- Brass. The copper mines in Chile are running on skeleton staff due to Covid. Copper is needed for certain self defense bullets, and for making the brass for the cartridge casings. It's really hard to come by now. Even aluminum is in short supply. Soviet steel case ammo is more available, but due to hoarding from items (1) and (2) above, not even that is on store shelves.
- Lead. The last US smelter in MO is near shut down over Covid. Hard to make bullets without lead. All our lead now comes from China…
- Powder. Hodgdon's Powders make most of their powder in Australia. Not long ago there were intense wildfires in Oz, and their route from factory to port took them through the worst of the fires. No one will transport gunpowder through a fire zone!! No sooner were the fires out than Covid came along. So there has been a shortage of powder to make cartridges for some time. You can get reloading quantities for home reloading still, but not so much the tons needed for full-on factory output.
- Bullet manufacturers. Apart from the shortage of raw materials, there are shortages of workers to run the machinery.
One man's opinion regarding component shortages
- Thread starter elf
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Our mfg was given away for the most part in 1970 and this was supported by almost everyone until now. The US still has or has access to every material, all of the energy needed and people to do the work to restart our mfg base. The logistics of shipping any heavy industry item like steel and equipment, makes zero sense anymore. IMO, all it takes to do what you ask, is to shift our tax base from giving it all away to other countries or wasting it in some other way and asking Americans to get back to work... something they did in the 30s. We just have to get off of the chinese teat.
Equalizer
Well-Known Member
The EPA and "environmental awareness" has been just as much of a factor for these industries. They are being pushed overseas because it's easier to pollute other countries. (think China) IMO.
I'm all for the USA producing our own steel, lead, powder, etc. and we should be able to do so with out negatively impacting our environment but foreign interests and special interests have gutted us as a nation. The crooks who have been selling us down the river need to pay a heavy price or it will only get worse.
I'm all for the USA producing our own steel, lead, powder, etc. and we should be able to do so with out negatively impacting our environment but foreign interests and special interests have gutted us as a nation. The crooks who have been selling us down the river need to pay a heavy price or it will only get worse.
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memtb
Well-Known Member
Things may get much worse, before getting better. Between Covid, and the political climate, ammunition ....particularly lead-based projectiles, will probably get increasing difficult to find!
However, I feel that "anyone" that has allowed themselves to be short of ammunition or components has not been paying attention to world events.....for about 30 years!
memtb
However, I feel that "anyone" that has allowed themselves to be short of ammunition or components has not been paying attention to world events.....for about 30 years!
memtbAccording to what I have read coming from the wholesale dealers is the reason that they are not being supplied with loading components is because everything that is being made is going into factory ammo. The ammo factories are running 24/7 and can't keep up with the demand for ammo.
muledeer01
Well-Known Member
Omg, I just visited my local gun shop in town last week, his shelves were full of every powder I have ever heard of, prices cheaper then Ives seen in a long time. Primers were just as plentiful, maybe just a tad low on bullets.
Deputy819
Well-Known Member
Just the OPPOSITE here. My local shop owner can't get anything in stock. Glass gun cases that used to be consistently full of pistols are virtually empty now, he has ZERO powder, hardly any primers/bullets and very few rifles on the shelves compared to normal 'Pre-Covid' inventory. It's really sad actually....
The Cabelas and Sportsmans Warehouse on the North side of Seattle are completely empty. Virtually no powder, definitely none that I use, and no primers. Hardly any bullets in the reloading shelves.
Fortunately, I like Weatherby calibers and no one seems to be hoarding those, but they were never deep on the shelves to begin with. Cabelas ammo shelved looked like they had been looted and Sportsmans was not much better.
Lean times...
Same here except they can get powder.
Knight
Well-Known Member
After the election they'll be more in stock then you can afford.
crazyhorse
Well-Known Member
A good friend of mine owns one of the highest volume gun shops in the state (TN) and he has been selling loaded ammo at a rate never seen before now. He used to order multiple cases per month to maintain inventory, and now he orders it literally by the pallet and cannot keep it in stock!
Claims to have more first time gun owners in the last 6 months than he's seen in the last six years...
Claims to have more first time gun owners in the last 6 months than he's seen in the last six years...
If you've been waiting to buy components, you're too late. Loaded ammunition is very scarce and powder is as well. My neighbor who doesn't own a single firearm went to Cabelas to buy an AR. He said the few there were close to $3000 with very few handguns and no ammunition on the shelves for either. If things go the wrong way in November, the supply lines will be severed for a very long time.
Deputy819
Well-Known Member
Agreed! Luckily, I have everything I need to get me through this disaster........for now. However, my local gun-store owner is talking about closing his doors for a few more days during the week because he's not able to do enough business to justify being there 6 days a week. Hate it for him...
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