Primer Shortage?

[tomtheturner]

Shortages

Like other people here I have seen several "shortages" through the years. I also went through the last federal "ban." These were all learning experiences for me, and so in 2010 I stocked up on all my reloading supplies. Primers in particular. I also started setting up to cast my own bullets, and got a large supply of lead, and tin. I also bought an additional supply of .22 LR.

I stockpiled enough supplies to feel comfortable for quite awhile. However, with the future still somewhat uncertain I recently placed an order for additional primers, and powder. Not a huge amount, but enough to give me an additional buffer if something crazy happens. I probably won't receive them for at least 2-3 months, but that is OK with me. They will arrive eventually, and at the right price.

It pays to be prepared, and to think ahead to avoid these shortages that are destined to occur.

Best Wishes,
Tom

 

[blujax01]

I started stocking the larder about 2 years ago. A few extra boxes of primers here or keg of powder there whenever the allowance afforded. So what I'm sittin' on should outlast the shortage.

I figgered I better get mine before them hoarders got around to it!

 

[steamloco76]

One of my local retailers has a sign reminding reloaders of a state fire code which says only 10,000 primers, total, are allowed to be stored in a private residence in PA and most other localities. Right below that sign is one limiting purchases to 200 primers per person per day @$5 per 100 (ouch).

Some on my loading manuals including Lyman's latest mention the 10,000 primer limit.

So, if you are sitting on a massive stash of the little silver buggers, don't tell anyone lest you have a non-prepared type turn you in to the fire marshal.

 

[novalty]

Primer Shortage. When did this happen??? I just thought every local retailer and online vendor had taken them off the shelf for dusting. Don't worry they should be back soon? Wonder if Obama will get re-elected?

 

[old&slow]

Primer Shortage. When did this happen??? I just thought every local retailer and online vendor had taken them off the shelf for dusting. Don't worry they should be back soon? Wonder if Obama will get re-elected?

Ahhhh,, that explains it, I feel better now...

 

[kd5exp]

I was reading yesterday about how the government has orders of millions of ammo. One opinion was to get the company's to gear up for this and then pull the plug and watch them fold under. This could backfire on them and flood the market and bring prices down. I don't know if I believe this or not but he made sense how it put it. I am just about out of primers and will have to pull out the sling shots and bow and arrows I guess. I have been out of the reloading hobby for over 10 years and picked a hell of a time to get back into it.

 

[OK Hog Shooter]

All this, too, shall pass. As for hoarding reloading supplies and ammo... I sold all of my stuff to buy a gun safe so I could responsibly store my baseball bats and pocket knives...

HG

 

[Skip Sackett]

One of my local retailers has a sign reminding reloaders of a state fire code which says only 10,000 primers, total, are allowed to be stored in a private residence in PA and most other localities. Right below that sign is one limiting purchases to 200 primers per person per day @$5 per 100 (ouch).

Some on my loading manuals including Lyman's latest mention the 10,000 primer limit.

So, if you are sitting on a massive stash of the little silver buggers, don't tell anyone lest you have a non-prepared type turn you in to the fire marshal.

Thank God Indiana just struck down any local limits on such stuff.
I like common sense.

 

[Rollbar]

Extreme but ..

Part 1
Making Primers Part 1 - YouTube

Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=9p1Xv6eDFjo&NR=1

 

[Skunkhome]

Whats the deal with the shortage of WSP primers? Actually its most primers. The online stores are out and the local shops are all out?

Is it hording or lack of supply?

It's hoarding and lack of supply both.

 

[blujax01]

...
So, if you are sitting on a massive stash of the little silver buggers, don't tell anyone lest you have a non-prepared type turn you in to the fire marshal.

In manufacturing there is a term "WIP" or Work In Process. The designation is intended to keep from having to count incomplete assemblies as raw materials or finished goods.

I wonder if it would reduce the head count if I prime and set aside a few thousand cases...

 

[Skip Sackett]

In manufacturing there is a term "WIP" or Work In Process. The designation is intended to keep from having to count incomplete assemblies as raw materials or finished goods.

I wonder if it would reduce the head count if I prime and set aside a few thousand cases...

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Lean manufacturing process MANDATE that you not produce any "WIP" of any kind! It should be a one piece flow. Empty case to loaded ammo with no stops in between! NONE!

Hence, the need for a progressive press! Raw material in one side, minimal "WIP", finished, premium, quality product out the other side ready to be consumed!

I need to perform some "Kaizen" events on my loading process though and implement some "pokie yoke" systems to perfect my process. I think I will start on that today!

Gotta think lean!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[blujax01]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Lean manufacturing process MANDATE that you not produce any "WIP" of any kind! It should be a one piece flow. Empty case to loaded ammo with no stops in between! NONE!

Hence, the need for a progressive press! Raw material in one side, minimal "WIP", finished, premium, quality product out the other side ready to be consumed!

I need to perform some "Kaizen" events on my loading process though and implement some "pokie yoke" systems to perfect my process. I think I will start on that today!

Gotta think lean!!!!!!!!!!!

You've seen my reloading lab in the Youtube video? I had Kaizan events to formulate the proper U-shaped work cell. Using the principles of man/method/material and spitballing ideas (with the help of an Ichikawa diagram) I found the most efficient blend of space and time.
But of course you are correct. I need a feeder plant to hold my raw materials and build up subassemblies. Think I'll speak to the SIL about it - of course he has to be 6 sigma Greenbelt certified first!

 

[Skip Sackett]

In all honesty, I only have one Kaizen even under my belt. I was asked to one, and when I took my book in, asked some questions of the consultant, I was never asked to another.

