What's happening with primers??

2864 Views 55 Replies 29 Participants Last post by fdashes, 11 h ago

Andre Da'Canadian

Discussion Starter · 14 d ago

I am still relatively new to reloading ( rifle ) and I am maybe not well informed on the process of making primers, but what's going on? I guess I was lucky when I picked up 1000 LR primers early last year for $90(CDN). Since then, every time I ask at a store, I get a little giggle and a head shake from the clerk and "we don't know when we will get any". Now , I have been reading on MO that it seems everyone is having trouble finding any, and if they do, a few people hoard large quantities leaving the rest of us to face "the head shake". I am following an on-line auction here and I see 1000 LR primers currently at $400 (CDN) !! That means someone has already committed to paying that much, and there are still 4 days to go! Is this "shortage" real or has it been created to boost corporate greed. Is there some component of primers that can no longer be found on earth, and has to be mined in a galaxy far away?? The demand is certainly there, why don't they turn the dial up and make more? What am I missing?

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Waffletop

· #2 · 14 d ago

With a grain of salt...

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Tape

· #3 · 14 d ago

I've noticed a lot of reloading kits being sold because of no primers/primers price too high.

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Waffletop

· #4 · 14 d ago

Also found this post:

"Palmetto State Armory is currently building a huge primer plant. They expect to start primer production by end of 2023. They plan on making all their own primers as well as have about 30% excess primer capacity to sell into the civilian market by Q3 2024"

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kingstrider

· #5 · 14 d ago

We have a LGS that has them marked up to something like $129 a brick and they have shelves full of them. Same thing with powder, $50-60 a pound. I'm all stocked up but guess they sell to those that are desperate enough to pay that much.

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AK_Taxidermist

· #6 · 14 d ago

If my LGS had primers - at that price ($129) - I'd buy them in a heartbeat. The last 2000 I found was on Alaska List by an individual and I paid 150 per thousand. I did not bat an eye, and have zero regrets.

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Ojaileveraction

· #7 · 14 d ago

Did you just wake up

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leverbros

· #8 · 14 d ago

Guy in the video keeps saying Lake City is "amping up" their primer production. Shouldn't it be "ramping up?"

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leverbros

· #9 · 14 d ago

kingstrider said:
We have a LGS that has them marked up to something like $129 a brick and they have shelves full of them. Same thing with powder, $50-60 a pound. I'm all stocked up but guess they sell to those that are desperate enough to pay that much.

OR...money is no object for those that would pay those prices. Those of us on fixed incomes cannot afford to be paying what-the-traffic-will-bear for those items. In my case, if it comes down to money or primers, I'll just put the skids on recreational shooting.

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REK

· #10 · 14 d ago

Lots of small pistol and small rifle primers available but the large are scarce.

This photo was at Sheels in Appleton Wisconsin last Friday.

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ImALeverNotAFighter

· #11 · 13 d ago

Long LONG gone are the days of “cheap” guns and ammo and components, but also long gone are the days of people making $3.50 an hour. When I worked at Lowe’s last year, briefly, I had high school coworkers making $13/hr.

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Steve_In

· #12 · 13 d ago

I would love some SPP 45ACPs.
Around here I see many flavors of both SPP AND SRPs along with LRP but no LPP.

I do not totally agree with what the dealers are asking. But If they dropped the price to $60 a 1000 those would sell like hotcakes for $120 at the next gunshow.

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leverbros

· #13 · 13 d ago

Steve_In said:
I would love some SPP 45ACPs.
Around here I see many flavors of both SPP AND SRPs along with LRP but no LPP.

I do not totally agree with what the dealers are asking. But If they dropped the price to $60 a 1000 those would sell like hotcakes for $120 at the next gunshow.

I totally agree with your assessment. Hard for me to believe that retailers are marking their primers up by only 10% or so. They're getting a LOT more than that, IMO. Of course, I know we do not HAVE to buy them but gotta get them from somewhere IF you're going to do any shooting.

