Powder? Why is there none?

I stocked up on what I needed after the last shortage. At present I am content to reduce my shooting and train for future hunts. I'm sure the Socialist Democrat party will make things difficult for a minimum of the next 4 years.
 
I've been able to get fresh jugs of every powder I've been after in the past six months. It's been a total pain in the bit but between checking sites, signing up for notifications, trading and networking I've managed to get it done. I can't see what good any speculating does that just spawns more hysteria. The powder is out there, just have to try harder than your use to.
 
Last edited:
JWM67 - you are spot on. I wish we could coordinate a boycott effort like that, but their clientele is too broad. These small businesses are the first to wave the "shop local" flag when the economy is hurting, and then you see ridiculousness like this. Makes me sick.
Say I owned a very small LGS. And say I couldn't get any inventory to sell and my shelves were empty. I finally get a shipment in and see that primers are selling for $300 on gunbroker. I have employees to pay, rent to pay, lights to turn on. So I try to sell the new inventory I just had to pay more no doubt, for a larger margin than I did when my shelves were full.

So just wondering if I was in his shoes what would I do? Why I'd try to keep my doors open and my employees paid. Slamming some guy for running his business and trying to get $90 for 1000 primers doesn't seem right. So walk a mile in his shoes I guess.
 
Say I owned a very small LGS. And say I couldn't get any inventory to sell and my shelves were empty. I finally get a shipment in and see that primers are selling for $300 on gunbroker. I have employees to pay, rent to pay, lights to turn on. So I try to sell the new inventory I just had to pay more no doubt, for a larger margin than I did when my shelves were full.

So just wondering if I was in his shoes what would I do? Why I'd try to keep my doors open and my employees paid. Slamming some guy for running his business and trying to get $90 for 1000 primers doesn't seem right. So walk a mile in his shoes I guess.
I am a small business owner and we are seeing some hard times right now and have for awhile ,But I refuse to screw my customers a price increase is fair but double and triple and more in some places is screwed up in my opinion, when we know they have not taken an increase near that large So I have walked that mile and continue to I have not paid myself in several months to make sure my help is paid and this will continue until times get better
 
I get the whole capitalism argument, but there is also the reality of Newton's 2nd law...for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, and I think the price gouging will have blowback when the dust settles....at least it will for me. I doubt that his cost basis has changed very much. It is a supply issue. And the profit he makes on the couple thousand primers he might sell at $9 per 100 is not overly significant compared to the rest of the sales of the store. Bad business if you ask me....
 
It's a perfect storm of things really: 1) flood of new gun owners resulting from the Floyd riots; 2) political sea change with leadership that threatens gun rights; 3) COVID boredom; and 4) hoarding. If the powder shortage of 2013-2015 is any indicator, it will be a good year before we see any relief. At my local shop they are limiting purchases to 100 primers per person....and they are $9 per 100. OMG!
Did the OMG thing myself Federal Premium GM210M at $8.50 limit 200 paid her asked cashier if she would mind if I came back after lunch, she did not care. Put that 200 in the truck gone right back in and bought 200 more, might not be there after lunch. Crazy
 
I am a small business owner and we are seeing some hard times right now and have for awhile ,But I refuse to screw my customers a price increase is fair but double and triple and more in some places is screwed up in my opinion, when we know they have not taken an increase near that large So I have walked that mile and continue to I have not paid myself in several months to make sure my help is paid and this will continue until times get better
I don't know anything about the guy's financing who is selling primers for $9 a 100, arguably very fair pricing by today's standards. I run a small business too, have for 11 years now. I do what I need to do to keep the lights on and my employees paid. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he is as well. No ill towards anyone doing what they need to do to survive in this situation. And if folks can find primers for less than that price, I am sure they will shop at that place instead. Its all good.
 
You guys think .10 for primers is bad? That's only .05 diff on a 100% markup. Look at the pistol ammo situation! $1.00+ / round of 45ACP...no reserve penny start auctions of 9mm bid up to .75/round, often going for more than that! HSTs and Gold Dots for $1.50/round, holy moly! That's bidders not the seller setting a price. It's now more expensive to shoot 9mm FMJ practice ammo than it is for me to reload my 7mmRM with Bergers or even Barnes. Now THAT'S crazy!

I wonder what would happen if everyone just stopped shooting for 2 or 3 months.
 
I have some hypotheses, they could all be true or none of them true. But all are possible.

1. Primer and powder companies aren't selling much to civilians because they're prioritizing filling contracts with ammo manufacturers, who are trying to keep up with the 6-10 MILLION new gun owners trying to find ammo.
2. The first wave of powder/primer scarcity made scalpers enough money that they decided it's worth hoarding for the sake of keeping supply low so they can continue to make money.
3. With these new gun owners not being able to find ammo, many decided its a good time to start reloading, and buy a couple pounds of powder. Powder doesn't usually sell fast, so even a small Percentage of those new gun owners buying only a couple pounds of powder makes a huge effect on the supply.
4. Either due to the shortage, or due to government officials wanting to take away our ammo (doesn't matter either way, we don't have ammo) the military could be buying up ammo for "practice purposes" to the point that ammo companies can't keep up with the contracts, and have to run a lot harder trying to keep up with them, so they're not sending as much out to the public.
 
It's a combination of things but its likely logistics more than anything. It's cheaper to send a semi load (or 4) to one ammo factory than a pallet here, a pallet there. Not only that, but if a powder manufacturer is also an ammo manufacturer, he is going to ship to his company to keep it going (and continue to employ his people) rather than let his ammo company go out of business.
 
The demand is there, and so if you see any powder or bullet, primers, most will purchase them weather they need them or not. Being that I am having a wildcat cartridge rife being built, and so slowly I am acquiring components that I feel I need. Hopefully I get the items I need over the time before the rifle is finish. I have been their before with shortages, and every time that have come back (Prices are higher). What is "STUPID IS PEOPLE WILL PAY THE SCALPER THEIR PRICE." Life won't end because you have what you want. Rome wasn't built in a day. You should try living in other country and see what it's like.
 
Top