Primers???

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  • hoglegs

    Marksman
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    5   0   0
    Jul 21, 2017
    140
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    NWI
    I've seen the same thing up here in NWI; ammo slowly filling shelves but VERY rarely primers / powder. In the past year I've found primers once at Cabelas & felt like I won the lottery. Maybe as the ammo manufacturers are finally catching up with demand, more primers will begin to show up in stores soon.
     

    DadSmith

    Grandmaster
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    1   0   0
    Oct 21, 2018
    22,177
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    Ripley County
    I've contacted a few places here in SEI none to be had and they are not expecting primers any time soon. One said to check back every month to see if any comes in. Sure wish I lived closer to Brian's.
     

    Bill2905

    Master
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    4   0   0
    Feb 1, 2021
    1,945
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    Lake County
    Midway has had some primers in stock recently. They don't last long but I could have secured some had they been the type I was looking for.

    Cabelas in Hammond had some earlier in July but the shelves have become completely bare again.
     

    Beowulf

    Master
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    66   0   0
    Mar 21, 2012
    2,880
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    Brownsburg
    Midway and Brownells have been trickling primers out (daily for Midway, a bit more infrequent for Brownells). I've seen them come into stock in the morning, like 7am or 8am EST, and then sometimes in the early afternoon.

    Bass Pro/Cabellas has had them in stock periodically (though you usually have to ask for them, since they are behind the counter).

    But both online and in store, they are pricey, $75 or $80 a box, and then online you are stuck with a $20 hazard shipping charge (which is killer with a single box limit).
     

    Wolffman

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jul 19, 2012
    124
    18
    I am starting to see an increase in availability and a drop in price for ammo in my area.

    I prefer to reload when I can, but I have yet to see primers come back.

    Is anyone finding any?
    Same with me. Ammo seems to be coming down, but no primers. This will be my first attempt at trying it on my own. So, I need small pistol primers ASAP! I have everything else.
     

    Ark

    Grandmaster
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    Feb 18, 2017
    6,734
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    Indy
    With prices like $75/box plus shipping and hazmat and purchase limits, I think I'm just out of the reloading game when my current stock depletes. It's unreal, no point to reloading when it costs 3x more than it used to. At this point there seems to be no expectation of stocks ever returning or prices ever dropping. We finally got bit by only having 2-3 primer manufacturers that are also ammo manufacturers.
     

    Beowulf

    Master
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    66   0   0
    Mar 21, 2012
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    Brownsburg
    With prices like $75/box plus shipping and hazmat and purchase limits, I think I'm just out of the reloading game when my current stock depletes. It's unreal, no point to reloading when it costs 3x more than it used to. At this point there seems to be no expectation of stocks ever returning or prices ever dropping. We finally got bit by only having 2-3 primer manufacturers that are also ammo manufacturers.
    I think that is unnecessarily pessimistic on two points:

    1. Given that factory ammo costs are up as well, you still can reload cheaper than buying new, even with increase costs.

    2. Given that we are now seeing more and more components come into stock periodically, even at higher prices, versus just being sold out, tells me that the supply chain is slowly catching up. Once it is caught up, just like after the last shortage, prices will come back down. In fact, After the 2012/2013 shortage, but before the 2020 panic, prices had actually fallen lower than the pre-2012 items for a lot of calibers.
     

    Brian's Surplus

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    4   0   0
    Jul 18, 2016
    862
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    Howard County
    I think that is unnecessarily pessimistic on two points:

    1. Given that factory ammo costs are up as well, you still can reload cheaper than buying new, even with increase costs.

    2. Given that we are now seeing more and more components come into stock periodically, even at higher prices, versus just being sold out, tells me that the supply chain is slowly catching up. Once it is caught up, just like after the last shortage, prices will come back down. In fact, After the 2012/2013 shortage, but before the 2020 panic, prices had actually fallen lower than the pre-2012 items for a lot of calibers.
    I agree on point 1.

    The supply chain is slowly catching up. However, I don't think prices will come back down until the next slump in sales, when inventory backs up in the supply chain and sales drop off to almost nothing. You may start to see a few primers being sold for $55 to $65 after a while, but I'd be surprised if they go below that until dealers are just dumping inventory to recoup cash (during a slump). Unfortunately, I believe these prices ($70 to $80 per 1,000) are the new normal for the time being. Primers are still selling at gun shows for $100 to $200 per 1,000. I'm selling them at the store as low as $42.06 plus tax per 1,000 for Unis Ginex primers. I DO NOT expect to be able to replace these and sell them at this price. When they are gone, I expect the prices to be much higher.
     
    Rating - 100%
    8   0   0
    Jan 18, 2009
    2,169
    113
    SE Indy
    I think that is unnecessarily pessimistic on two points:

    1. Given that factory ammo costs are up as well, you still can reload cheaper than buying new, even with increase costs.

    2. Given that we are now seeing more and more components come into stock periodically, even at higher prices, versus just being sold out, tells me that the supply chain is slowly catching up. Once it is caught up, just like after the last shortage, prices will come back down. In fact, After the 2012/2013 shortage, but before the 2020 panic, prices had actually fallen lower than the pre-2012 items for a lot of calibers.
    Things also seem to be coming back at a much faster pace than previous shortages
     

    Ark

    Grandmaster
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    25   0   0
    Feb 18, 2017
    6,734
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    Indy
    I think that is unnecessarily pessimistic on two points:

    1. Given that factory ammo costs are up as well, you still can reload cheaper than buying new, even with increase costs.

    2. Given that we are now seeing more and more components come into stock periodically, even at higher prices, versus just being sold out, tells me that the supply chain is slowly catching up. Once it is caught up, just like after the last shortage, prices will come back down. In fact, After the 2012/2013 shortage, but before the 2020 panic, prices had actually fallen lower than the pre-2012 items for a lot of calibers.
    What'll it settle to? $50 a brick? $60? Merely 2x what it used to cost instead of 3x?

    And that's just until the next panic, and the next run, and the next years-long supply crisis. Looks like the tsunami is building toward lockdown yet again, is it going to shoot back up to $200 a brick and then "settle" back to $75 in two more years?
     

    Brian's Surplus

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    Jul 18, 2016
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    Howard County
    What'll it settle to? $50 a brick? $60? Merely 2x what it used to cost instead of 3x?

    And that's just until the next panic, and the next run, and the next years-long supply crisis. Looks like the tsunami is building toward lockdown yet again, is it going to shoot back up to $200 a brick and then "settle" back to $75 in two more years?
    What scares me is that we really aren't that far away from the midterm elections. Who knows what the heck that will bring. Things are always at least a little more difficult to get in any election year. If the supply chain is still catching up, things have the potential to get really bad again (especially if shipping is still as screwed up as it has been).
     

    bgcatty

    Master
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    23   0   0
    Sep 9, 2011
    3,021
    113
    Carmel
    I've been constantly asking Midway to notify me when primers come in and never, ever once received a notice that primers were in stock. Not even for one minute. I'm beginning to think that "notify me" tag on their products is a crock of bovine excrement.
     
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