OMG, Where is Everything!

300magman · September 11, 2009, 11:57 AM

A friend of mine suggested I had better figure out how I am going to get components before I start handloading....I had assumed it wouldn't be too hard to buy what I needed but now that I have started to look around, Where has everything gone. Virtually everything is out of stock, I can't find a single primer to save my life, and brass, powder, and even bullets aren't much better.

Is there some kind of temporary shortage, or am I looking at an eternal struggle to find components...at this rate it might be cheaper to stick with $45-70 a box factory loads than wonder the country trying in vain to find reloading components

Is there any one place, or small group of places that specializes in selling reloading supplies online, someone that would ship to canada...or at least Maine? and is there generally a large hazmat fee for shipping powder or primers?

plainsman456 · September 11, 2009, 12:07 PM

There has been a shortage since last nov.Some say hordeing some say gov. contracts.It takes some looking but stuff can be found.I use Grafs,Midsouth and midway.It seems that some parts of the country are getting better stocked.Good Luck

margiesex · September 11, 2009, 12:13 PM

You also might try brunoshooters.com - has had primers of late, also powder valley and natchezss.com - this last one will allow you to put an email alert on the item you want. They will email you when it gets in. THEN you must call immediately, as they do not put the stock up on their web as available immedately. If you wait to call - it quite possibly be gone.

If you are at your wits end and MUST have primers, powder - then, gunbroker.com is a resource. Note, the prices are usually a lot higher than your local gun store will charge and I do not approve of price goughing - but if you MUST have it, you can get it - just be prepared to pay for it.

In recent talks with my brother in GA - Basspro shops are seen with good stock and he told me as of last week his local Walmart had ALL cals in stock - even .223!

God bless.

Margiesex

And remember: Hug your God and your guns - 'cause he's coming for them both, and soon!

greensteelforge · September 11, 2009, 12:24 PM

You are witnessing the result of a market exploiting public stupidity. The alignment of the firearms and ammunition industry with a single political party has resulted in the promotion of irrational fear whenever the opposition takes power. I haven't seen any reason for the massive increase in demand for ammo, or certain rifles and their parts, aside from the promotion of hysteria by the NRA, and the like. Good luck, and thanks to all our friends out there keeping up the fear and dire warnings, I'll be looking to buy some of that ammo stockpile once you feel safe again, and the prices drop.

oneounceload · September 11, 2009, 01:56 PM

Thousands of new reloaders coming onto the scene after they waited too long and couldn't get ammunition has left the larders high and dry. Since the mfg.'s consider it a temporary bubble, none of them are making capital investments in new physical plant, but are, instead, working 24/7 until the bubble passes.

BigJimP · September 11, 2009, 03:17 PM

In my area - we're seeing supplies coming back into inventory / especially on primers and powder - and while bullets are backordered .... the trick is to buy in a reasonable quantity that will last you 6 months or so - and go straight to mfg if you can.

A case of primers is only 5,000 or 100 boxes of handgun ammo / so buy a case.

A keg of powder is 8 lbs - or at least buy a 4 lb container - and try and limit your powders / I use one powder TiteGroup for all my handgun loads from 9mm to .44 mag ).

Stay with one bullet mfg ( Berry's, Montana Gold, Rainier Ballistics whatever you want - and order in case lots of 1,000 - 3,000 bullets to a case or in a primary package .......

or find a good local shop - stay loyal to them / order thru them and see if they can help you out ....but buy in quantities that make it worth their while .... not 250 bullets at a time or something silly ....

NWPilgrim · September 12, 2009, 05:36 AM

A lot of new reloaders starting due to high prices of complete ammo. If you can find components then it is at least 505 less cost to reload.

Primers are the hardest to find. Starting to show up on shelves but sells out quickly. Have to check frequently. Online try Wideners, Cabelas, Midway, Grafs, Natchezss.com, Midsouthshootersupply, etc.

