How bad was it, back in 08', compared to now?

[peppercorn]

I just tried to find small rifle primers yesterday, with no luck. That got me looking around and I noticed that Powder Valley doesn't have any of my favorite powder,Unique, in stock nor any of the small pistol or small rifle primers I was looking for.

I haven't needed any of the above, except the small rifle primers, am well stocked, for now, but it got me to wondering how bad it was in 08' and whether what I am seeing now is at all comparable?

I wasn't in the reloading 'club' at that time but I did have trouble finding my favorite caliber of loaded ammo.

 

[MichiganScott]

Primer shortage was as bad, powder not so much. It actually took until after Thanksgiving for all the AR's to disappear. This run is like what happened during the Clinton ban.

Just hold on and don't pay felonious prices. Components will return.

 

[DWalt]

I notice that some of the reloading supplier's websites have been shut down because they have nothing left to sell. I found one local shop with one 1000 round box of small pistol primers for $50. Others have no SP primers.

2008 was bad, just how bad probably depends on what part of the country. I think the current ammunition and component situation is becoming much worse than 2008 based upon what I am seeing locally.

 

[358156hp]

The famine of '08 didn't cause me as much grief as the preceding one. After the first great primer famine, I started buying at least 2000 primers at each gun show I attended. It adds up after a while. I'll be okay on primers. but I do need a little more powder. Unfortunately, I've been experimenting with a lot of different powders for various calibers, and have no cohesive powder stockpile settled on. So I guess I'll do what a lot of guys are doing. Simply buy what I can get and make it work.

 

[overthere]

It is funny / sad how the 'run on the bank' effect works.

"Everyone knows that everyone else will be stocking up so I must stock up to before they do while there is still supply left"

And it is such a irrational reaction on top of it, at least when it comes to components. A ban on ARs could well happen so folks rushing to buy those makes sense but there is no way whatsoever that anything would be legislated that would affect components such as primers, powders, brass and bullets and still there is a 'run on the bank' for those.

 

[Neumann]

It was a year before I could find 9mm or .40 on the shelves. .45 wasn't affected as much because it wasn't as popular then, nor rifle ammunition. Now, try to find .223 anywhere.

 

[DWalt]

" ...there is no way whatsoever that anything would be legislated that would affect components such as primers, powders, brass and bullets"

Don't bet on it. In some countries with tough gun controls, reloading is prohibited or heavily regulated, as is ammunition. And ammunition and reloading controls have been brought up here in the past. And of course, remember that a horde of government agencies (OSHA, EPA, etc) could easily jump in with all sorts of ammunition and reloading component regulations if the gun ban movement catches fire. How would you like being required to have a $500 annual permit to be able to buy components? Things like that have been mentioned in the past. Remember all the clamor of 10 years ago about serial numbering bullets and putting identification particles in with propellant? With this administration, anything is possible and is to be expected.

 

[91kid]

I just bought my first pistol about a week before the shtf and I haven't even shot it yet because of a lack of ammo

I have found 3 20rd boxes of .40 s&w and one 100 rd box of small pistol primers at the6 guns shops within a 20 mile radius of me..

Bullets and powders arnt to bad an I have a healthy stock for my rifles,
I bought the last set of .40 dies I could find.. And it's a damn good thing I have 223 dies cause good luck lol

I wasn't of age in 08 but I remember my dad and others really griping... I just hope this settles down so I can shoot my sd40ve soon

 

[Skip Sackett]

I wasn't in the reloading 'club' at that time but I did have trouble finding my favorite caliber of loaded ammo.

I heard a lot of complaining in 2008. Lots of folks couldn't get a lot of reloading components then. Bullets, powder or primers. I have to say though, I looked a bit ahead. So, in 2006 & 2007, I started stocking up on the cheapest components out there. I built loads around them for all of my firearms and I am still using components that I purchased then. I stopped shooting competition in 2008 and stopped using them up so fast.

We should have been looking ahead a bit and learned from history a bit....

