What's the Short Answer About Primers?

C

cwood3

New member
Yes primers of any brand (I'm speaking smal rifle) are scarce. I've heard folks say CCI had an engineering problem, Federal had some kind of manufacturing problem, yada yada yada. It just seems strange to me that out of Wolf, Winchester, Remington, CCI, Federal, and whoever else, that nobody can seem to keep up with demand. Are all primers made by 1 or 2 companies that manufacture to individual specifications? Is there only 1 small rifle primer making machine in the U.S. ? Sure demand right now is high, but heck, you can buy bullets with no problem. Powder is not that hard to come by. Brass is generally available. But the lowly primer.....that's a case all by itself it seems. My theory is that Obama has instructed the Feds to confiscate all they can, mainly small rifle, and stockpile them in the war room in Washington. That way they can control the Benchrest shooters, folks who could do some real damage in a terorist situation. (not serious about that). But really, if I were a primer manufacturer, I'd be working 3 shifts making sure every small rifle primer I produced got out on somebody's shelf so my business would thrive. So what's up???

Too much time on my hands...........cwood3
 
Hmmm, bought 10k WSR's in the past couple of months at the gun show here because I can get them for less than in the local stores. F205's &c. are scarce as hen's teeth though.
 
short answer: If people quit hoarding them there will be plenty for everyone.

That being said I believe we've only seen the beginning of what will continue to be a trend with regard to reloading components, and God knows what else. Wonderful time to be alive, aint it?
 
Peter said:
short answer: If people quit hoarding them there will be plenty for everyone.

That being said I believe we've only seen the beginning of what will continue to be a trend with regard to reloading components, and God knows what else. Wonderful time to be alive, aint it?
Click to expand...


Any thing over having a quarter mill on hand is hoarding.:D

In answer to the primary question, I will happily shoot Winchester small rifle primers any time and any where. I've heard so many good things about Wolf that if they were available here, I would buy a couple of cases just to try.
 
I believe the issue is more than hoarding. Here in Australia, there was a shortage of Federals long before anybody predicted the outcome of your Presidential elections.

By the way, aren't Federal & CCI both under the same ownership?
 
CCI and Federal are both owned by Alliant Tech Systems, but whether or not the primers are the same nobody who knows would likely say.
 
It just appeared funny to me that it's primers that made the top of the list on hard to come by components. I guess there are more bullet manufacturers than primer manufacturers. As far as hoarding, I spose I'm guilty as well. Every payday, I stop by WallyMart and buy 2 of the 100-pack .40 S&W for my XDm. Lord, I must have 5000 rounds for the dang thang!

Hmmmm, if primers get even harder to come by, maybe I'll load up on factory rounds and disassemble them and sell the primers at a market-gouging price. (Naaaahhhhhh..........)

cwood3
 
My take on hoarding

If you think people are hoarding, that means you are probably out. I think that if you are out, you did not think ahead.

When the supply becomes available again, then comes the price increase.

Have some,
Dave
 
Primers

I was told by a larger wholesaler that when they asked for more primers the manufacturer ask what they wanted, either primers or loaded rounds. They took loaded rounds. Military has large orders for primers. So that is where primers are going besides people who order way more primers than they are going to use. Good Luck! craig
 
Fed primers

I usually buy all my Federal primers and powder directly from a distributor. He told me in late November that they were told they would not get any more Federal primers for until late fall 2009. He told me Federal was filling military contracts with all production. I don't know if he was blowing smoke or speaking fact, but that was what I was told. tiny
 
Think it could be a push to fill contracts for military ammo? If I owned a primer factory, I would focus my efforts on conducting business with the fed. gov. to manufacture product under contract at some drastically inflated price to the tax payer.

Then, when there was a shortage in my other markets and prices were escalating in response to higher demand, I would increase pricing and production to that market; pricing would be flexible up and inflexible down due to demand, in the short.

We complain...in reality good business, market awareness and strategic planning.

Still sucks though!
 
Think you're right

michaelb said:
Think it could be a push to fill contracts for military ammo? If I owned a primer factory, I would focus my efforts on conducting business with the fed. gov. to manufacture product under contract at some drastically inflated price to the tax payer.

Then, when there was a shortage in my other markets and prices were escalating in response to higher demand, I would increase pricing and production to that market; pricing would be flexible up and inflexible down due to demand, in the short.

We complain...in reality good business, market awareness and strategic planning.

Still sucks though!
Click to expand...
According to a friend who works at the Radford Army Ammunition Plant, the government is using no more primers than usual. The military's supply remains large. I also found out Alliant is the contractor at RAAP. They happen to produce the powders used by the military right there on the premises.
 
This afternoon I was in two local stores, one had its usual meager stocks, but the other was pretty well supplied with primers. Bullets have been in low supply for the past few months around here and at online/mail order suppliers though.
 
There's a thread on another forum where a guy made the accusation that gun prices were being driven by manufacturers the way oil was/is by Opec a few months back.

I like to think I showed him the error of his ways.

One thing that is so so true about us gun nutz; we are a paranoid bunch by and large and it shows whenever there is a new president on the horizon who questions the validity of the 2A.

We gobble up stuff in fear that the shelves will be barren and windows boarded up at the gun shops.

I think this is much the same. Give it time and the flood gates will again open.

As for me: I hoard, rat hole, and squirrel away everything I can whenever I can.
 
Make no mistake about it....

.......with the current people in power, it's not a matter of IF they will restrict our ability to enjoy the shooting sports, but how SOON they will enact the laws they have been drooling over to restrict our 2nd Amend. rights.
The sad reality is , there's nothing to stop them now.
Their current tactic will be to tax ammo and ammunition to help pay for bullet ID technology, among other Socialism projects like Universal H.C.
Our best day's, it seems, may be behind us.
For you deniers out there, how's that vote for change workin' for ya?
 
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