One man's opinion regarding component shortages

[russ usn]

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.

here in upstate NY you cant find anything as far as primers or heads....glad you have better

 

[rogerstv]

If things go the wrong way in November, the supply lines will be severed for a very long time.

It is my opinion that if things go "right" in November (pun intended), the left will go beserk. And, supplies will be harder to find.

 

[Radman]

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.

Sadly you are SO RIGHT!

 

[Wyosam]

Powder seems to have improved a lot recently, at least online. I've been able to pick up a few that I was getting low on that have been impossible to find (Varget and RL26), and pretty much everything else that I use has been available when I've looked lately. Primers are another story of course. Brass isn't an issue, as I've got a good supply for everything I shoot, projectiles don't seem that bad, at least for the higher end stuff I shoot in rifles. I did buy a bunch of coated lead in 10mm recently, and while it took a few weeks, I had no trouble getting a big order (Probably several years worth).

 

[Ronald W Schaefer]

1. 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.
2. 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…
3. 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.
4. Bullet manufacturers. Apart from the shortage of raw materials, there are shortages of workers to run the machinery.

You may ask why we don't just make more cartridge factories? Those cost millions to make. Given what we hope is a temporary supply issue, it doesn't make sense to invest millions to find your product is simply glutting the market this time next year and into the future.

Great post, probably pretty close to the real story too...

 

[John Klingenberg]

Michigan's getting thin almost everywhere. I have relatives all over the state and they report the same. Glad I stocked up mostly in the last year. Pistol primers seem to be difficult to find but I dont shoot much of that anyway.

 

[GLTaylor]

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.

You better stock up. There's almost nothing available where I live!

 

[muledeer01]

I really don't need anything, I did notice they had lots of Reloader 22 so I picked up a pound for my brother in law.

 

[RYEWSKY25284]

1. 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.
2. 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…
3. 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.
4. Bullet manufacturers. Apart from the shortage of raw materials, there are shortages of workers to run the machinery.

You may ask why we don't just make more cartridge factories? Those cost millions to make. Given what we hope is a temporary supply issue, it doesn't make sense to invest millions to find your product is simply glutting the market this time next year and into the future.

You must hang out with Santa. You have a pretty good world view..

 

[Ol' Red]

It is my opinion that if things go "right" in November (pun intended), the left will go beserk. And, supplies will be harder to find.

That could go either way. Just glad I live in WY and not the west coast. Also have been through many election years and stock up in advance. This election could be bad either way it goes.

 

[BigDon]

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...

Sportsman's in Cheyenne has NO ammo of any kind except bird shot, No powder of any type whatsoever and no lead bullets. Looked like it was out of business!

 

[Ol' Red]

I just came from Sportsmans Warehouse in Gillette, WY. They have a few containers of powder, but none I use. They did still have some Federal primers and quite a few bullets.

 

[russ usn]

I just came from Sportsmans Warehouse in Gillette, WY. They have a few containers of powder, but none I use. They did still have some Federal primers and quite a few bullets.

Grab whatever primers you use while you can.....very hard to find.....all the best

 

[jimisbell]

That could go either way. Just glad I live in WY and not the west coast. Also have been through many election years and stock up in advance. This election could be bad either way it goes.

Why would the left want shooting supplies? They hate guns and dont have them.