I'm Out of Control

[Rum River]

Okay, so this is how this went down………

A couple weeks back the wife and I drove from Minnesota to Jacksonville Florida to visit with one of our sons for a week. He had relocated there for work back in June and we wanted to see him. While there I made sure to hit a variety of gun shops – because I could. One of them – low and behold – had two 1000 count bricks of CCI large rifle standard primers. I haven't seen any of these in a store within a hundred miles of our house in over a year. I'm good on inventory but others back home weren't. I contacted them and one guy said he was willing to pay the $110 per thousand. I bought one, and at the time I figured I didn't need to spend the money for another.

On the way back to Minnesota, every additional one hundred miles further from those primers aggravated the living crap out of me. What was I thinking? Yeah they're spendy, but they were there. When we got home I was glad I wasn't going to think about them anymore. Right. For a week those stupid things were on my mind. But I figured there was no way they could still be on the shelf, or could they?

Today was the day. I called the store, they were still there, the guy on the phone agreed in a tired voice to put them by the register, I gave him my son's name and that he would be in today to pick them up, only then did I share the glad news with my son that he was on the hook to drive 30 miles out of his way in evening rush hour traffic to drop $110 of his money on dear old Dad.

So, I have 1000 primers 1500 miles away. At least they're safely out of my reach so I don't use them up too soon.

 

[ElkSurgeon]

You're not out of control, I would call it more like exercising your 2A rights & purchasing components on the shelf for future use…….

 

[ElkSurgeon]

Okay, so this is how this went down………

A couple weeks back the wife and I drove from Minnesota to Jacksonville Florida to visit with one of our sons for a week. He had relocated there for work back in June and we wanted to see him. While there I made sure to hit a variety of gun shops – because I could. One of them – low and behold – had two 1000 count bricks of CCI large rifle standard primers. I haven't seen any of these in a store within a hundred miles of our house in over a year. I'm good on inventory but others back home weren't. I contacted them and one guy said he was willing to pay the $110 per thousand. I bought one, and at the time I figured I didn't need to spend the money for another.

On the way back to Minnesota, every additional one hundred miles further from those primers aggravated the living crap out of me. What was I thinking? Yeah they're spendy, but they were there. When we got home I was glad I wasn't going to think about them anymore. Right. For a week those stupid things were on my mind. But I figured there was no way they could still be on the shelf, or could they?

Today was the day. I called the store, they were still there, the guy on the phone agreed in a tired voice to put them by the register, I gave him my son's name and that he would be in today to pick them up, only then did I share the glad news with my son that he was on the hook to drive 30 miles out of his way in evening rush hour traffic to drop $110 of his money on dear old Dad.

So, I have 1000 primers 1500 miles away. At least they're safely out of my reach so I don't use them up too soon.

Or perhaps your short stay in a Red State has you contemplating relocation……?

 

[DoneNOut]

$110 is pretty good price these days.

 

[Bob Wright]

Just average the high cost today with the low cost of yester year. It's like going to a counselor session. My job is complete.

 

[Rum River]

Out of all my boys this son is the least interested in firearms. He is very pro gun and has done some big game hunting, but shooting and hunting just isn't his primary at all.

With that in mind I told my 34 year old that if nothing else I finally got him to make his first solo trip to a gun shop.
He laughed out loud and had to admit I was right.

 

[ShtrRdy]

It's a good example of the reloading component hoarding reflex. Hard to avoid.

 

[Hard rock]

If it weren't for my dad thinking ahead ,I would be like the majority of handloaders . Thanks too him ,I'm fairly well stocked.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

About 18 months ago a LRH member from Conn told me that there were 2 boxes of Fed GM210M primers on the shelf in his LGS. I called and had them put on the side. I drove from L.I. to Conn and found the suburban store. It cost me 2x $125 for the primers plus the gas, tolls and a 1/2 day to get the primers.

Who would have ever thought that things would get that bad.

 

[Rum River]

About 18 months ago a LRH member from Conn told me that there were 2 boxes of Fed GM210M primers on the shelf in his LGS. I called and had them put on the side. I drove from L.I. to Conn and found the suburban store. It cost me 2x $125 for the primers plus the gas, tolls and a 1/2 day to get the primers.

Who would have ever thought that things would get that bad.

Thanks, at least I'm not alone.

 

[Mark37082]

FOMO (fear of missing out) is a real issue for many of us that were either late to the reloading game or just oblivious to thinking the shortage would happen to this extent.

 

[HSmithTX]

And I was urinating and moaning when the price of a 5K box of primers went up to $140. Buying them by the thousand wasn't something I had ever considered until recently, and I have seen guys buying them by the 100 that are glad to get them. How times have changed.....

 

[RWE]

Just average the high cost today with the low cost of yester year. It's like going to a counselor session. My job is complete.

Hmmmm... Yes, I think you are on to something. It is still much less expensive than therapy...

 

[SWHandldr]

It's a good example of the reloading component hoarding reflex. Had to avoid.

Given the two year plus shortage I can hardly call this hoarding.

Depending on how much reloading / shooting one does, 1K rifle primers could be anything from < a year to multiple years' supply. Even if someone is primarily a hunter & uses under 100 primers a year, it's sadly a good bet that in a few years the price will be higher.

I wouldn't tie funds up in an item I expect to be commonly available, but the primer shortage has persisted even as powder has (recently) become more available. Given the rumblings we're hearing from the anti's wrt following CA & NY's lead in making ammunition more difficult to obtain (provide ID / register, excessively taxed) I'm i buying ammo & components to last for years rather than months.

That's prudence, not hoarding.