The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - strange & crazy times... 22 lr, 22 mag, 25 auto, even 32 auto... really ???

Sevens · February 12, 2013, 02:21 PM

In my opinion...
.22LR is scarce because everyone who shoots is afraid to use up their center fire ammo, so they are shooting a -LOT- more rimfire. Furthermore, folks ran out to buy ammo (all at the same time) and they keep finding empty shelves...yet they have money in their hands. So they are buying up any/all rimfire they find.

As for .25 and .32, I don't think it's a direct hit on these. This is stuff that is a horribly tiny percentage of the market. Nobody keeps a large stock of .25 cal component handgun bullets. Nobody. So the four guys on the planet who are actually handloading .25 ACP at the bench (like everyone else) simply added a slew of component .25cal handgun bullets to their most recent "panic!" supply order.

Something like, "Gimme primers! Gimme 9mm FMJ! Gimme once fired .45 brass! Gimme 16 pounds of W231!!!"

"Well, we only have 1k primers. 9mm slugs sold out last week. No brass in any size. W231, I've got a single 1-pound and it's $29.50"

"Okay, you got any .25 cal FMJ component slugs?"

"Yes, I've got 22,000 of them, had them since 1986."

"I'LL TAKE THEM!"

No component manufacturer is going to produce a single .25 cal handgun bullet in the next 24 months. They'll use their equipment, labor, time and materials to build 9mm, .40 and .45 cal slugs. It's not like the just press a different button to get those little pills. They have to shut down a machine and re-tool it. That's never going to happen for a round that almost nobody needs or wants.

I ran in to exactly the same problem in 08/09 with regards to 85-100 grain .312" component jacketed bullets for .327 Federal Magnum. I am certain that there wasn't a bunch of panic buying and runs on .32 cal component slugs and the entire American market most certainly did NOT jump on the extremely well marketed

hot new .327 Federal round.

Instead...I went looking for an oddball component that NEVER had much of a supply and no manufacturer in their right mind was going to spend even 10 minutes producing that product for me and three other TFL Forum guys who realkly, really wanted to handload some screamin' hot .32's.

So whatever dusty stuff had been laying on shelves for the last 5 years was in the market...and not a single other slug was to be had. When those sold... the .312" component jacketed slugs simply no longer existed on the market.

February 12, 2013, 02:21 PM	#3
Sevens Senior Member Join Date: July 28, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 11,756	In my opinion... .22LR is scarce because everyone who shoots is afraid to use up their center fire ammo, so they are shooting a -LOT- more rimfire. Furthermore, folks ran out to buy ammo (all at the same time) and they keep finding empty shelves...yet they have money in their hands. So they are buying up any/all rimfire they find. As for .25 and .32, I don't think it's a direct hit on these. This is stuff that is a horribly tiny percentage of the market. Nobody keeps a large stock of .25 cal component handgun bullets. Nobody. So the four guys on the planet who are actually handloading .25 ACP at the bench (like everyone else) simply added a slew of component .25cal handgun bullets to their most recent "panic!" supply order. Something like, "Gimme primers! Gimme 9mm FMJ! Gimme once fired .45 brass! Gimme 16 pounds of W231!!!" "Well, we only have 1k primers. 9mm slugs sold out last week. No brass in any size. W231, I've got a single 1-pound and it's $29.50" "Okay, you got any .25 cal FMJ component slugs?" "Yes, I've got 22,000 of them, had them since 1986." "I'LL TAKE THEM!" No component manufacturer is going to produce a single .25 cal handgun bullet in the next 24 months. They'll use their equipment, labor, time and materials to build 9mm, .40 and .45 cal slugs. It's not like the just press a different button to get those little pills. They have to shut down a machine and re-tool it. That's never going to happen for a round that almost nobody needs or wants. I ran in to exactly the same problem in 08/09 with regards to 85-100 grain .312" component jacketed bullets for .327 Federal Magnum. I am certain that there wasn't a bunch of panic buying and runs on .32 cal component slugs and the entire American market most certainly did NOT jump on the extremely well marketed hot new .327 Federal round. Instead...I went looking for an oddball component that NEVER had much of a supply and no manufacturer in their right mind was going to spend even 10 minutes producing that product for me and three other TFL Forum guys who realkly, really wanted to handload some screamin' hot .32's. So whatever dusty stuff had been laying on shelves for the last 5 years was in the market...and not a single other slug was to be had. When those sold... the .312" component jacketed slugs simply no longer existed on the market. __________________ *Attention Brass rats and other reloaders:* I really need .327 Federal Magnum brass, no lot size too small. Tell me what caliber you need and I'll see what I have to swap. PM me and we'll discuss.