Just sayin'

 

[66 shooter]

I think we all need to slow down and take a breath. This is the same type of situation that we went through in '08 and during the Clinton ban. By panic buying we are causing a lot of these shortages ourselves. It shows the gun control nuts that they can panic us and they accomplish a lot of their goals by causing shortages, and we fall right into their hands. We all need to hang together and calm down a little and give the NRA and our pro firearm lobby a chance to work for us.

 

[overthere]

" ...there is no way whatsoever that anything would be legislated that would affect components such as primers, powders, brass and bullets"

Don't bet on it. In some countries with tough gun controls, reloading is prohibited or heavily regulated, as is ammunition. And ammunition and reloading controls have been brought up here in the past. And of course, remember that a horde of government agencies (OSHA, EPA, etc) could easily jump in with all sorts of ammunition and reloading component regulations if the gun ban movement catches fire. How would you like being required to have a $500 annual permit to be able to buy components? Things like that have been mentioned in the past. Remember all the clamor of 10 years ago about serial numbering bullets and putting identification particles in with propellant? With this administration, anything is possible and is to be expected.

I am thoroughly convinced that there is a zero percent chance of any of the things you mention coming to pass as a result of the current gun control debate. Not asking you to change your opinion, you are certainly entitled to it.

 

[Titegroups]

Time to clean the boat out and get the fishing poles ready, going to be a while if ever.

 

[Nevada Ed]

I refuse to be sucked in and pay high prices for components.

Those that panic will pay but it will all come full circle in time.............

as mentioned, nothing wrong with putting a fishing rod in your hand for a while. 30 inch cutthroats just 30 miles away.

 

[Nick B]

Wideners has CCI Match Small Rifle primers in stock .

 

[125JHP]

When cost of ammo and components jumped, I bought 22 conversions for a couple of my center fire guns and switched to shooting .22's to keep my practice up. I'll do that again this time. shoot'in is shoot'in and fun is fun.

 

[Skip Sackett]

I am thankful that I do not have to purchase ammo. I was at the local gun store on Monday after the school shooting on Friday. I was talking to the Manager when one of the workers came up with a White Box of 223 ammo. He asked the manager if the price was correct when he went to ring it up. It was $5.99 for 20. The Manager blurted out a profanity and said that that box was the last one getting sold for that price and he would "fix" what the computer came up and said the price was.

I thought to my self: The ammo the guy has in the store was purchased from his supplier for all the same price, so, why did he have to mark that supply up? Next supply might be different but for this batch it wasn't needed. I am not sure that he is trying to protect his current supply or if he is just price gouging. Either way, I still have ammo and I have it for the price that my components cost me, plain and simple. Shortage or no shortage.

Oh, that reminds me, I have to go order another 10,000 primers!

 

[Culina]

the ammo and primer situation in 08 was worse right after the election, this shortage took a little longer to hit, maybe because everyone is splitting their spending between, ammo, primers, magazines and AR15's

 

[varmint243]

It was about a 9/10 on the no-fun-o-meter just before Y2K
I also remember a primer shortage a while before that around 1995-ish.
All I could get was Austrian white box primers at Navy Arms.
At some point between 95-99 (I don't remember the exact year)
I couldn't get pistol powder and started using shotgun powder in my pistol loads.
IMO it's just one giant rotating PITA that keeps coming back around.

 

[SW CQB 45]

I still kick myself when a box of 50 9mm was $3.98 for alloy blazer and $4.98 for brass.

I should have bought an 18 wheeler full!!!!!!!!!!!!!

alot of dry practice in store for me. I dont miss when dry practicing.

 

[BE Mike]

It is amazing just how much panic there is amongst the gun owning crowd. I have heard all kinds of wild rumors over the years. One was that primer would be made with an expiration date and after that date they would be inert. Are we really that stupid? Today, I went to Bass Pro and Dick's just to browse. It was the first time since the Sandy Hook School shooting. I commented to another customer that there weren't many guns or ammo. The customer said that after January 1st there would be a 30% tax placed on all gun and ammo purchases. Really?! Congress is stalled on the fiscal cliff, but found the time to pass a law taxing guns and ammo? PLEASE!!!