Ammo Shortage

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shasta_steve
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Ammo Shortage

Post by shasta_steve »

I thought that this guy did a hell of a good job explaining what is going on. I have been trying to get back in reloading. I messed up a few months ago when I was dividing up my Uncles reloading equipment. I took all the powder but told my cousin to take most of the primers. Big mistake. I have 5-600 small pistol primers, that I don't have a ton of use for but none of the rest.

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Ray
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Re: Ammo Shortage

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shasta_steve
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Re: Ammo Shortage

Post by shasta_steve »

Actually I disagree this this is simply a case of getting caught napping. I am sure there are things they could of done but hiring new people and installing new equipment takes time and lots of money. That is all well and good until things go back to "normal" and you end up with a bunch of employees and equipment you don't need. That's how lots of businesses end up going under. I think the biggest problem we have is the hoarder mentality. Toilet paper to ammo. People go crazy.
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Re: Ammo Shortage

Post by Sixgun »

What's wrong with the "hoarder mentality?" To me it's plain stupid NOT to stay ahead and well stocked up with gasoline, food, money, essential supplies and the like....in any society it's smart to stay at least 6 months ahead of running out of whatever you use, unless of course, it's readily available like firewood when you live in a forest....

You don't have to be wealthy (I worked for 44 years as a forklift driver) to plan ahead. How much are primers? Last I bought were $135 for 5,000....powder? And 8 pounder of bullseye and and 4895 (will get you through anything) is another $300.

If you don't reload your just going to pony up the bucks for at least 500 rds for your go-to ammo.
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shasta_steve
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Re: Ammo Shortage

Post by shasta_steve »

Nothing wrong with keeping fully stocked up all the time. That's not really hoarding though. We keep well stocked up on most everything around my house. And with my wife I mean most everything. I don't have primers because I really did not expect to be reloading but I do have several thousand rounds of various ammo laying around. I am not really worried about it much. My point is that you can't really blame manufactures for panic buying (hoarding). We are out of everything.
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Re: Ammo Shortage

Post by piller »

A few months ago people were hoarding toilet paper. Now it is guns and ammo. You really should be a little prepared for the unknown to happen. I am not talking about driving all over and buying all the hand sanitizer within 3 States. I am just suggesting to have enough in stock for the initial panic to die down.
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Re: Ammo Shortage

Post by Trailboss »

shasta_steve wrote: Sun Dec 20, 2020 12:53 am panic buying (hoarding)
I'm not sure these are same. I've seen folks panic when they hear about the shortage and they run out and pick up a couple of boxes to tide them over. Even though I wish they would plan ahead, I can't see them as hoarders.
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OldWin
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Re: Ammo Shortage

Post by OldWin »

With looming new laws and restrictions, I doubt the manufacturers will add huge amounts of capacity.
Right now, they have high demand with guaranteed sales. The wiser business choice would be to make minimal production increases via overtime, raise prices, and put away the increased capital.
Unless foreign supply eats into the market (and let's face it, this is probably going to be under assault too), I don't think a lot is going to change.

The definition of "normal" is changing in every every aspect of our lives, I'm afraid.
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mikld
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Re: Ammo Shortage

Post by mikld »

I grew up in Earthquake country and being prepared is what every normal/sane person did. Not many people ran out and bought a year's worth of food and supplies, most bought bit by bit. I did that with my reloading components too (I very rarely bought factory ammo except for 22 lr). I weathered all the "shortages" and panics quite well. Often when I went to a box store, I'd stop by the sporting goods dept. and pick up a brick of primers, or a pound of powder, etc., bit by bit and results were fully stocked when the shelves were bare and prices for ammo vied with the price of gold bullion.

There is a big difference between hoarding and being prepared. Hoarding is closely related to panic buying; go out and get everything you can, much more than you'll use in a lifetime, and stash it away, not for future use, but to have it because you can get it before someone else...
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shasta_steve
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Re: Ammo Shortage

Post by shasta_steve »

OldWin wrote: Sun Dec 20, 2020 7:17 am With looming new laws and restrictions, I doubt the manufacturers will add huge amounts of capacity.
Right now, they have high demand with guaranteed sales. The wiser business choice would be to make minimal production increases via overtime, raise prices, and put away the increased capital.
Unless foreign supply eats into the market (and let's face it, this is probably going to be under assault too), I don't think a lot is going to change.

