I know primers are hard to find right now, but are people really this desperate?
- Thread starter Polish-Jack
- Start date
LeadMonkey
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Off The Radar
I’m gonna predict right now primers, powder and projectiles will be banned from import along with all ‘military style assault boolets’ by the end of 2023, we are at war with a tyrannical government and that’s not going to change anytime soon before it gets a lot worse, expect primers to become literally priceless in the days ahead.
i think 'banned from import' is a bit of a stretch (not a very big stretch mind you), but I do think that if the Liebral government gets away with C-21 any less than they got away with ad scam, they will be pushing boarder taxation / restrictions and licensing requirements for components in the not-so-distant future. I think though they will start on ramping up further restrictions on loaded ammo, which historically they have focused on. It would not surprise me if they expanded any restrictions on components to presses and dies as well.
Was looking at Brownell's last nite, 167.99/m for CCI BR's, Natchezss wants 149.95/m on BR4's, other primers are in the 100.00 range at both stores. Not sure why CCI got so out of whack on their BR primer pricing, happened in 2020, been there since.
You know, it's fine to GLOAT once in a while but the reality of this issue is such that there are a lot of hand loaders on this site on a tight budget and they really have to press hard to afford components for their firearms to use.
I see guys here that bought 100 primers for their hunting rifle when they bought it and later a pound of powder and later a box of 100 count bullets they will be shooting. Usually they've scrounged a bunch of mismatched brass. They fully expect this "supply'' to last them anywhere from 4-10 years, simply because they can't afford to shoot more than one round per year to make sure their rifle can shoot into a six inch circle at 100 meters.
Shooting isn't cheap and it's getting to the point that many folks won't be able to afford to hunt with the cost of fuel/components escalating.
I've always wondered why the politicians bother with such things as registration and outright bans, when all they really have to do is just make the sport to expensive for the average shooter/hunter to keep up with?
Mind you, we aren't talking about well informed rocket scientists when it comes to politicians/bureaucrats. If there's a bassakwards way to do something, so they can profit from it in some way, that's how it will be proposed.
I cant buy 303 british or 32 winchester, or primers. So now what?
Maybe not in a store but there is always a price point where someone who has this ammo or primers is willing to sell it, you might not be willing to pay that much but that is another story.
Supply and demand (read free economy) at work.
You can. They are just expensive.
I've been wondering for a while about all the old sporterized 303 LE's for sale on #######. Its one thing to buy a $300 sporter LE but its another thing to feed it. Does a beat up, well worn LE justify the use of $3 to $4 a round ammo?
- Location
- Western Manitoba
I saw similar here - an acquaintance very pleased with the purchase price of a used Weatherby Mark V in 7mm Weatherby Magnum. Had me get a new Leupold 3.5-10x40 scope and new Talley rings for it - then about had a "fit" to discover was NO ammo to buy in Manitoba, Sask. or Alberta - at any price - we eventually got 40 factory Weatherby brand rounds couriered in from Vancouver to Manitoba - $8.30 each cartridge - in October 2020 - so no clue what similar would cost today. At same time, I got 80 Weatherby brand brass for it - like $235 mailed to me. So purchase price of gun, rings and scope is first step - then have to evaluate what it will cost to actually fire it. And he about died again when I suggested that a newly installed scope had to be "sighted in" by actually firing the thing at targets - he is quite convinced that a gunsmith's "bore sighting" job was perfectly equivalent to "sighting in" - which he travelled for and paid to be done - except the bullet holes showed up on target like 15" high at 25 yards when we eventually fired the thing.
Last edited:
Not all of them are well worn and beat up. Some are very accurate with factory ammunition, just like the full dress originals.
Many of the high end Parker Hale and Globe sporters were carefully chosen for bore condition/diameter before they were converted to sporter configuration.
Stocks were well made and fitted properly, so that accuracy was pretty much within the recognized parameters of the day.
So, if you have one of the above rifles or a similar customized rifle with median spec or tighter bore, yes, it's worth it to purchas decent ammo or components for them.
Many? You mean a very select few. The VAST, VAST majority of LE sporters are worn out and abused old rifles that were nothing special before someone cut the stock to pieces. What other rifle is worth less than 100 rounds of factory ammo for that rifle?
My local shop said they have not received a shipment of primers in 8 months.......I dont think they're available in spurts in all places. And I do not support the people whi are trying to make a quick buck. But if someone is willing to pay a ridiculous price.....who am I to stop them?
Wow, so not just the GP warriors are asking this.. Wonder what the price will be next Summer.
A while back I took berdan primed 7.62x39 cases and drilled out the primer pockets to accept 209 shotgun primers. I loaded those up with pistol powder to subsonic specs and they shot fine. It occurred to me at the time it would be a great trick for anyone reloading for an old rifle using an obsolete round - where all they had was some fired berdan primed cases; 300 Rook, or whatever. Maybe with current shortages of some primers, people might want to try this trick out. The pros will have to weigh in on whether this would work with higher pressure rifle cartridges.
Seating and decapping the primers was an extra step, but was easy. I may have used a modified Lee or RCBS set-up for priming on the up stroke of a press ram. I think I also had used a CH machine tool for a while - which I modified from its original intended use with 410 shot shells. Some of you younger folks may not know what a 410 shot shell is. They are something that used to exist...
Seating and decapping the primers was an extra step, but was easy. I may have used a modified Lee or RCBS set-up for priming on the up stroke of a press ram. I think I also had used a CH machine tool for a while - which I modified from its original intended use with 410 shot shells. Some of you younger folks may not know what a 410 shot shell is. They are something that used to exist...
I shoot my Lee Enfield with jacketed reloads that I cook up from 54R pull downs - at a cost of about $8.80 per box of 20. I get the bullets and powder from the donor 54R surplus ammo (under $200 for 440 rounds) and I use primers that I don't have to buy - because I boobed - years ago - and bought WAY too many Large Rifle Primers. If you are not in that boat, you could try using 209 primers in modified cases (see my post above). I think 209s are still available. If they are scarce too I guess I should sell my 209s. I've got tons of them and no shotgun.
