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The Primer Shortage

Cosmic338

Ammo will become Currency
Full Member
Minuteman
Dec 11, 2020
185
167
United States
It’s outrageous to pay 200-300$ for 1k primers on GB. With today’s current political atmosphere, does anyone think that the shortage will end within the next year, or should we just suck it up and pay these extremely high prices because there is no end to the madness in sight.
 
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If and when we get back to normal, just remember who the price gougers were. Karma is a bitch.
I'm wondering if all of these crooks gouging for primers actually have permits to ship hazmat or, are they bootlegging through the common carriers.
 
I don’t see this shortage coming to an end within the next 2 years. Because when they come on the shelves again there will still be many people with the mindset “time to stock up for the next hard times” so that will cause the shortage to extend. Also with the presidency going on and wanting to ban online sales of gun stuff, it’s hard to say what’s going to happen. I just want others perspectives on the matter to influence my decision to spend that kind of money on primers.
 
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The shortage of raw materiel and production capacity will drive the shortage a year....
The panic buying and the stocking up will drive it at least another two years...

Hope everyone has enough until 2023...sad but true. And even then 29.99 per 1K is probably a thing of the past.

ZY
 
I agree 3-5 years before we see primers in stock regularly. And the price will be $60 a 1000 Once things settle down IMO.
 
I got luckier than shit today. walked into the local gun store and there was a box of 1000 Fed 215 magnum primers. $50 bucks, he wasn’t even taking advantage of the shortage.

Damn!! if he only had a keg of H1000
I’m jealous I need some 215m’s lol
 
As others have said, min 2 years for anything ammo/reloading to get back to normal and that assumes Republicans take back at least one of the two chambers which is far from certain.
 
As others have said, min 2 years for anything ammo/reloading to get back to normal and that assumes Republicans take back at least one of the two chambers which is far from certain.

I don't think we will see a republican lead anything ever again...it's only getting worse from here boys... Keep your tomahawks sharp and yer powder dry we in for a bumpy ride
 
I don't think we will see a republican lead anything ever again...it's only getting worse from here boys... Keep your tomahawks sharp and yer powder dry we in for a bumpy ride
Yea that’s a best case scenario for return to normalcy but either the Republican Party gets overhauled by new blood or we see a third party rise. Either way, anyone who was self-aware and and involved in shooting/reloading should have stocked up. At least starting in 2018 when Republicans lost the house. Writing was on the wall before then but went from small font to big bold highlighted font after those mid-terms. At least for me it did.
 
I am amazed how many people didn't stock up during Trump's 4 years in office
I am amazed as well. 18-19 were almost as good as pre-Obama times availability wise. The big online retailers had mostly everything in stock or maybe a month back order. My lgs had primers galore and most of my powders and bullets.

Didn’t anyone teach to buy what you need and one extra for the stash?
 
If and when we get back to normal, just remember who the price gougers were. Karma is a bitch.
I'm wondering if all of these crooks gouging for primers actually have permits to ship hazmat or, are they bootlegging through the common carriers.
I had to order a box because I was running low enough to worry. Didn’t pay near as much as they are asking now but it showed up in a usps unmarked box.
 
Sell when high, stock up when low.

I believe this time will take longer than the past spells for returning to normal, if that happens. Stopping online sales will be an azz kicker..
 
Based on how the left is getting so aggressive, assuming they take the WH this week, I expect incoming taxes and/or regulation will make reloading near impossible before any supply issues are resolved. Guessing something like a $1 tax per reloading component, victims can sue component manufacturers, no mail order delivery to non-businesses etc.
 
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either pay what you have to to get what you want or do without I just paid 150 per thousand and was supper happy to even have found them so happy I bought 8 which was 5 more than I needed to replace what Ive used so far god know's when you will see it again if ever . The same thing apply s to supplies for reloading don't think of it as hoarding think of it as buying what you might not be able to get for another year or so . best of luck getting what you need .
 
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Buy what you must at current prices and call it "dollar cost averaging". I won't be needing to buy anything for a bit but I don't plan on stopping loading or shooting either. At some point I will need to replenish what I use and I'll pay market cost when that time comes.
 
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Someone please speak to this and tell me I am dead fucking wrong. I recently spoke to the owner of a very reputable LGS...He sells tremendous amounts of Hodgdon powder, bullets, brass, etc.

He said...

Federal, CCI, and Winchester, are the only companies still able to produce primers (mostly vista Outdoors). They are keeping most in house for their own manufacturing. The rest of what they can afford to out source is going straight to Hornady who does not manufacture their own primers in order to keep Hornady alive.

All the other 12-13 smaller ammo manufactures such as Fort Scott Munitions, Black Hills, PMC, Lake City etc. are about to be inadvertently suffocated in the next few months due to primer shortages.

Can anyone speak to this? Hoping I am a victim of pure speculation and paranoia
 
Will trade for a fully loaded 2020 F-350.


4484706C-1768-4C4F-8686-F228B2AB84C8.jpeg
 
Analysis: some truth, some bullshit.

Federal, CCI, and Winchester, are the only companies still able to produce primers (mostly vista Outdoors).

True domestically, until the Remington fiasco gets settled.

They are keeping most in house for their own manufacturing.

This is believable since the ammo market is much larger than the component market which just uses excess capacity. No/less excess capacity = no/less components.

The rest of what they can afford to out source is going straight to Hornady who does not manufacture their own primers in order to keep Hornady alive.

Why would Hornady be special and get dibs?