The definition of "normal" is changing in every every aspect of our lives, I'm afraid.
Exactly that. You really can't expect or blame a business for not wanting to risk everything in the current political environment. Things will calm down eventually and right now they are very profitable.
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GunnyMack
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Re: Ammo Shortage

Post by GunnyMack »

I've been looking like most have , I see that Hiskor800x has been discontinued! One of my go to's for 28 ga. Looking at the IMR site revealed some new powders- discontinued so they can push the new stuff I guess.
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Scott Tschirhart
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Re: Ammo Shortage

Post by Scott Tschirhart »

I bought 16 pounds of powder this past week from a place in Pennsylvania who were selling it at the normal prices. 8 pounds of 231 and 8 pounds of HS-6.

I could hardly get the guy off the phone because he was so mad about the election shenannegans!

You cannot get primers here locally unless you want to go raid places when they open up. And I think some of those fellas are turning what they buy for a profit.

However, after the last time, I carefully stocked up and I narrowed down my loading to certain cartridges and loads. I'll be fine for the forseeable future and I don't feel the need to panic about anything or pay inflated prices.
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Re: Ammo Shortage

Post by laflaone »

+1 on the hoarding.
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Scott Tschirhart
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Re: Ammo Shortage

Post by Scott Tschirhart »

I don't know that people are hording, but it appears that in this area, some seemingly unemployed people are waiting in line to clean out the shelves of ammo as soon as they are stocked. I'm betting that these people are selling at a profit.
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Re: Ammo Shortage

Post by Griff »

I don't consider myself a hoarder... But, I tend to buy in bulk those items that I need around. If I need a particular nut or bolt... I'll almost always buy a box. 'Cause I'm likely to need more. I don't buy powder by the pound... unless it's the first time I'm using it... once I prove its usefulness, I'll buy an 8 lb jug, or the biggest I can find. Even if I can't get it right away, I'll order it and wait. Even my Black powder, I generally buy a case of whatever granulation I'm using. It's why I still have 12 or 13 cans of Goex "Cartridge", even though it's been discontinued for several years. I finally decided to try out APP (BP substitute)... yep, bought a single can, then decided that I needed more... I do believe the combination of APP in the Cowboy45Special with the Uberti Steel 1860 18" carbine will be good medicine for the "walking dead"... :P
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CowboyTutt
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Re: Ammo Shortage

Post by CowboyTutt »

I recently bought about 13 lbs of powder at close to usual prices. I could not find primers so bought about 3 bricks off of Gunbroker at over $100 each. I did so because I suspected that the shortage was only going to get worse for handloaders. From what I am reading, the primer manufacturers are going to focus on loaded ammo manufacturers and not primers for handloaders. If Biden wins the Presidency, and I suspect and very upset that he has due to enormous voter fraud, that few want to acknowledge in the media, or judges, that the situation for primers is only going to get worse. Buy up what you can afford, I think its really going to get worse because of demand. Its only my opinion, and I was late to buy up, but I think its only going to get worse at the prices I paid for primers. I'm set now for quite some time. -Tutt
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Re: Ammo Shortage

Post by Sixgun »

I don't know if they call it hoarding, being prepared , greedy, whatever. That's all I know if the government can put the president of their choice in power, give away my tax money to illegal immigrants, wage war wherever they want, I can buy whatever I want to, whenever I want.
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Re: Ammo Shortage

Post by CowboyTutt »

Its a new reality Six. Most of us didn't realize that world events would turn out this way, and fell short in supplies. I hadn't reloaded in many years, and just recently got back on board, and had to deal with much higher prices. But I think its only going to get worse for the foreseeable future and recommend buying now. My new brick of Rem 7 1/2 primers from Gunbroker that I paid over a hundred for, just became gold bullion. -Tutt
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Re: Ammo Shortage

Post by Sixgun »

Hey Tutt....a c note for a thousand primers? Wow.....I've been through several "scares"....the first was in the early eighties when it was announced the Feds were no longer going to sell surplus ammo cans. The next one was when Klinton was going to put a shelf .life on primers....then a few years later people said powder was found g to have "tracers" in it.....then it was primers again....it was probably 10-15 years ago I decided I had enough. Having the facilities to store this stuff safely along with longevity I started stocking up ...at one time I had 300 pounds of powder and my wife started getting paranoid so I sold around 200 lbs of the powder off.....

Today I stay stocked up, mostly on primers and common powders .....like I said earlier most anything can be loaded with Bullseye and 4895 so I keep lots of that around, along with 231, herco, 5744 and the like.....probably another 50 pounds of niche powders like 4350, unique, 2400, h110.