I like books. I have gone to Goodwill and gotten some goods ones from there. One was called: "Production Handbook", very similar to the "Machinery Handbook" used by machinists and tool & die makers.

Well, that book cost me 50¢ and I was going to get my money's worth out of it. Yes, I did read some of this thing that was 2" thick! It was printed in 1953 and the copy I got came from an Air Force base library, located: I can't remember where. Two types of manufacturing are mentioned in that book: "Process" & "Product"
Process: A paintline that can paint any part that comes along.
Product: Cell concept, one product, one manufacturing cell. Raw in, finished out.

The book listed the pro's and con's of both and really supported neither, it just gave facts about them for the reader to decide which one they wanted to use.

On day two of the event, after hearing all of their buzz words, I had had enough and flopped open my book. I asked if they were talking about going to a cell concept. They said yes. I asked if they knew that it would take more machinery to make that concept work. They said no, I pointed to the book, "con" of cell concept: more machinery needed. I asked what would happen if the product mix changed because of customer demands: No problem was their answer. I said okay, you are taking machines away from the ability to make whatever and putting them in a closed loop cell. How are you going to produce the parts that need that machine that you didn't replace from normal production? Speechless!

Then, I referred to the date on the book. 1953, just after WWII. It seems that we took our manufacturing prowess across the Pacific, taught it to the Japanese and they brought it back to us in the form of Kaizen! And now, we have consultants (Dogbert says that word is a conjunction of: "Con artist" and "insult", they con you and insult you into buying what they are selling!) teaching their spin on it back to us!

Like I said, that was the only event I was asked to attend. After that, the event organizers just came to me to ask if I could build a control to do what they wanted done and how much it would cost. They always wanted it under $500 though and I would just laugh at them.............

 

[quneur]

I'm probably going fry in H3ll for this but Natchez has CCI 500 in stock as of 2/10. My budget won't allow me to buy any so I thought I would pass it on.

 

[David LaPell]

I called one of the few gun shops around here more than a month back and had them put aside 1,000 small pistol primers and 1,000 large rifle primers aside for me and I went down and picked them up last week. They were the last 2,000 rounds in the store and the last he was going to get for a very long time because he has no idea when anyone will have them again. Every other shop I know that carried reloading supplies ran out and none of them know when they will get anything else. I also picked up a pound of 2400 powder, the last he had, and IMR-4064, one of the last couple of pounds he had. I truly think that there is a lot of blame to go around why our ammo supplies are vanishing like tears in the rain, but no matter who you blame the reality is this. If you wait on the hope that you will be seeing these supplies soon at the prices you used to pay, you will be waiting for a very long time. I know guys who are going to the local gun ranges and are scrounging range brass, running it through their tumblers and reselling it at the local gun shows and are getting prices that rival the cost of the new stuff, and don't get me wrong if they want to take the time fine by me, but this was something that you could see coming. Up to the November election many thought the odds of Obama getting re-elected were slim, even I thought the people had enough and would not allow us to suffer four more years, I was wrong. Then there was Newtown and since then there has been a push for gun control that none of us have ever seen. Here in New York we know it all too well now, California is next, and I am sure a few other states will follow even in the Federal legislation fails. Rest assured in two years if the Congress goes all blue than we can expect every inch of that legislation proposed to get passed with flying colors. I say if you have the money to buy what you want, do it now. I had a long talk with my nephew the other day, who I had been telling to get ammo since he doesn't reload. Lo and behold he can't find anything, and now its going to cost him. Personally I am hoping to be able to fund a gun or two this year, I have scaled down what I want to really what is practical and what I can reload for economically. I plan on avoiding some calibers just because ammo is too expensive and too much in demand. So I like .30-30 and my .357's and that is all I plan to get next. But we should have seen this coming, and now we should be making sure that in the next few years we plan for the next contingency.

 

[jim02ss]

At some point the market will be saturated. People who reload will have several thousand primers, bullets, powder etc.

Then there is the usual rate of depletion that will need to be kept up with. I don't think that's a problem.

One thing on the executive orders thing.... He cant just outlaw a gun etc. but I think he can say that there is a $200 tax on every 50 rounds of ammo and or primers that are sold.
Or that you need to get a federal permit to buy ammunition, powder, primers etc. every time you make a purchase... or that type of thing.

I don't think you will see it thou. It would hurt the socialists (Dems) in the 2014 elections. They might wait until after the 2014 elections.... ???

In any case, I think that gun owners and 2nd amendment supporters in this country have actually been woken up this time and understand whats at stake. I think in the past 80% of gun owners were inactive in directly supporting the 2nd amendment even when new laws were being considered. A type of complacency I guess. This time I'm seeing a very different thing. Much more participation and action at the grass roots level for 2nd amendment support.

Anyone else noticing this?

 

[Zekest]

When President Obama makes the expected announcement in March that the United States has signed the Small Arms Disarmament Treaty with the United Nations, and that possession of a gun after 30 days will be a felony conviction punishable by three years in a FEMA Labor Camp, all the folks sitting on thousands of dollars of ammo and hundreds of guns will be quite unhappy.

 

[novalty]

I'm probably going fry in H3ll for this but Natchez has CCI 500 in stock as of 2/10. My budget won't allow me to buy any so I thought I would pass it on.

No you won't fry. I just checked any they still have them in. Added 5 bricks to my cart. Clicked to get shipping estimate. Cart was "adjusted to" 2 bricks, as they are limiting them to 2 per customer per day. Total for 2 bricks shipped: $110.00. I can wait a little longer at that price.

 

[iouri]

What novalty said. Natchez seems to be playing games lately - they've had blazers 22 for very reasonable price with limit 1 brick per customer and $20 shipping; thanks but I pass