nationwide primer shortage

[59Lover]

Why? Money!
Now that there was a shortage some reloaders are willing to pay $40 or more for 1000 primers. Personally I was upset paying close to $30/K but because we panic every time the shelves get lean they can push the prices up 30% or more every time they pull this trick on us. I have not bought anything overprices since this started!! That includes 22LR ammo which is the worst price gouging of everything I've seen. ($60+ for a brick of 500 rounds! NOT ME)

At gun shows in Jan-April, I saw SPP and LPP as high as $80/1000 and in very short supply. By April, prices were back down to $40-$50/1000, and in much higher supply levels. I think it should be back around $20/1000 in a month or 2.

Oh, and people are selling bricks of 22 for $80-$100 here

 

[scooter123]

This is the kind of thinking that got us into this mess to begin with.

Look at where I'm located. It's a 200 mile drive to get to that shop in Ohio and you can bet I will take family and anyone else willing to go in order to defray the cost of the gas burned. It would be nice if they would bend the rules a bit for those coming a long distance but that one box per caliber limit applies no matter how far you drive.

 

[fredj338]

Primers are cheap so the meatheads buy them by the tens of thousands and the manufactures cant meet the demand.

So you are a meathead because you like to be prepared? So I should spend an hour driving to my LGS & $15 in gas to buy what, 1000? You don't get economics do you? Ordering 10K at a time is economical. Keeping 5K min on hand per size is just smart reloading.
Availability is spotty, location driven. Things will get better, but the higher prices are here to stay. GOing forward, $30/K will be likely be the new norm for bulk US made primers, a bit cheaper for Tula/Wolf. The govt is printing $80B/month, it is raising the price of everything & it doesn't go down once inflation pushes it up.
Lots of guys got caught short, I am sure those folks will make sure they don't get caught short again. Without primers, you are NOT reloading. I can scrounge powder, brass lasts aloooong time & I can make my own bullets for many calibers (lead supply is a college parking lot away), but gotta have those primers.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Oh, and people are selling bricks of 22 for $80-$100 here

I hope they are priced at $80 to $100/brick but not selling because of those prices.

 

[rodell]

This is the kind of thinking that got us into this mess to begin with.

That's only true if you aren't going to use them in the near future. In some calibers, that's only a few hours' reloading and I can burn through them pretty quickly.

I bought some primers at a LGS last week - they limited me to 200 primers. That's not even an hour and a half at the range, even in low volume calibers, and, about 20 minutes at the press.

Some people shoot more than others, that doesn't make them bad people!

 

[venomballistics]

That's only true if you aren't going to use them in the near future. In some calibers, that's only a few hours' reloading and I can burn through them pretty quickly.

I bought some primers at a LGS last week - they limited me to 200 primers. That's not even an hour and a half at the range, even in low volume calibers, and, about 20 minutes at the press.

Some people shoot more than others, that doesn't make them bad people!

there really isn't a good use based criteria for this issue. We use what we use and thats that.

I haven't played the ammo game this round. I have a fair ammo stash and Im pretty frugal with it.
What we have today is all we have. Anything gained tomorrow is a bonus.
Something is quite odd about this shortage.
I'd think by now that the hoarders would be close to broke and overflowing with stock. It don't seem quite right to point a finger there. after all, Canada, as was noted earlier in the thread, does not seem to be suffering from the issue.
I'd think it'd be easier to have diverted that supply to our market of higher demand while avoiding tariffs.

 

[Co Th G]

My LGS has been getting stocks of CCI and Winchester SPP, LPP, SRP and LRP recently. He has a limit of 2K per type, per day. His price is $34.99/1000. I go every day I can and purchase my limit.

I buy in bulk online and go to my LGS to keep my stocks topped off at around 100K total.

 

[Wee Hooker]

It's finally getting better just within the last couple of weeks. Around here, ammo and primers are trickling into all the normal outlets. It may take me two calls to find primers or 22 ammo now, but I CAN find it.
Now if we can all just keep from hoarding it as it shows up on the shelves, I think we may have turned the corner.

 

[Teddydog]

Today I almost broke into a brick of Winchester Small Pistol primers today. You know...the old white box with orange. Sticker says $15.99.

Rob

 

[runehans]

Hmmm... This short supply thing is not a good sign. We even have problems here in Norway getting our hands on American made bullets.