Current component availability...

[awalker1829]

I've been on some forums and am watching the users talk about the availability (or lack thereof) of components. Myself, I am sitting pretty on essential cartridge supplies for the most part. For some collector rifle cartridges, I might be a little low on preferred powder. Of course, I started planning my buying for 2020 last year and was starting to build up my reserves around the end of the last year. When COVID started popping up, I simply accelerated my buying. So I've got enough powder and primers for survival purposes-years worth in fact.

One opportunity that presented itself was through a coworker of mine. Her Dad was big into reloading, but his memory was going to the point that his kids were concerned about him making mistakes while reloading. When he accidentally blew up a rifle with an overload, the kids told him his reloading days were over. He agreed and I got her to give me a list of everything he was selling-bullets, powder, dies, etc. and prices. She'd ask me how much of a certain item I wanted. My response was to ask how much he had. I bought him out of a lot of stuff. Bought all his 7mm rifle bullets-I don't even have a 7mm rifle but at the price he was offering me, I couldn't pass that up.

End result is that while many reloaders are desperate for whatever they can get, I'm not stressing. Plan your buying in advance and you won't get caught short.

[Junk Yard Dog]

I say that pretty much all the time, buy it cheap and stack it deep, few listen. I wonder how many remember me saying buy Mosins when they were under a hundred bucks even for carbines? Said the same thing about M1's when they were under $200 in the very early 90's. Yea, might be a bad bore or two in the mix, so what, it's still an M1. Now look what even worn bore M1's go for.

[SA1911a1]

I have a reserve supply of everything that I shoot on a regular basis, but I am getting low on my ready locker. I am curtailing my shooting because I can't replace what I shoot. If all else fails I will starting shooting Mosins again to scratch the itch, I am well fixed for X54R. I went into an Academy last week and the only pistol ammo they had was .44 mag. (three whole boxes!) I bought one and left the other two to go to seed.

Once we get past Jan. and the sky doesn't fall, then hopefully the supply will begin a slow return to normal. I understand that the ammo makers are a billion dollars worth of product behind. What a great position for them to be in! How long does it take to produce a billion dollars worth of ammo? I don't have a clue.... Covid will hopefully be on its way out by July and that will certainly help.

[awalker1829]

You can bet it will be a slow return to normal. Current projections are for the ammunition manufacturers to get caught up on their orders in the first quarter of 2022. Yes, that’s right-2022. Some manufacturers are adding new production machines and production lines to add production capacity. So no, the manufacturers are in no position to do anything more than what they are doing now.

[qz2026]

It's kind of hard to believe projections anymore. The way I look at it, we are again in trouble but this time it will be worse. All prophesied and encouraged by the media and our so-called leaders. I got caught with my pants down on powder. Other than that I have plenty of reloading stuff for the guns I shoot. I did notice several weeks ago that Hodgdon has started to sell from their website and I was able to get a couple pounds of H4895, one of my go to powders for just about everything especially the M1A. It wasn't cheap but it wasn't outrageous either. I was also fortunate to get a couple hundred 7mm projectiles recently at a pretty good price from a guy locally. Other than 6.5 Swede, 7mm is my favorite to shoot and load for.

[awalker1829]

My approach is hope for the best but assume the worst. Only thing I got caught short of is small pistol primers. I'll be buying direct from Hodgdon when necessary.

[bunkysdad]

Here we are 6 weeks since the last post in this thread and things are worse than ever. No primers, powder, reloading tools, or ammo on the shelves. My local reloading/ammo store has some powder and I bought a pound of IMR Red and Hogdon Universal to use in my pistol rounds. Didn’t have to have it but it was still 29.00 per pound so I grabbed it.

[boltaction]

Didn’t have to have it but it was still 29.00 per pound so I grabbed it.

Hello,
Sorry, too say it folks.
But, that is exactly; what is causing this current "component and reloading equipment/supplies shortage".... Panic buying.
Just, like the TP shortage of last spring ......people, taking way more than they "need". JMO.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Didn’t have to have it but it was still 29.00 per pound so I grabbed it.

Hello,
Sorry, too say it folks.
But, that is exactly; what is causing this current "component and reloading equipment/supplies shortage".... Panic buying.
Just, like the TP shortage of last spring ......people, taking way more than they "need". JMO.

How is anyone to know just how much they will need? Some got into reloading now because they couldn't get loaded ammo, they have to pay the current price or have no ammo at all.

[awalker1829]

Right now, I have enough 9x19 to keep me shooting for the rest of the year-2k rounds of ball and just under 1k of hp ammo. Got plenty of large rifle primers and powder for my rifles. Got caught short on small pistol primers and small rifle primers though. If I got the right motivation, I could sell the sealed crate of 7.62x54 for a handsome price but I’m not motivated to do anything with it now.

[awalker1829]

We’re starting to see a little improvement on components availability here. Sportsman’s Warehouse now is getting projectiles in stock. Unfortunately they’re priced a bit high and most of them are thousand round boxes. I just secured a case of off brand Russian small pistol primers (intended for commercial reloaders) from a local source for a price that was not obscene. Folks on other forums were reporting seeing primers being sold $24 per hundred or higher. My price was much lower than that. I’ll be buying my bullets from a bulk dealer on the east coast, since his prices can’t be easily beaten. The greater the quantity, the less I pay and his prices include shipping. That lot will get sealed in ammo cans for as additional reserve ammo.

The bulk buy of 7mm rifle bullets has now paid off-I got myself a 7mm Spanish Mauser. Now I just need some 7x57 brass.

[steelbuttplate]

Anyone got a 9mm Luger die they would sell me ?

[bunkysdad]

I guarantee you that me buying 1 pound of powder did not add to any kind of problem whatsoever. I’m not the guy buying 15k rounds of 22LR at Walmart so I can horde as much as I can pack. But if I did grab 15k rounds at Walmart I’d shoot it up and grin the whole time

[awalker1829]

I guarantee you that me buying 1 pound of powder did not add to any kind of problem whatsoever. I’m not the guy buying 15k rounds of 22LR at Walmart so I can horde as much as I can pack. But if I did grab 15k rounds at Walmart I’d shoot it up and grin the whole time

True, nor my purchase of 6k small pistol primers added much (if any) to the problem. The problem, as pointed out by an article in "The Reload" is unprecedented demand. Jason Hornady explained that the level of demand they are experiencing is simply beyond anything the industry has ever had. Component prices are fueling price increases, as are shipping costs. The price of copper has doubled since last year and manufacturers are facing unexpected material shortages-Hornady has been impacted by shortages in cardboard and packing tape. Hornady expects it will take a couple of years for supply to catch up to demand.

Even at the current prices, reloading can be lower cost than buying factory loaded ammunition (when you can find it). I really should start buying 7.62x39 with brass cases and look for small rifle primers. That way I can reload for my SKS. For the time being, I am assuming current prices will be the new normal.