Component availability...

[BENNYBOOBOO]

What is going on around here? I have a Savage 10FP chambered for .308 Winchester that I have taken my time to work up loads for using popular components, such as Sierra MatchKings and Federal GM primers.

It seems as of lately that the two above components are so scarce that stores/catalog companies won't even guestimate when orders will be filled. What is going on?

Some have talked about a war effort. However I have only seen this low inventory problem over the last year, yet we have been fighting wars for 5+ years. Wouldn't we have seen this sooner if it was a real problem?

Others still have talked about the cost of materials effecting availability. When prices on copper doubled last year the price of ammo increased sharply as well, and was still readily available on the store shelves.

What's going on???

EH

 

[LostInSpace278]

I can not confirm all of this, just what I have been told and read a little about. President elect Obama is planning on enacting higher taxes on ammo. He also wants to ban any military type assault weapon (try finding an AR lately?) Then, there are bills trying to be passed at a state level for ammunition serialization, which will no doubt run the cost of ammo up. Also with the serialization, after I think 2012 any one caught using ammo that is not serialized will face criminal charges. Also heard government is trying to ban reloading as well. How true this is, I don't know, but I did wait around to start stock piling reloading components. Since Obama was elected everyone I know of is stock piling weapons and ammo. Buddy of mine, bought 2 Ar-15 and is leaving them in the box. He said in a year the price will double and if money gets tight he can sell them.

Please if I wrong on any of this, let me know. Like I said, I can't confirm all of this, some is hear say, some is what I have been reading about.

 

[Buffalobob]

The shortage of Fed 210 GM is at least two years old and possibly longer. This was directly related to the military need for primers. The same thing happened with small stock makers such as MacMillan and small barrel makers who had military contracts and did not have the ability to increase production quickly. They had to honor their military contracts and their regular customers were the ones that suffered delays.

 

[Coyboy]

If any one is in a pinch for winchester .223 brass, I may be able to help them out.
One of my suppliers who is not known for selling reloading supplies, is sitting on 700 bags of it.

 

[Poset]

Over the past 18 months, I find that components, specifically primers, kind of come and go. I was in Gander Mountain yesterday; Fed primers were plentiful, but no other brands in stock. My local gun shop has Fed, Rem and some CCI, but no Winchester fot 6 months. I've not heard what I consider a valid explanation... theere were shortages attributed to the war in Iraq, but that's passed. Can't believe Obama's election has (yet) created shortages. Don't understand it

 

[BENNYBOOBOO]

Well, after having so many problems getting components I have come to 2 conclusions: 1) I will buy large quantities of components and sit on them for a few years, and 2) I don't shoot much centerfire because of the already increased cost of ammo, but will begin to shoot much less because of the rampant unavailability of components.

What can I say other than if I can't shoot my .308 I'll have to find some other way to spend my time. Hopefully the producers haven't lost too many customers because of their inability to adapt to increased demand.

Sounds harsh I know, but the invisible hand is blind.

EH

 

[KQguy]

Right now the shortages are from panic buyers,they think Obama will take everything away from us,so they are stock piling.I think once he's in there for a while and everyone calms down,things will be easier to find.I think this happens anytime a Democrat is elected.

 

[lever-hed]

+1 on that, KQguy.. it seems the ramp up demand on ammo & guns started right around OCT-NOV 2008 (go figure, election), glad I made some key purchases over a year ago... was in and out of a few stores this passed Nov and saw a LOT of people looking to purchase or trade firearms. Its the election-time panic no doubt, and with that its like a chain reaction, everyone piles on.. but primers namely Federal and Remington have been scarce for a couple years, got to get on a waiting list and it could be months wait at this point, dont really know. Hard to tell if this is going to be a election year surge or if its going to be 'real'. Anyone seen cigar prices lately??

 

[dwm]

I bought them all! (just kidding, )

I am considering buying a bow! (what is the practical range of a bow???)

 

[Matt_G]

Yep, everyone is hoarding. They're scared to death of what BO and company are going to do.
Case in point:
A month before the election I was in a local Sportsmans Warehouse. The peg board behind the counter was full of handguns. There was only 4 or 5 empty pegs.
3 weeks after the election I was in the same store. There was only FOUR handguns left.
Of course they didn't have any powder or primers either.
The guy that runs the gun department in that store told me they get their shipments in on Tuesdays. (I was there on a Wednesday)
He said the day before they had gotten in roughly 180,000 primers; 36 cases.
They were GONE by the end of the day.
He said just ONE guy had bought six cases (30,000) primers.

Another sign is the fact that until a week or so ago, CBI in Colorado was so swamped with background checks it was taking over 24 hours to get approval to purchase a firearm.
I bought a gun on Thursday of this week. Check took a little over an hour, so it has gotten better.
That's probably because no one has any guns to sell!!

It's crazy!

 

[Greywolf18]

IMHO, I think the shortages are due to the incoming Prez. My family is in Utah and every time I talk to them they said they would go to Cabelas and Sportsmans Wherehouse that their shelves are bare. Ever since he got elected, almost all the guns have been sold except for the $2k-$3k guns. I know I've always wanted an AR, but never bought one until I gave into the paranoia of them banning them. Both those stores said the same thing, literally within 1 day of them getting in primers/bullets/factory ammo on popular cartridges they are gone. Ever since the election people would go to the store and buy a couple boxes of ammo on every pay day stocking up for the next 4 years! Here in Eastern NC, its the same thing. Popular cartridge (.223, .243, .30-06, .308, .270, etc) ammo is a pain to find. Good luck finding reloading equipment to start with out here, but now it's even worse. It really sucks for someone like me who is just starting to reload because I am waiting on brass, bullets, powder, primers to come in so I can START to make a load. It really sucks because I wanted to get a couple different types of primers and powder but looks like for now I'll be sticking with Varget, CCI SRM for my .223, and CCI LR for my .308.

 

[dwm]

I was just in Academy, one of our local sporting good stores and almost all the loaded ammo was gone!!!

 

[Greywolf18]

As soon as my wife wins powerball I can stockpile for the next 20 years!

 

[LostInSpace278]

The gun range near my house is the only place around that I am aware of that still have any AR's left. That is only because owner started stock piling these back about mid-summer in preparation for the election. He had no worries, AR's always sell, so he would have eventually sold them all, even if McCain had been elected.

This was also the same place where I found 5 boxes of 30 cal. 168 gr SMK and 180 gr SMK. Every place I looked on the internet had sold out and were waiting on orders. All the Accubonds with the exception of 2 boxes 7mm (not sure about the grains) were gone!! Maybe this was a ploy by Obama to spur the economy. At least it was spurred a buying frenzy in one sector.