Primers & Bullets

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

I stopped at two Real LGS about 30 miles from my home. The only LGS near me are PAWN shops. No powder No Primers No Bullets. Several shop personnel told me that they only words thsy know a "No" or "Not in Stock". I was told and don't know how much trruth is in it. One shop owner told that theire are only (3) US primer manufactures - CCI, Federal, & Remingtom. All other primers are made in other countries. The primers made here go directly for Military and loaded ammo. He said once the other countries get over Covid, they will get their manufacturing up to 100% and we will start seeing primers. Another owner told me that there are no bullets because of the "LEAD" The Obama admistration & EPA baned the "Smelting" of lead and Lead mining. The US hasn't mined lead in years. All our lead coms from other countries so when lead production is down in other countries the lead that is imported goes to manufacturing everything else than bullets. Bullets are last on the list except for our military. So all our bullets and primers go to the military first. Then there is the fact that there are several thousand new firearms owners every month and they want bullets. The two shops had a good variety of guns. but limited ammo. They are selling guns that the new owners can't buy ammo for. I saw a couples of boxes of Federal 9mm - 200 per case for $399.00 Thats $2 per bullet for a 9mm???
Anyone else hear something that backs up this story? Please chime in.
Thanks
Len

 

[Dosh]

Finding powder and bullets here, but primers are non existent. Saw several sizes of primers at a LGS @ $130/1000, ridiculously too high. Glad I don't need primers.

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

Looking for some accurate information on production, manufacturing, and mining of LEAD in the US pertaining to bullet manufacturing. If anyone has information please post.
Thanks
Len

 

[epags]

Follow this link and then read the comments on the article:

Last Remaining Lead Smelter In The USA Closing After 120 Years -

Suddenly the US Army’s obsession with lead-free ammunition makes perfect sense, it was about security not the environment. A reader writes … The last remaining lead smelter, in Herculaneum MO, is closing down. This will undoubtedly affect the price of lead, since the lead that is mined in...

www.thefirearmblog.com

 

[DENRIK89]

It's the same as everything else right now; lumber - production hasn't caught up with demand

 

[DENRIK89]

Looking for some accurate information on production, manufacturing, and mining of LEAD in the US pertaining to bullet manufacturing. If anyone has information please post.
Thanks
Len

Lead is a biproduct of a lot of metal mines & there is still some lead coming out of Missouri and a Lot of lead and zinc being pulled out of Alaska but not economical to smelt/sinter raw product here because of tight epa regs of air pollutant discharge. About 80% of US lead comes from secondary reclaimed sources (there are still reclaim smelters here) like recycled batteries etc.

 

[J-B welder]

As far as the number of new shooters out there, I can tell you that my sister, who has never in her life had any interest in guns or the shooting thereof, told me last month that her friend and her friend's husband have taken up the hobby, so now she thinks it might be fun. There are lots of people doing a lot of things they didn't do before, including shooting and related activities. The question is whether or not they will get bored with it and stop buying supplies or stick with it and keep the market prices up.

Of course, having more shooters in the world, and therefore more people on the side of lawful ownership of firearms, is a very good thing. So maybe the best of both worlds is to have them try it for a while, realize that gun owners aren't all crazy wingnuts waiting to shoot up the neighborhood supermarket, but then go back to their old hobbies and let the prices come back down to earth.

 

[Idaholandho]

If they can't get the guns off the streets they will take away the components needed to use them.
I am a member of a website that uses bots to find changes in inventory from bullets, powder, primers, brass, guns, etc., The primer alerts have almost stopped within the last week.

 

[Gater]

The problem with primers is yes there's only 3 that make them and one was shut down Remington stopped making ammo but I believe it's CCI bought the ammo manufacturing and are in the process of starting that plant back up the American riflemen had an article on it

 

[montanaio17]

I found federal 210 and 205 primers here in Montana at LGS. They also had cci. Got them Thursday.

 

[Gater]

that's a start

 

[Old Rooster]

I have not found any rifle primers since March 2020 here in Helena Montana and then all they wanted to sell was the 100 pack and not bricks.
Sportsman wharehouse a few weeks ago had 2 shipments of small pistol primers and large pistol primers and was totally sold out in 2 days.
I heard about it after they were gone.
I keep hearing after summer we should start seeing all kinds of primers coming in.
I sure hope so as I have a little left of rifle primers but when they go I am OUT!
Old Rooster

 

[cohunt]

My local scheels has quite a few primers-- but you are limited to 200 a day. Not worth the drive for me as its 40 min to get to the store--- if it was on my commute route then I'd be hitting it every day

 

[Laelkhunter]

I found federal 210 and 205 primers here in Montana at LGS. They also had cci. Got them Thursday.

Can you say how much they were selling for?