Scalpers are out of control

[2wheelwanderer]

Having been in the business for over 30yrs, now,,,,,,, I can say the owner of that shop in Auburn is full of it! Some powders are imported, but the primers we are familiar with (CCI, Federal, Winchester) are made here, in the US. The thing right now is, fully loaded ammo is in demand and more profitable for the companies making ammo. Out of the many shooters I meet the vast majority (probably 7-8 out of 10) buy loaded ammo. I'd guess that 98% to 99% (maybe more!) of primer production is going into factory loaded ammo. Those who want to "get into" reloading now are just too late to the game. Not only are components scarce, but have you looked for a new press lately? Those who 'roll their own' are a minority in the shooting world. Things may lax-up a bit after the new owners of Remington Ammunition (Vista Outdoors, who already owns Federal, CCI, Speer, RCBS, Estate Cartridge, and many many other commonly known names in the shooting/outdoors world) will get that Arkansas ammo plant up and running.

I sure hope so. I have noticed on Lee's sight you cannot beg, borrow or steal a new press, dies, or molds for anything. Just ordered some projectiles form Midway. I'll pay a bit of mark up considering the current climate, but paying the absurd prices some on gunbroker are asking, its like the ammo shortage some years ago when .22 was scarce. All those guys who waited for the trucks with their wives to scarf up the ammo to fund their retirement are now doing the same with powder and primers.

Thanks for the feedback on primers!

 

[Kimber7man]

I'm just a fwd minutes north of Ft Wayne. LGS have nothing but Pyrodex and shotgun powder in stock. Would you be willing to share what shop has powder in stock? I've heard there is a shop near Salimonie that has things in stock. I asked about primers in Auburn yesterday. Owner claimed hes been told ALL primers are made in China as they are prohibitively expensive to make in the USA. Even manufacturers are having a hard time getting them, yet there are shipping containers full of them sitting in port in CA. At least that's the local gossip.

We have an office in Ft Wayne so I stopped in the sportsman's warehouse on Illinois a week ago. shelves were darn near bare.

 

[shortgrass]

Ya', the shelves are empty most everywhere. The wholesalers I deal with for my business don't have much either, and when they do they have placed limits on 'how many' of each item they will sell to one buyer. The 'deal' has always been, buy a variety and buy what you think you can move (quantity) in a reasonable amount of time to maximize what shipping will cost you to get those things to your shop. Now, there is no quantity (because of purchase limits) and there is no variety. Those that have the 'stuff' can charge whatever their conscience will allow,,,,, provided they have a conscience...... The auction sites are no place to be looking for a 'bargain' or even a reasonable price in the current climate. Sign-up for 'backorder' or text/email alerts for when what you want becomes available is the only thought I can recommend.

 

[backwoodsshooter]

it either sales or it won't. i'm about to bite the bullet and grab some RL26, might cry along the way by what's the saying.......

buy once, cry once

 

[GatorTrapper]

I think you should all write BETO and have him set up a reloading consumers' protection bureau with full arrest powers to outlaw the law of supply and demand,

What could POSSIBLY go wrong ?

 

[mo]

But it isn't a forced tax. You actually don't have to pay SS tax, but you can't draw it after retirement if you don't.

I don't think you can anymore. You used to be able to.

 

[mo]

I'm not sure I follow you, either, but this nothing like free-market pricing. There are too many things going on in this country for us to accept individuals to make a quick buck by buying up everything on the shelves and gouging people out of money they could use for necessary things--like new brass, and that rifle they have been saving for. I live on the Gulf Coast Of Texas and before and after hurricanes people do this to other people and it is sickening (to me). Since I do not know you, I will refrain from guessing if gouging has ever happened to you, but if it has, you need to recognize this for what it is.

I know about this. I also live in an area where Katrina hit. Trying to get a generator was next to impossible. When a storm hit your area back a couple of years ago I went to Lowe's bought 6 generators. I was trying to be nice so I drove my *** over there and decided I would charge 100 extra dollars per unit to cover my gas and food. Probably lost money. The cops like to have strung my *** up in Texas for trying to cover my expenses. Hell I was losing money. Kinda gave me a bad taste trying to help. So if me losing money and almost getting arrested for scalping then these people with powder and primers are breaking the law.

 

[Mrvmax]

People get so up in arms and are quick to say people are scalping, price gouging - you name the adjective. It is simple supply and demand and it is always the poor planners who are whining about price gouging because they failed to plan ahead. Why is it that we do not apply this name calling to other areas? What happens in the real estate market when there are many more buyers than houses available? The housing prices skyrocket, right now in my area it is common to get offers over the asking price of the house within a few days. Why don't we cry that these people selling their homes are price gouging? Prices are set by what the market will pay, if the cost is too high nobody will buy. If you failed to plan ahead and wait until there is a shortage then whine about prices increasing it is nobody's fault but your own. Primer, powder, bullet firearm prices are high on Gunbroker because people are paying what they think they are worth.

 

[GatorTrapper]

What he said. Wait until Biden takes over the economy. Welcome to Venezuala.

 

[Triple BB]

I needed a #3 shell holder. Located one the other day on Amazon and Midway. Waited a couple days to check a local sporting goods store that I forgot about. They didn't have it, so I went to order online; all gone. Who's hoarding #3 shell holders? Didn't want to pay $36 on ebay. Finally found an online seller that had one for $15 with shipping...

 

[Treeslug]

I know about this. I also live in an area where Katrina hit. Trying to get a generator was next to impossible. When a storm hit your area back a couple of years ago I went to Lowe's bought 6 generators. I was trying to be nice so I drove my *** over there and decided I would charge 100 extra dollars per unit to cover my gas and food. Probably lost money. The cops like to have strung my *** up in Texas for trying to cover my expenses. Hell I was losing money. Kinda gave me a bad taste trying to help. So if me losing money and almost getting arrested for scalping then these people with powder and primers are breaking the law.

I would not doubt that some of them are breaking the law--but--I do not see the government, in this little debacle, going out of its way to arrest people for scalping weapons and reloading supplies. Disasters, yes, gun problems, not so much. We are all in for a new way of handling our shooting needs, if we are allowed to have shooting needs. The Katrina of the shooting world is about to come ashore.

 

[Treeslug]

People get so up in arms and are quick to say people are scalping, price gouging - you name the adjective. It is simple supply and demand and it is always the poor planners who are whining about price gouging because they failed to plan ahead. Why is it that we do not apply this name calling to other areas? What happens in the real estate market when there are many more buyers than houses available? The housing prices skyrocket, right now in my area it is common to get offers over the asking price of the house within a few days. Why don't we cry that these people selling their homes are price gouging? Prices are set by what the market will pay, if the cost is too high nobody will buy. If you failed to plan ahead and wait until there is a shortage then whine about prices increasing it is nobody's fault but your own. Primer, powder, bullet firearm prices are high on Gunbroker because people are paying what they think they are worth.

Wow, it must be an awesome feeling to be so certain as to the specific reason why each and every person that has recently found themselves running short on reloading supplies, loaded ammo and guns, and gun parts are now living through this debacle. I know I have never failed to see far into my future and plan for pandemics and new presidential nonsense. We could be two peas in a pod.

 

[19 Badger]

Aesop clearly lined this out for us when he wrote "The Ant and The Grasshopper" fable.... I am not sure they even teach that in today's schools. I learned to buy when I was still in High School during the Clinton years.

 

[muledeer01]

Stopped in a local sporting goods store, shelves bare also, but I wondered if they didn't move ammo and components to the back to hold for friends or wait till the price really went thru the roof.