Powder is a little easier to find, especially if you select a less common powder. At the same online sources as for primers, I can sometimes find Reloader15 but not Varget, though they are very close to same uses and loads. The slower rifle powders are easier to find as well as the faster and slowest pistol powders. Also, sometimes a place will be out of 1# canisters and yet have an 8# one available, or vice versa.

One pound of powder can load up to 1,500 handgun cases, or 150 rifle cases. While Bullseye, WW231/HP38, Unique, 2400 and WW296/H110 are popular, now they are hard to find. It might be easier to find Red Dot, Accurate #2, #5, #9, Blue Dot, Herco, etc.

Jacketed bullets are limited supply but the can be found. Try the above vendors, as well as Missouribullet or goldenwestbrass, and Google for what you want as well.

Lead bullets are about the easiest to get. I would try Dardascastbullets first for low price and fast delivery. Also try twoalphabullets, bulletsdirect and mastercastbullets.

For brass try Natchezss.com, Midwayusa, goldenwestbrass, Scharch, and google search. If you already have ammo you can save your brass. Ask friends and family to save their brass as well.

Local shops often get limited amounts of one or more of these

B-Maxx · September 12, 2009, 11:05 AM

I'm actually starting to see the opposite. Powders are routinely in stock and primers are showing up too.

**Unclenick** · September 12, 2009, 11:33 AM

Same here. Even Gander Mountain near me has a fair amount of powder. Bullet prices are outrageous, though.

The shortage actually started long before the election. A Sierra tech told me it began about the time metals prices peaked a couple of years ago. The reloading supply market was in a slump, then, and they and other manufacturers didn't want to pay the high price of metal, so they decided to coast through the metal price bubble on their existing stock. Then the military decided at the same time to replenish the stockpiles that had been allowed to start running down way back during the Clinton administration, so their normal annual orders were quadrupled temporarily. The Sierra tech said the competition started some handloaders hoarding, and raw material stockpiles they thought they could coast on for a couple of years were gone in just 4 months.

The Army Times had an article in, I think it was March, 2007, describing how military orders at that time had already caused some deliveries to civilian shooting sports suppliers to be delayed up to a year. So the whole thing was turning into a mess before the election. The outcome of the election then added fuel to the fire when it was already bad to start with.

CCI did build an additional primer line that was started up at then end of July, I believe. Colt ordered in new CNC machinery to increase their production from 90 to 150 guns a day, something they admit, for quality and competitive price reasons, they should have done a decade ago. So some new capacity has been added, but not everywhere.

Farmland · September 12, 2009, 12:49 PM

I walked into my Gaunder Mountain yesterday and they were loaded with primers, now they generally always had some each week but this was the first time I saw CCI small rifle primers in the thousands.

The powder supply has been very good everywhere I have went this year and in addition I was always able to find any type of primers I was looking for.

The prices are the prices I either buy or I don't buy, besides I find GM is about the highest priced in the area.

I have found a smaller store that generally has a nice stock of bullets and they can be as much as $10 cheaper for Nosler than GM. They always have some bulk lead too that is less than I can mail order.

In any event I haven't even come close to struggling for supplies though I have to be a little more resourceful and watch the prices.

Rembrandt · September 12, 2009, 01:19 PM

Depends which store you shop, local Bass Pro has little to no powder & primers....across town Scheels has everything. Just picked up 10,000 small pistol primers last night and 4000 small rifle.

Al Norris · September 12, 2009, 05:20 PM

Unclenick, thank you for that timely analysis. It is the long and short of what has happened.

Please direct all other comments to the sticky thread that used to be here, but is now over in the General Discussion forum.

