16ga.com ~ View topic

anyone seen any for sale?

https://www.gunbroker.com/All/search?Keywords=small%20pistol%20primers

Joined: 16 Jul 2015 Posts: 2124 Location: Hudson,Wy

The sad word that came to me recently is that the manufacturers have chosen mark ups rather than expanding manufacturing to keep up with demand. With all of the new shooting enthusiasts we have gained, this will likely lead to one thing: new competitors entering the industry. If the current companies don't like it, well they should have thought of that. Most industries expand during a boom since the profits are there to pay for it quickly. Just look at what happens in the oil industry. But for now, we wait...

Joined: 08 Mar 2016 Posts: 120 Location: South Dakota

Well if you walk into the right store on the right day you might get some, that’s if there wasn’t a line outside the door before it opened.

Places like sportsman’s ware house at least here get them in once a week sometimes they last till the working man gets out of work sometimes they don’t. A small gun shop just south of the pa border regularly has primers but only let you buy 100 at a time. They had enough small rifle a couple weeks ago that you could buy a brick for a little more than normal price.

Joined: 08 Mar 2016 Posts: 120 Location: South Dakota

Well if you walk into the right store on the right day you might get some, that’s if there wasn’t a line outside the door before it opened.

Places like sportsman’s ware house at least here get them in once a week sometimes they last till the working man gets out of work sometimes they don’t. A small gun shop just south of the pa border regularly has primers but only let you buy 100 at a time. They had enough small rifle a couple weeks ago that you could buy a brick for a little more than normal price.

Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 3438 Location: Illinois

Is there no end to this insanity Evil or Very Mad

Joined: 26 Apr 2010 Posts: 3177 Location: NCWa

Joined: 28 Sep 2014 Posts: 241 Location: Kingsland, Texas

I have had some luck finding a LGS that sells reloading supplies. They will typically have a trickle of components come in. The one I buy from is limiting the amount and has not been gouging but have passed recent increases. I think we are in for a 4 year drought. Like they say elections have consequences.

Joined: 12 Sep 2010 Posts: 1973 Location: Maine

There's a video out from the head guy at Remington (3rd in a series, it would seem) in which one of the questions he answers is "where are the primers?"

In short, when ammo demand is high manufacturers will turn their primer production into loaded ammo rather than selling primers as is. Apparently, they view primers for reloading as a way of disposing those they produce but don't need for loaded ammo though they do usually produce more, just to keep reloaders happy.

So, all (or almost all) the primer production seems to be going to loaded ammo.

Another question was "why don't you build more capacity?" The answer is the same one S&B gave in response to the same question 4 or 5 years ago during the last shortage. It takes a good year and millions of dollars to create a production line from scratch. And that's in normal times. The demand has been cyclic - often driven by elections - and the manufacturers (and their investors and banks) are not going to tolerate spending millions on a new line only to see the facility sitting idle because demand has dropped off (after the latest scare has dissipated or an intervening election has vitiated the threat of new gun control).

Keep in mind that as late as January of last year there was only a tiny bit of heightened demand for guns or ammo and a good number of LGS were having trouble keeping the doors open because of low buying demand. A LGS where I did transfers went out sometime in the late summer or autumn of 2019 precisely because they had days where no one came in and they never opened the cash register. It was only after some state governments decided to shutter gun stores in the early days of the pandemic - a couple weeks more than a year ago - that people started buying everything. And even then, calibers other than pistol ammo, 22 LR, 223, 308 and the like were available well into the summer. And shotgun ammo didn't get tight (except for buckshot and slugs) until very close to the last election. The final rush to clean the shelves came when it became clear how the election would likely turn out.

So, do like I did. When the demand is low is the time to buy. If the guy behind the counter is complaining about Trump Slump 2.0 or something, buy some ammo or a pound of powder or a brick of primers even if you don't need it now. Stored properly, it won't go bad. Help him stay in business. Likewise at gun shows. I stocked up a little at a time 2-3 years ago. Often at sale prices. Not enough of some things, I now think - shoulda bought more powder....

In times of shortage, like now, you can sit on the sidelines. If you see ammo you absolutely need, buy a little, but don't be the guy buying it out. You're feeding the frenzy, doing that.

And I picked up a brick of small pistol primers a couple months ago at a big-box gun store at normal retail. Not for sale....

Joined: 26 Apr 2010 Posts: 3177 Location: NCWa

I'm wondering if the drive to eliminate lead (in primers) has lead to a reduction in manufacture as well as development of non-lead primers.