Primer Shortage - I've been living under a rock.

TurboTapin

TurboTapin

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So long story short, I generally buy reloading components in bulk as in I'm good for 5+ years. I'm slowly starting to run out and was talking to a buddy and he laughed when I mentioned I would need primers soon. He mentioned there's been a primer shortage for the last year or two and wished me good luck.

I started looking at all my usual online and regional stores for large rifle and large rifle magnum primers with diddly squat in stock. Does anyone stock at all? If not, which stores have been getting them intermittently that I should keep an eye on?
 
Oh I’m sorry. You will flip out when you see the prices.
Rangeview Sports just got in Federal 215 Large Rifle Magnum primers in… for $227/brick.
 
TurboTapin said:
... mentioned there's been a primer shortage for the last year or two
Click to expand...

At least 3 years. Getting closer to 4 since primers were anything like normal availability.

The small sizes are fairly easy to find now, large anything is still pretty bad, though some availability has returned in the last few months, finally.
 
And prices are coming down too, at least at some places. I just paid $16/100 for CCI Large rifle at Cabelas. They had a limit of 2 per customer, so I got the wife to buy some too. I refuse to pay the insane prices that some places are asking.
 
Suther, at those prices, Cabela's is selling them as a "price carrot" or loss leader to attract customers, who will likely purchase something else as well as the primers.

That's why the limit of two.

Prices may stabilize but with the world brinking on a full blown European and Mid East war, not to mention what's happening in the China Sea, the likelihood of availability or price drops is minimal at best for commercial grade primers.

If the war in Ukraine escalates to include the neighboring nations and NATO retaliation, even the marginal, but not to bad, Ginex primers won't be available.
 
bearhunter said:
Suther, at those prices, Cabela's is selling them as a "price carrot" or loss leader to attract customers, who will likely purchase something else as well as the primers.

That's why the limit of two.

Prices may stabilize but with the world brinking on a full blown European and Mid East war, not to mention what's happening in the China Sea, the likelihood of availability or price drops is minimal at best for commercial grade primers.

If the war in Ukraine escalates to include the neighboring nations and NATO retaliation, even the marginal, but not to bad, Ginex primers won't be available.
Click to expand...
Don't forget the US election - Harris replacing Biden has led to a significant bump in the polls for the Dems, and any time the Dems look like they have a chance at winning the election the panic buying sets in.

I would not be at all surprised if primers dry up again in the next month due to the election, and if the Dems win that will likely stretch well into next year...
 
Suther said:
Don't forget the US election - Harris replacing Biden has led to a significant bump in the polls for the Dems, and any time the Dems look like they have a chance at winning the election the panic buying sets in.

I would not be at all surprised if primers dry up again in the next month due to the election, and if the Dems win that will likely stretch well into next year...
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The US is likely the worst culprit. The election will have little to do with anything for the next couple of years, unless something drastic lowers the threat levels.

Every nation in the world is scrambling to replenish their emergency and war stocks of ammunition and tech.

They pay top dollar to be first in line.
 
There are RWS primers available in large rifle standard and magnum at Canadian stores. I've used them already in 6mm Remington and 30-06. They worked flawlessly.
 
bearhunter said:
Suther, at those prices, Cabela's is selling them as a "price carrot" or loss leader to attract customers, who will likely purchase something else as well as the primers.

That's why the limit of two.
Click to expand...

Who the hell buys 200 primers at a time?

Their price comes out to $160 per k
Not anywhere near a bargain when other sources are selling a brick for $114-$124.
Heck, I see one place at $10.99/100.

Cabela's can suck an egg lol
 
667 said:
Who the hell buys 200 primers at a time?

Their price comes out to $160 per k
Not anywhere near a bargain when other sources are selling a brick for $114-$124.
Heck, I see one place at $10.99/100.

Cabela's can suck an egg lol
Click to expand...
200 at a time is all they would let me buy. Actually, I bought 400, got the wife to order some too.

Where are you seeing CCI primers for $11/100? I'll buy more. I haven't seen primers for under $20/100 other than Ginex in years.
 
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667 said:
Who the hell buys 200 primers at a time?

Their price comes out to $160 per k
Not anywhere near a bargain when other sources are selling a brick for $114-$124.
Heck, I see one place at $10.99/100.

Cabela's can suck an egg lol
Click to expand...
Please share your sources for such great deals!
 
DGY said:
Please share your sources for such great deals!
Click to expand...

'Guys can do your own research...
All I'll tell ya is it's a
CGN sponsoring dealer

Still hurts though.... 'wasn't that long ago you could get 1000 small pistol for $30 or less.
 
I still remember when gasoline was under 20 cents per gallon (4.75liters) and diesel was around 12 cents per gallon.

I didn't like it but that didn't stop me from driving my vehicles.

I also remember when anyone could purchase a very nice or even new home on an acerage for less than $50K Can, but a good wage at the time was $7K per year, before taxes.

There were only around 4 billion people back then to compete for land and other resources, now there are more than twice as many, and they all want their slice of the pie.

Wars and threats of wars make governments anxious to catch up on new weapons and refill their empty ammunition bins.

We just can't compete with those folks.

For many hand loaders, who only shoot a couple of boxes of ammo or less per year, to make sure their favorite hunting rifle is still shooting well enough for their requirements will purchase a 100 count of primers per year or every two or three years, depending where they are in their cycle.

Same goes for powder.

I've always had a separate powder magazine, because I don't like having less than ten or so different types of powder on hand in useable quantities to facilitate the different cartridges I shoot.

Several people just want enough primers to get them through until the shortage is over.

We're going to see more of this, rather than less.

There was a time, mostly because of surplus ammo and firearms when shooting could be a "poor man's sport" as well as a "rich man's sport"

That all happened in the decade after WWII and Korea.

Those days are coming to an end.

Surplus ammo and firearm stocks are drying up or being retained for behind the lines service, or just being destroyed because governments don't want those firearms in civilian hands.

There are a lot of shooters out there, in comparison to 75 years ago. Mostly because there are so many more people on the planet.

This drives up prices for products in demand and the only thing that will stop it is a catastrophic reduction in the planet's population.
 
Fortunately, in this case, my foresight was 20/20. Back when primers were between $25.00 and $35.00 a brick
I stocked up. I have sold a few to desperate friends, but still probably have enough to last me until I'm gone.
Some may accuse me of hoarding, but I remember the last primer shortage, and swore it would not affect me
again. :) Dave.
 
Eagleye, we, along with a few others have been there done that.

It has nothing to do with hoarding and a lot to do with good common sense.

One thing, most of the components we have on hand, such as powder and primers will last a long time before they start to break down.

Apparently, many of the new manufacture commercial canister grade powders have appx ten year or less life spans, before breaking down.

Whether or not this will happen with commercial primers???????????
 
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