Also, agree on the SPP 45's as I've read that the reason they went to that is because the SPP don't produce erratic shock waves within the case like the LPP version does.

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leverbros

· #14 · 13 d ago

ImALeverNotAFighter said:
Long LONG gone are the days of “cheap” guns and ammo and components, but also long gone are the days of people making $3.50 an hour. When I worked at Lowe’s last year, briefly, I had high school coworkers making $13/hr.

Oh yeah, the left wants to make sure that a 15 y.o. can support a family of 6 on what they make flipping burgers.

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AK_Taxidermist

· #15 · 13 d ago

I get that folks like me aren't helping matters - paying whatever the cost might be.

My situation: I live in a remote setting in AK. Going into the LGS isn't really much of an option. I don't get to drop in periodically through the week to see what's in stock. I track down what I can online. I have a friend willing to pay and hold for me. And then I have to pay hazmat and get it shipped when I am in ANC for medical visits. Because it's a lengthy process, and because of where I live, I pretty much don't flinch when I find powder and primers. I am fortunate to be at a spot financially where I can choose to do that. This last trip to ANC? I paid 150ish dollars just to SHIP 13 pounds of powder and 2K primers. It's the life and place I chose, so I just accept it as part and parcel with those life decisions.

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Husker Leverman

· #16 · 13 d ago

I am lucky in that a local commercial reloading company at times offers up reclaimed primers and powder to individuals. Picked up several thousand LRP for $35 per 1000. So far they all have worked with no problems and the powder is clean and burns great. You might check around your areas and see if there are any commercial reloaders and see if they might offer something similar. Was at the local Scheel's store and they had a small but decent selection of primers, limit of 2000 per customer, $89.00 per 1000 for most, except for the CCI #41s & 34s those are going for $109.00 per 1000

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HILL COUNTRY SHOOTER

· #17 · 13 d ago

none of the gun shops anywhere close to me sell reloading supplies, have to drive at least 70 miles one way and with fuel prices what they are today, the haz-mat fee is cheaper than the fuel, not to mention lost time on the road.
I typically but from midway, midsouth, natchezz, powder valley, etc... and buy as much as I can at a time to minimize the haz-mat ouch factor, midway actually had a sale earlier this week with no haz-mat fee on orders of 200.00 or more.
I have not bought primers from the gougers and when I do go to a gun shop that is gouging, I don't buy anything at all from them and no longer even bother to go look in them anymore.
I always check Academy when I go there, about a month ago I was able to buy 2600 primers of different sizes there in Georgetown.

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dghal

· #18 · 13 d ago

shop shop shop..

When you find them you really need to stock up,, bulk prices save you $$$$$

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Andre Da'Canadian

Discussion Starter · #19 · 13 d ago

I currently have about 15 lots of primers bookmarked at this auction. Most are still reasonable, you have to do the math because the quantities are different, anywhere from 200 - 3000, but this one lot in particular has gone up more... $475 (CDN) for 1000 CCI, LR with two days to go. This guy must have an uncontrollable case of auction fever. Fun to watch, just glad it's not my name on that lot.

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TheTinMan

· #20 · 13 d ago

I hadn’t seen large rifle primers since 2019. President #44 taught me to stock up but my supply was starting to seem inadequate. Since I have several 308 Winchester rifles with floating firing pins, the CCI #34 large rifle primers are ideal And that’s where my supply was lowest. When Natchez had them in stock a few weeks ago I bought a couple thousand. Placing an order with Midsouth Shooters Supply yesterday, I noticed that they had the CCI #34s in stock and picked up some more.

Do I have “too many” now? That depends on how long I can keep shooting, but I am confident that I could sell them in the future. ‘

Was I stupid to pay over $120/1,000? I am buying like it’s 2011 again. The CCI 34s have always been a little bit hard to find and they are the correct primer for certain rifles. I have “enough” of them now.

It‘s a bit funny to read the “evil rich people are driving up prices” comments. Newsflash: 99.9% of people with money to burn are not going to spend their time handloading. They just buy loaded ammunition from Nosler or Weatherby.

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