Rainer Bullets closing business

[fordson]

From the Rainier website:

"We are sorry to inform you at this time, that due to the volatile and uncertain future of the ammunition and reloading industry, we have elected to close the business, effective immediately. We can no longer afford to weather the storm. With a potential sale possible, we have elected to retire and start a new chapter in our lives. You will be updated as to specifics should a sale take place. Thank you all for being part of the Rainier Family."

What a shame. They are apparently being driven out of business. I liked and used their bullets, thought they were good for the money

 

[Bullet Bob]

It's a WAG on my part, but since Rainier (be sure and put the "i" left out of the original post if you want to google it) is in Washington, it may be a state issue. Again, just a guess.

 

[fredj338]

From the Rainer website:

"We are sorry to inform you at this time, that due to the volatile and uncertain future of the ammunition and reloading industry, we have elected to close the business, effective immediately. We can no longer afford to weather the storm. With a potential sale possible, we have elected to retire and start a new chapter in our lives. You will be updated as to specifics should a sale take place. Thank you all for being part of the Rainier Family."

What a shame. They are apparently being driven out of business. I liked and used their bullets, thought they were good for the money

I don't see it that way. Plenty of bullet makers are doing just fine. Rainier was always the most expensive plated bullet offered, often more than jacketed. So like most thing when competition is involved, you adapt & over come or lose & go out of business. It isn't because of politics.

 

[patrol]

Reloading stuff isnt selling...

 

[1sailor]

I've loaded and fired a LOT of Rainier bullets and was always pleased with them. However, in addition to whatever regulatory **** they (and others) may be facing I can't help but wonder if powder coated bullets may have been what finally forced them to make this decision. I know of several shooters who used plated bullets for years but have given them up in favor of the Hy-tech coated. It is a shame though.

 

[Borderboss]

Sorry to hear about this. I remember when they started business. I used them exclusively in competition for years. I still have thousands of their .38 and 9mm bullets in the basement, waiting to be loaded.

 

[Nemo288]

Yep good bullets, but the guess about coated cast applies to me as it does to many others.
Cheaper than plated for the most part and leaves less cleanup in the rifling.
I guess the pure cast outlets are in a better position to start coating than the plated folks?
My most local caster (Acme) has certainly gone that route.

 

[Prohunter]

Weird. Friend of mine was just in Oregon getting CeraKote certified and visited Rainier while he was there. He had no idea they produced reloading components until I mentioned it to him. They are doing other things according to what he was telling me. He said they had custom guns out the butt so maybe that it where they have chosen to focus.

 

[robertrwalsh]

Damn shame, but market forces (as well as political forces) can be very compelling. There are options out there, so I will not be crying in my beer, but it is still unfortunate.

 

[cmj8591]

I think it's more about the fact that you can buy bulk jacketed bullets from the big sites, with free shipping and some good sales, for about the same or less and you can drive them as hard as you want. I've had very mixed results with plated bullets and went back to hard cast lead in my light loads.

 

[fordson]

It's a WAG on my part, but since Rainier (be sure and put the "i" left out of the original post if you want to google it) is in Washington, it may be a state issue. Again, just a guess.

Thanks for the catch.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

That's a bummer. They were fast becoming my go-to for plated bullets.

The announcement mentions a "potential sale possible" so maybe someone else will take them over?

.

 

[stansdds]

I'm not surprised. As good as Rainier plated bullets are, they are almost as expensive as jacketed bullets, but plated bullets often have velocity and crimp restrictions that jacketed bullets do not have. With the advent of powder coated cast lead bullets, being less expensive that jacketed or plated and having all the benefits of plated bullets plus crimping grooves for revolver bullets, I don't see a huge market for plated bullets.

 

[DumpStick]

I also think the market for plated bullets is dwindling. Hy-tech and powder coating are cheaper and easier to make.

Also, powder coating has no EPA ramifications (for now). Hy-tech uses a solvent, which may come under scrutiny in the future.

 

[smoothshooter]

Any company that does plating of almost any kind has a bullseye on the roof of their facility for the environmental people to zero in on.

 

[rickflst]

Midway is selling them at close out prices a good time to grab them

 

[fredj338]

I also think the market for plated bullets is dwindling. Hy-tech and powder coating are cheaper and easier to make.

Also, powder coating has no EPA ramifications (for now). Hy-tech uses a solvent, which may come under scrutiny in the future.

Also plating requires a chemical process that may not be as enviro friendly so that could also be playing into this, which goes back to a cost issue.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

Midway is selling them at close out prices a good time to grab them

They're actually the same sale price as I've previously bought from them. Bullet calibers that they previously stocked but are sold out show they can no longer be ordered.

I just bought (1000) .41s as they have performed good for me in the past. Midway's freight prices leave much to be desired though.

.

 

[BE Mike]

I tried them many years ago. I machine rest tested them with poor results. I'm not jumping for joy that a business is failing especially how it concerns employees, but I didn't think the quality of their product deserved my money. Some folks rave about Berry's bullets. Maybe they are better than Ranier. I've switched to coated bullets for plinking. No doubt that California, Oregon and Washington are very liberal and anti.

 

[Nemo288]

Just goes to show that the large number of variables in reloading and shooting keeps things interesting (and sometimes frustrating).
I have had some of my best 44 special loads with the Rainier bullets, both FP and HP.
I think they are soft enough and the plating thin enough to allow some good obturation.
Maybe they fit the guns and loads I used just right.
The lack of cannelure doesn't bother me the way it seems to others.
I use a taper crimp and have never had a bullet pull from recoil.
I don't use them in magnum loads preferring the WFNGC and normal jacketed numbers for that.
I'll miss them but have a nice stock to last me quite awhile as I don't shoot as much as I should.
As has been mentioned there are many many others waiting to sell us bullets.
These targets were off sandbags at 10 yards.