping rates. Do not wait until you are out of supplies to buy more. Buy them when you see them even if you do not need them.

So many things I'd like to say/address, based on my experiences the past 2 years:

First off, I'm not a hoarder; I don't have enough extra/expendable cash to be one! I work a regular job, have all the regular bills to pay and all the "unexpected" little things that come along to make life "interesting"-LOL. The past 2 years have been tough to find reloading supplies; I don't own a 22 of any kind, because there's no 22 ammo to be found in my area. Until the past 2-3 months, there has been NO pistol powder of any kind. I did happen upon some TiteGroup, 700X and CFE Pistol; none of which I had ever used before (still haven't yet); but was all that had come available, so I bought some. Prior to this purchase, I had bought some Red Dot, because Bullseye was nowhere to be found-locally or online. The Red Dot has actually worked well in my handgun loads for 38 Spec, 9mm and 45 auto. I only load cast bullets; of which I have no problem finding/getting and being shipped to my door in 2-3 days.

From watching/reading this forum daily, I found that Fin Feather Fur Outfitters in Ohio did indeed have Bullseye powder in stock. 6 hour round trip from Indiana netted me and a reloading buddy 8 lbs. Bullseye and 2K primers for our time and trouble. With the powders I have on hand, I won't have to look for quite a while. All the powder shipments must get dropped off in Ohio, as none of the LGS can get any in Indiana!

When reloading supplies were unavailable, I started buying factory ammo; when available and for a reasonable price. I have yet to buy any 38 Special factory loads; as I refuse to pay $22-$25/box for LSWC rounds that I can reload myself for less than 1/4 the price! 9mm and 45 auto are usually available and at (somewhat) reasonable prices. Again, we are talking about 1 box ammo per week IF it's available; some weeks, it wasn't.

So, as far as "scalping/flipping" goes; again, I don't have the cash up front to do it, and wouldn't anyway, that's just not me. I have been giving away some of my extra brass to a few fellow reloaders; yes, GIVING IT AWAY. I get some brass in return, in calibers they don't reload, so it all works out for us all (good karma)

I hope things ease up/get better soon. I'd really like to have a 22 caliber rifle & handgun, but until things get back to some form of "normal" I'll keep reloading what I have. Would like to see all brands of ammo on the shelves and reloading components available when I need them. I'm good for now, so whoever is next in line, it's your turn-maybe I'll see you on the range one day!

Use what you can find...

Get a pound of any suitable powder to hold you until you can find what you want.

rwsmith said:

Get as much as your wallet will allow of any suitable powder to hold you until you can find what you want.

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There, fixed it for you!

Seriously, I am not afraid of being called names, particularly a Capitalist. To be ashamed of that tag means folks prefer to be known as a Socialist? Communist?

Buying available goods does not create shortages. Whether you buy a pound and seven others buy a pound or if you buy eight pounds, it is the same thing as far as the supply goes. If you have money and space, none of these components will go bad in your lifetime - and they will never be significantly cheaper.

Buy all you can, as often as you can.

IMO...

smokindog said:

One small point

You say people should prepare when you say This is all stuff people should have already had on hand. and then you call folks trying to correct their behavior hoarders and flippers!

Can't have it both ways

BTW, Midway has primers on sale and an extra $10 off if you subscribe to their email! So stop blaming me for the primer shortage

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For their own use, not to buy so much that they then jack up the price and sell when people are desperate. They arrest you here for price gouging gasoline, generators etc.

Sure I have plenty of supplies (back to reloading) but I do not list it on Gun Broker to re sell.

I got the Midway e mail also, I never buy compents from Larry as powder and primers come from 2 different warehouses and you pay 2 haz mats. I do not need primers

Strange, I don't remember that happening when I ordered both from Larry a couple months ago. And gas/generators during a storm ain't shootin stuff!!!!!!!!! I remember driving a U-Haul from Ohio to SC for my sister and parents after Hugo! Should've been armed

Rule3 said:

For their own use, not to buy so much that they then jack up the price and sell when people are desperate. They arrest you here for price gouging gasoline, generators etc.

Sure I have plenty of supplies (back to reloading) but I do not list it on Gun Broker to re sell.

I got the Midway e mail also, I never buy compents from Larry as powder and primers come from 2 different warehouses and you pay 2 haz mats. I do not need primers

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