September 11, 2009, 11:57 AM	#1
300magman Senior Member Join Date: September 12, 2008 Posts: 714	OMG, Where is Everything! A friend of mine suggested I had better figure out how I am going to get components before I start handloading....I had assumed it wouldn't be too hard to buy what I needed but now that I have started to look around, Where has everything gone. Virtually everything is out of stock, I can't find a single primer to save my life, and brass, powder, and even bullets aren't much better. Is there some kind of temporary shortage, or am I looking at an eternal struggle to find components...at this rate it might be cheaper to stick with $45-70 a box factory loads than wonder the country trying in vain to find reloading components Is there any one place, or small group of places that specializes in selling reloading supplies online, someone that would ship to canada...or at least Maine? and is there generally a large hazmat fee for shipping powder or primers?

September 11, 2009, 12:13 PM	#3
margiesex Senior Member Join Date: June 5, 2009 Location: Levittown, PA Posts: 210	Also might... You also might try brunoshooters.com - has had primers of late, also powder valley and natchezss.com - this last one will allow you to put an email alert on the item you want. They will email you when it gets in. THEN you must call immediately, as they do not put the stock up on their web as available immedately. If you wait to call - it quite possibly be gone. If you are at your wits end and MUST have primers, powder - then, gunbroker.com is a resource. Note, the prices are usually a lot higher than your local gun store will charge and I do not approve of price goughing - but if you MUST have it, you can get it - just be prepared to pay for it. In recent talks with my brother in GA - Basspro shops are seen with good stock and he told me as of last week his local Walmart had ALL cals in stock - even .223! God bless. Margiesex And remember: Hug your God and your guns - 'cause he's coming for them both, and soon!

September 12, 2009, 05:36 AM	#7
NWPilgrim Senior Member Join Date: September 29, 2008 Location: Oregon Posts: 2,346	A lot of new reloaders starting due to high prices of complete ammo. If you can find components then it is at least 505 less cost to reload. Primers are the hardest to find. Starting to show up on shelves but sells out quickly. Have to check frequently. Online try Wideners, Cabelas, Midway, Grafs, Natchezss.com, Midsouthshootersupply, etc. Powder is a little easier to find, especially if you select a less common powder. At the same online sources as for primers, I can sometimes find Reloader15 but not Varget, though they are very close to same uses and loads. The slower rifle powders are easier to find as well as the faster and slowest pistol powders. Also, sometimes a place will be out of 1# canisters and yet have an 8# one available, or vice versa. One pound of powder can load up to 1,500 handgun cases, or 150 rifle cases. While Bullseye, WW231/HP38, Unique, 2400 and WW296/H110 are popular, now they are hard to find. It might be easier to find Red Dot, Accurate #2, #5, #9, Blue Dot, Herco, etc. Jacketed bullets are limited supply but the can be found. Try the above vendors, as well as Missouribullet or goldenwestbrass, and Google for what you want as well. Lead bullets are about the easiest to get. I would try Dardascastbullets first for low price and fast delivery. Also try twoalphabullets, bulletsdirect and mastercastbullets. For brass try Natchezss.com, Midwayusa, goldenwestbrass, Scharch, and google search. If you already have ammo you can save your brass. Ask friends and family to save their brass as well. Local shops often get limited amounts of one or more of these __________________ "The ultimate authority ... resides in the people alone. ... The advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation ... forms a barrier against the enterprises of ambition." - James Madison

September 11, 2009, 12:07 PM	#2
plainsman456 Senior Member Join Date: December 31, 2008 Posts: 260	There has been a shortage since last nov.Some say hordeing some say gov. contracts.It takes some looking but stuff can be found.I use Grafs,Midsouth and midway.It seems that some parts of the country are getting better stocked.Good Luck

September 11, 2009, 12:24 PM	#4
greensteelforge Member Join Date: September 11, 2009 Posts: 90	You are witnessing the result of a market exploiting public stupidity. The alignment of the firearms and ammunition industry with a single political party has resulted in the promotion of irrational fear whenever the opposition takes power. I haven't seen any reason for the massive increase in demand for ammo, or certain rifles and their parts, aside from the promotion of hysteria by the NRA, and the like. Good luck, and thanks to all our friends out there keeping up the fear and dire warnings, I'll be looking to buy some of that ammo stockpile once you feel safe again, and the prices drop.