Then there's around 40k of various brass in most calibers, a ton of lead, 500 lbs of Linotype, couple of hundred moulds. Yea, I'm greedy as all hell.....greedy?...hoarding?....prepared?... I don't know and don't care....what I do know is I can shoot as much as I want any day I want. Some guys have Corvettes...some guys have extra girlfriends....cabins in the mountains....boats...etc...I aint got none of that stuff....just a lot of shootin' supplies... :D
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Re: Ammo Shortage

Post by CowboyTutt »

Six, I was not handloading during the plentiful years and regret it. I regret it a lot. Glad what I got for right now and for the foreseeable future. I had the money recently for the primers at high cost, it was OK. For the past 2 years I did NOT have the money at these prices. Life and job changes. IMHO its only going to get worse. I am aware of your doing this stuff for many decades of years before me. No worries. You are always still my friend! And I really mean that tonight on Christmas Day. So many good friends here. So glad to be humbly back. I learn from you guys, I'm still a novice handloader with some small expertise in some obscure wild cat or extended cartridges. As Old Savage would tell you, I don't do "normal" factory cartridges. Not my way. Current copy of QuickLoad, best purchase I have ever made!!! Much better than any printed manuals, just saying. Love you Bro, stay safe!!! -Tutt aka Andy Tuttle
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Re: Ammo Shortage

Post by OldWin »

Whether things get "better" or not, one thing is certain.....
They will NEVER be like they were.
I have enough sporting type ammo and components to "hunt" for the rest of my life.
As to an ammunition supply for serious unrest, defense, survival,........components are really kind of useless. Only loaded ammo will matter, because ammo is more survivable and storage friendly. Turmoil will not wait while you load shells. You will be too busy with other, more pressing things, to spend time reloading.
There is nothing wrong with having a good supply of something. However, you must put it into context of what the realities of your situation are.

A guy at work asked me about getting some 5.56 ammo. I asked how much he needed. He said he wanted 1k. I next asked him how many magazines he had for his rifle. He said 3. :shock:
Now, if he wants the ammo for target shooting, fine.
If he wants it for defense, it's a waste. He'd be better off with 500rnds, 10 mags, and a spare bolt, carrier, and fcg.
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Re: Ammo Shortage

Post by Sixgun »

Jay,
What you write makes sense......if you are in battle.......it ain't gonna come to that.......all they have to do is to stop the food source and 99 percent of people will give up their guns for food........they will whittle away at our rights incrementally........

Part of what you say makes ALL the sense in the world as in having a lot of magazines, spare bolt carriers etc.....and you and I have those things...I'm sure you keep a couple of thou in .223 or 7.62x39 laying around...I do along with more mags and extra guns than I can count......

I like components....after the main inventory is built up.....we are all probably going to go to our graves as old men but in the meantime, having extra ammo, food, guns, and other survivables sure makes us sleep better. :D ---6
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Re: Ammo Shortage

Post by OldWin »

Absolutely.
I speak more for those who are in the unenviable position of trying to get it now.
Luckily......I don't think either of us fall in that category. :D
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Re: Ammo Shortage

Post by Sixgun »

Simply put...YOU SNOOZE---YOU LOSE....

anybody over the age of 25 who shoots has already had experience with past shortages.....the ones complaining now snoozed thinking everything was hunky dory and went out and bought 60K pick up trucks and flew down to the islands. :D

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Re: Ammo Shortage

Post by kaschi »

I like show n tell especially when it involves someone else's goodies. Confucius (or Charlie Chan) might say: "Only foolish card player show best hand".
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Re: Ammo Shortage

Post by AJMD429 »

”...ammo....what ammo...???...

I’ve got a couple old boxes of something-or-other...not even sure it fits either of the two guns I own...” :lol: :lol:
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Re: Ammo Shortage

Post by BenT »

Even before Sandy Hook, when I went to Walmart once a month I would buy a 500 bulk pack of 22lr. Just part of the shopping list. I kept 2k of each primer on hand. After Sandy Hook I went up to 4K of each and a more 22LR. With an Election Year I always stock up early. But the COVID drove it earlier than normal. Last December I was buying Remington bulk packs of 22LR for $14.99 /500 with free shipping. It is just paying attention on what is going on around you. More of just being prepared, I am set for a few years for reloading.

The things I have been hoarding is the Odd Brass that people like us shoot. It took years for companies to get back around to making this stuff after the last shortage. I just picked up some 30-40 Krag and 250 Savage so I have plenty of components to shoot anything in the safe. So pick up some of that odd stuff before it dries up.
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Re: Ammo Shortage

Post by Bill in Oregon »

I don't shoot a lot -- just small batches of this and that for load/accuracy workups. I am OK with what powder and primers I have on hand, but now is apparently not the time to buy a Canik T9 FSX and take up USPSA shooting, darn it, as I have never been a 9 guy ... :cry:
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