Panic Buying Spreading to Bullet Molds Too?

[Shasta]

I am astounded! Somebody must really want a Lee 6-cavity bullet mold for the .40 S&W. Check out the list price at Midway (I know, out of stock until May 20) of just $39.99:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/642322 ... -wadcutter


And here we have one of those $40 molds listed on Ebay and it's already bid to.....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LEE-6-CAVITY-bu ... 35c606dce9


Well over $120!! Hmmmm.... What am I missing here?

SHASTA

[BILLYDIXON]

I've had a FFL since 1976. I've never scene it this bad RCBS is running 24 hours a day. I've had a redding trim die on B/O since Sept. 2012. I did have about 20 mags on order from Brownells in Jan on B/O but they came in the next month figured they would come in 6 months.. Springfield Armory said they had mags in stock but there shipping was behind up to 6 weeks. When I would go to my club to shoot no one would p/u there brass. I found 100 rounds of 45/70 and 40 rds of 375 H&H once fired. I've got 6 5 gallon buckets of brass that I haven't even gotten to. Hardly anyone reloads at my club which is a good thing. When ammo was cheap in the 90's I bought ball pistol and rifle but still picked up all the brass I could find.
BD

[Sixgun]

Yep. It sure is. I could not find a RCBS 348 mould anywhere, along with a sizing die and then the 15 watt light bulb lit up in my Italian brain........................NEI. They have made me a dozen or more moulds and they did it again. (See my post on the 348 mould)

Buffalo Arms did have a sizing die but its a custom job at .351 for like $46. Its OK as my new mould drop's 'em at .350 so I'll just be lubricating them.------------------------------6

[mikld]

Can't tell much from looking at ebay; I've seen used Lee die sets go for double retail, while Graf's had the same set, new in stock for normal price. I don't think the majority of ebay buyers are knowledgable/experienced reloaders/casters as most of the used reloading items for sale go for just about retail!

[Hobie]

When people can't get factory ammo they do get some interest in reloading. Some reloaders are hoarding now but more importantly, new people are getting started just to have some ammo. We answer lots more reloading questions than we did before mid-December. I don't know what's going on but rather than a powder shipment every month, we haven't had one since early December. We do have some powders in stock, mostly very slow powders suitable for large "magnum" type rifle cartridges.

[6pt-sika]

I had a couple molds for the 45-70 and another for the 41 MAG . Sold them all to fellows on castboolits for what I had in them last week . Didn't try to gouge them just get my money back !

[6pt-sika]

We've had a decent number of older gentleman come in the shop and want me to get rid of all their firearms , ammo and reloading stuff .

And usually if they have stuff I can use I tell them upfront and make them an offer for what I can use . Then everything else I move on GB or by word of mouth thru the local horders !

I've picked up some powders I wouldn't normally buy , but in the state of affairs we have in this country now , if it's usable and I can get it at a good price then so be it !

I generally take all the LR , LRM and SR primers i can get that look to be in good decent shape and sometimes I'll make a random pic and try it in a empty case just to make sure they go pop !

If I know the people I'll scarf up on their powders as well . If I don't know them , well buyer beware .

Been also picking up a good supply of piece boxes of bullets for the normal 22 , 6mm , 25 , 6.5mm , 27 , 7mm and 30 cals !
Again it might not be what I would normally buy but if it can fit in place of something I do use and the price is right

[Ysabel Kid]

Just noticed it over the weekend too. Was thinking to myself that I needed to add a bunch of molds in case this lunacy with ammo never gets better. Apparently, I'm not the only one having such thoughts....

[Griff]

And so it goes!

[Old Time Hunter]

Just bought up all the 230gr .451 JRN Winchester bullets I could find locally. Small shop in the middle of no where had six bags @18.50 each, bought 'em all. Pretty pricey, but after a couple of weeks hitting gun shows, Cabela's, Gander Mtn, tons of gun shops, and the internet stores (Midway etc)...figured grab what I could.

Down to my last 3000 large pistol primers, 1000 small pistol primers, and 5000 large rifle primers.....hope I do not run out.

Have 2-4lb kegs of Unique and 4lbs each of H4198 and H4895, maybe a pound and a half of 2400, a pound of H110, and less than a pound of A1680. But...still have +20lbs of BP.

[Hawkeye2]

I hit 3 major sites a few days ago looking for a couple of round ball molds and they are out of stock too.

[hondo1892]

I haven't been going on a hoarding binge but I did want a bullet mold for my 45 ACP. I had just bought my first one about a year ago and wanted to make sure I liked it well enough before buying reloading dies and mold/s for it. By the time I had shot it enough to know the craze had begun. I was lucky enough to get a mold from a member here and then seen a 6 cavity Lee mold I picked up. I didn't really want to have to shoot a lot of cast bullets from my 1911's but with the price of jacketed and plated bullets along with availabilty I'm glad I have lot's of lead and casting equipment.

[mikld]

There is surely some stuff available. Last week I ordered a mold (Lee 45 cal., 200 swc) on Monday, got it Wednesday. Graff & Sons. I'm sure the "easier" places to shop (Cabelas, Wally World, small local shops) would be sold out, but the reloading specialists may still have stock. Or mebbe I just ordered a very unpopular item? Lee's copy of H&G 68

[Larkbill]

Last time in Graf's St Charles, Mo store they were restricting sm, and sp primer to 100. lr and lp to 1000. Lots of bullets in stock on shelves, but not every weight and style. Many powders in stock, if you couldn't find something that would work you were too picky.

[2X22]

Prices are definitely up, I just ordered two bullet molds yesterday that came to $170 but a single cavity and a double cavity, both iron. Not two many years ago that would have came to about $80.