Small Pistol Primers?
- Thread starter 38SPL HV
- Start date
fredj338
Member
Imo, this doesnt go away soon. We might see some availability of sm primers this time next year, but that is optimistic. All primers are going into ammo & ammo is still in short supply. Expect prices to go up as well. We thought $30 was pricey, I expect $35-$40.
carpriver
US Veteran
For right now I am doing Ok. I have about 8 boxes of small pistol primers and 10 boxes of large pistol, and at least that many small rifle and large rifle. If push come to shove I can press the rifle primes in service for my hand guns I don't have a theory about the cause of the shortage or how it will end. I may have to invest in char coal and start drying urine.
max503
Member
This would make a good tee shirt to wear to the range. Heck. We were having threads about this just a few short months ago....
PapaWheelie
Member
I was able to get a brick of SP and SPM primers on Saturday at one gun store Saturday and a brick of SP at Fleet Farm tonight. Maybe things might be loosening up again, a little.
fredj338
Member
Boxes of 100s or 1000s?? I lnow a few avid shooters down to 100s, not a good thing.
At my current rate of shooting I have about a 3 year supply of powders and primers. I obtained a 9mm last year and didn't feel it was worth my time to reload it so I picked up a few extra boxes every now and then. 2020 arrived and things changed. I'm now set up to reload 9mm and I'm casting for it as well. Rather than using conventional lube I'm going the Hi-tek coating route. My tests of it so far have been good.
max503
Member
I got stocked up on primers just in the nick of time.
What's got me concerned is lead. All the usual sources have dried up.
For my everyday shooting I'm switching from a 148 grain DEWC to a 105 grain SWC in order to conserve lead. I've still got a good pile of lead in the shed but no need to waste it. I'm also switching to 95 grain bullets in 9mm.
What's got me concerned is lead. All the usual sources have dried up.
For my everyday shooting I'm switching from a 148 grain DEWC to a 105 grain SWC in order to conserve lead. I've still got a good pile of lead in the shed but no need to waste it. I'm also switching to 95 grain bullets in 9mm.
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Green Frog
Member
Well, from these comments, first I'm glad I'm pretty well stocked up on reloading supplies and factory 9mm ammo, the one thing I shoot a fair amount but don't reload (note I said "don't" not "can't".)
Second, having celebrated over seventy trips around the sun, a "lifetime supply" becomes smaller for me all the time, but it also limits my wait time for "this too" to "pass." Either things will break loose after the outcome of the election is known, or they will break down altogether. At this point, my crystal ball is pretty badly cloudy on this.
Either way, I believe I can keep shooting for a pretty long time. Now let's see how much company I'll have at the range.
Froggie
Second, having celebrated over seventy trips around the sun, a "lifetime supply" becomes smaller for me all the time, but it also limits my wait time for "this too" to "pass." Either things will break loose after the outcome of the election is known, or they will break down altogether. At this point, my crystal ball is pretty badly cloudy on this.
Either way, I believe I can keep shooting for a pretty long time. Now let's see how much company I'll have at the range.
Froggie
bluetopper
Member
Went in a local gun/pawn shop that keeps reloading supplies and walked out with this for $46.50 plus tax. Never paid that much for primers in my life but I have them. I wasn't out but this sure makes me feel more comfortable.
After the election things will either get back to normal or take a drastic turn for the worse.
After the election things will either get back to normal or take a drastic turn for the worse.
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max503
Member
Always good to be stocked up. You never know when the next shortage is gonna be The Big One.
jeffreybehr
Member
I agree with this and am using CCI 400 SR primers in my 40S&W loads, 100% succesfully and with NO apparent pressure changes.. I was lucky to find a fellow only an hour away from me who had 3K of CCI SP primers which I traded for and bought.. Added to my SR primers, I now have 10K!!!
fredj338
Member
Just mine the berms my friend. I have a guy sitting on 800# of pure lead ingots, free to him but the sweat equity. Lead is out there, just gotta go find it. Tire shops are pretty much done but lead is available any place shooters shoot.
fredj338
Member
I agree with this and am using CCI 400 SR primers in my 40S&W loads, 100% succesfully and with NO apparent pressure changes.. I was lucky to find a fellow only an hour away from me who had 3K of CCI SP primers which I traded for and bought.. Added to my SR primers, I now have 10K!!!
A Good start.
I've been buying reloading components a little here and a little there at discount prices for several years. I pretty much have a lifetime supply of pistol primers of all types.
I only have around 7000 small rifle primers though. Where I'm really short is .223/5.56 bullets. I only have around 2500 of those, and they are pretty much unobtanium right now - unless you're willing to pay 10-20 cents apiece for them. I'm not. So I'll have to make do with what I have until the supply comes back.
I bought a fair amount of 9mm back when it was 15-16 cents a round, even though I can reload it myself for around 10-11 cents a round. So I still have a few thousand factory rounds. At that price I figured it was worthwhile to save my components for a rainy day.
These days it seems to be raining - hard...
I only have around 7000 small rifle primers though. Where I'm really short is .223/5.56 bullets. I only have around 2500 of those, and they are pretty much unobtanium right now - unless you're willing to pay 10-20 cents apiece for them. I'm not. So I'll have to make do with what I have until the supply comes back.
I bought a fair amount of 9mm back when it was 15-16 cents a round, even though I can reload it myself for around 10-11 cents a round. So I still have a few thousand factory rounds. At that price I figured it was worthwhile to save my components for a rainy day.
These days it seems to be raining - hard...
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Jeff423
US Veteran
Switch to Single Shot Rifle
I just broke out my .308 FTR and the nice thing about that is I shoot very few rounds. After 24 I'm done. And that's for load development. After that I'll probably only shoot 10 -15 per session. However 24 rounds of .308 takes about 960 gr. of powder.
But the FTR does save a lot of primers.
I just broke out my .308 FTR and the nice thing about that is I shoot very few rounds. After 24 I'm done. And that's for load development. After that I'll probably only shoot 10 -15 per session. However 24 rounds of .308 takes about 960 gr. of powder.
But the FTR does save a lot of primers.
ArchAngelCD
Moderator, SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
I'm still working on primers from the President Clinton era. I agree with the above. The Covid 19 shutdown also put a hugh hurt on reloading components. Be patient and keep looking, you will find some.
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bigggbbruce
Member
I've got 600 GDHP, about 1000 coated bullets, plenty of brass, powder and primers, several hundred loaded up.. 800 factory Federal FMJ..
and I don't even own a 9mm gun right now..