All the other 12-13 smaller ammo manufactures such as Fort Scott Munitions, Black Hills, PMC, Lake City etc. are about to be inadvertently suffocated in the next few months due to primer shortages.

LC is a small manufacturer? Thats news to me and I'm sure news to Uncle Sam. LC and BH, supporting govt contracts, will be fine although their retail offerings will likely dry up if the primer shortage is indeed that bad. I would not put it past a dem admin to put orders in for gazillion rounds to tie up all the capacity and reduce ammo availability as an end run around a ban.
 
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It’s outrageous to pay 200-300$ for 1k primers on GB. With today’s current political atmosphere, does anyone think that the shortage will end within the next year, or should we just suck it up and pay these extremely high prices because there is no end to the madness in sight.
I noticed today that primers on GB are now being sold in lots of 500, instead of the usual brick of 1000.
I thing it is because the prices keep skyrocketing, and the total for the sale will appear less outrageous...
 
Someone please speak to this and tell me I am dead fucking wrong. I recently spoke to the owner of a very reputable LGS...He sells tremendous amounts of Hodgdon powder, bullets, brass, etc.

He said...

Federal, CCI, and Winchester, are the only companies still able to produce primers (mostly vista Outdoors). They are keeping most in house for their own manufacturing. The rest of what they can afford to out source is going straight to Hornady who does not manufacture their own primers in order to keep Hornady alive.

All the other 12-13 smaller ammo manufactures such as Fort Scott Munitions, Black Hills, PMC, Lake City etc. are about to be inadvertently suffocated in the next few months due to primer shortages.

Can anyone speak to this? Hoping I am a victim of pure speculation and paranoia




from reliable source within-

Total Primer Production:
12.5% going to individual sales, 12.5% to smaller ammo manufactures, the other 75% is staying in house for ammo production.
 
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Someone please speak to this and tell me I am dead fucking wrong. I recently spoke to the owner of a very reputable LGS...He sells tremendous amounts of Hodgdon powder, bullets, brass, etc.

He said...

Federal, CCI, and Winchester, are the only companies still able to produce primers (mostly vista Outdoors). They are keeping most in house for their own manufacturing. The rest of what they can afford to out source is going straight to Hornady who does not manufacture their own primers in order to keep Hornady alive.

All the other 12-13 smaller ammo manufactures such as Fort Scott Munitions, Black Hills, PMC, Lake City etc. are about to be inadvertently suffocated in the next few months due to primer shortages.

Can anyone speak to this? Hoping I am a victim of pure speculation and paranoia

I have no evidence, but what you were told makes perfect sense from a business point of view. Those who produce primers and ammunition must feed their own ammo production because ammo is more profitable that components (it has move value added and a larger market).

And you know what, nobody can blame the ammo companies for making these decisions to feed themselves with primers before selling them at retail. Anything else would be immensely irresponsible for an ongoing business concern. Anyone who doesn't understand that needs a serious education into running a business.

There are some errors in your information though.

PMC is a Korean ammo manufacturer and it is very possible that they make their own primers so it's unlikely they'll be affected. Same goes for other non-US ammo makers who also produce their own primers: Fiocchi, Lapua, Norma/RWS/Geco/Rottweil (all part of the RUAG group), Sellier & Bellot, and possibly others I'm not familiar with. All of them have their own primer manufacturing so they should be fine.

Winchester Ammunition is owned by the Olin Corporation, not by Vista Outdoors. Winchester's primer production is independent of Federal and CCI.

Lake City is a government ammo plant operated by Olin Corporation, I seriously doubt they'll run out of primers.
 
Someone please speak to this and tell me I am dead fucking wrong. I recently spoke to the owner of a very reputable LGS...He sells tremendous amounts of Hodgdon powder, bullets, brass, etc.

He said...

Federal, CCI, and Winchester, are the only companies still able to produce primers (mostly vista Outdoors). They are keeping most in house for their own manufacturing. The rest of what they can afford to out source is going straight to Hornady who does not manufacture their own primers in order to keep Hornady alive.

All the other 12-13 smaller ammo manufactures such as Fort Scott Munitions, Black Hills, PMC, Lake City etc. are about to be inadvertently suffocated in the next few months due to primer shortages.

Can anyone speak to this? Hoping I am a victim of pure speculation and paranoia
Recently had a conversation with the fine folks at Unknown Ammunition in Idaho. He relayed almost the same information. At that time (November), he was estimation a 2 year distortion. Things haven't exactly gotten better.
 
If and when we get back to normal, just remember who the price gougers were. Karma is a bitch.
I'm wondering if all of these crooks gouging for primers actually have permits to ship hazmat or, are they bootlegging through the common carriers.
I'm trolling some of them on GB... :ROFLMAO: send a question to the seller asking if they have the credentials to ship properly and how the package will come marked. They don't want to answer that question....
 
Best bet for a large source of primers right now is to wait for Theis to get his form 6 through the atf for primer imports from Russia and place your order for a very large number primers. In the initial thread he said he expected November of this year for delivery. I believe he said $60/1k.

no he’s not going to sell 1k at a time, this will probably be minimum 10k at time orders.
 
If the cost of primers get higher then my shares of Tesla then it might be time to sell. lol
 
There were Federal Small Pistol and Federal Small Pistol Magnum primers in stock today at Brownells. From what I could see, they sold out in about 4 minutes. I couldn't get checked out quick enough, and they were removed from my cart before I finished placing my order.
 
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