September 11, 2009, 01:56 PM	#5
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	Thousands of new reloaders coming onto the scene after they waited too long and couldn't get ammunition has left the larders high and dry. Since the mfg.'s consider it a temporary bubble, none of them are making capital investments in new physical plant, but are, instead, working 24/7 until the bubble passes.

September 11, 2009, 03:17 PM	#6
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	In my area - we're seeing supplies coming back into inventory / especially on primers and powder - and while bullets are backordered .... the trick is to buy in a reasonable quantity that will last you 6 months or so - and go straight to mfg if you can. A case of primers is only 5,000 or 100 boxes of handgun ammo / so buy a case. A keg of powder is 8 lbs - or at least buy a 4 lb container - and try and limit your powders / I use one powder TiteGroup for all my handgun loads from 9mm to .44 mag ). Stay with one bullet mfg ( Berry's, Montana Gold, Rainier Ballistics whatever you want - and order in case lots of 1,000 - 3,000 bullets to a case or in a primary package ....... or find a good local shop - stay loyal to them / order thru them and see if they can help you out ....but buy in quantities that make it worth their while .... not 250 bullets at a time or something silly ....

September 12, 2009, 11:05 AM	#8
B-Maxx Senior Member Join Date: August 19, 2008 Posts: 131	I'm actually starting to see the opposite. Powders are routinely in stock and primers are showing up too.

September 12, 2009, 11:33 AM	#9
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,061	Same here. Even Gander Mountain near me has a fair amount of powder. Bullet prices are outrageous, though. The shortage actually started long before the election. A Sierra tech told me it began about the time metals prices peaked a couple of years ago. The reloading supply market was in a slump, then, and they and other manufacturers didn't want to pay the high price of metal, so they decided to coast through the metal price bubble on their existing stock. Then the military decided at the same time to replenish the stockpiles that had been allowed to start running down way back during the Clinton administration, so their normal annual orders were quadrupled temporarily. The Sierra tech said the competition started some handloaders hoarding, and raw material stockpiles they thought they could coast on for a couple of years were gone in just 4 months. The Army Times had an article in, I think it was March, 2007, describing how military orders at that time had already caused some deliveries to civilian shooting sports suppliers to be delayed up to a year. So the whole thing was turning into a mess before the election. The outcome of the election then added fuel to the fire when it was already bad to start with. CCI did build an additional primer line that was started up at then end of July, I believe. Colt ordered in new CNC machinery to increase their production from 90 to 150 guns a day, something they admit, for quality and competitive price reasons, they should have done a decade ago. So some new capacity has been added, but not everywhere. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

September 12, 2009, 12:49 PM	#10
Farmland Senior Member Join Date: July 5, 2009 Posts: 869	I walked into my Gaunder Mountain yesterday and they were loaded with primers, now they generally always had some each week but this was the first time I saw CCI small rifle primers in the thousands. The powder supply has been very good everywhere I have went this year and in addition I was always able to find any type of primers I was looking for. The prices are the prices I either buy or I don't buy, besides I find GM is about the highest priced in the area. I have found a smaller store that generally has a nice stock of bullets and they can be as much as $10 cheaper for Nosler than GM. They always have some bulk lead too that is less than I can mail order. In any event I haven't even come close to struggling for supplies though I have to be a little more resourceful and watch the prices.

September 12, 2009, 01:19 PM	#11
Rembrandt Senior Member Join Date: August 10, 2002 Posts: 2,108	Depends which store you shop, local Bass Pro has little to no powder & primers....across town Scheels has everything. Just picked up 10,000 small pistol primers last night and 4000 small rifle.

September 12, 2009, 05:20 PM	#12
Al Norris Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 29, 2000 Location: Rupert, Idaho Posts: 9,660	Unclenick, thank you for that timely analysis. It is the long and short of what has happened. Please direct all other comments to the sticky thread that used to be here, but is now over in the General Discussion forum.