Is there any point in buying a reloader now?

[AgPilot]

Looks like stock photos? Are you claiming there are stores right now with shelves like that. Where?

Our LGS looked almost like that yesterday. Plenty of primers and ammo in stock. Bullets and brass too. But…. Prices are high. $40-45 for powder. $70-100 for a brick of primers. Only thing I didn’t see was SRP and LRP. No limits except on powder. 3# per Person

 

[Laphroaig]

Private party scalpers from gunshows and gunbroker aside, anyone who thinks retail prices are going to magically come down close to pre-crisis levels is delusional. Its never happened in my lifetime and increased demand in general and people wanting to stock back up will keep the industry profitable at the current pricing.

Having the ability to make your own ammunition is a great hedge against whatever may happen in the future. Buy it!

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

The only people making good decisions to buy right now are the ones instantly selling the product once they mark it up

Well, not quite. Some of us - me, for one - are picking up bargain brass and bullets because primers are still too expensive for most folks. I also been buying and trading local for things other than gun stuff. There are bargains to be had in any shortage.

 

[GBExpat]

Comfortable? I'm not lacking at the moment, but I won't feel comfortable until 1/2 of America comes to their senses......and I don't see that happening. Can't get the picture out of my mind from yesterday. Man and his wife on the court steps having paid a big fine and having all his guns confiscated for protecting his home from a mob by pointing his gun at them. Do you see mob members in court for charging his home? or breaking windows and doors at his neighbors? We are in deep trouble.

Charging off into Left Field, I see ... or in your case, Right Field.

 

[Electrod47]

Think of it like this. Your in the Kentucky Derby. Your a top 3 horse. Bell rings and all the gates open save yours. One minute later your gate opens.
Now do you bust your hump to attempt to catch up and finish last. Or, wait til next year? For now be patient, your day will come.

 

[Thomasss]

Unless you find a deal on one, I would wait. Presses and dies are at crazy prices too. And primers are selling, if you find them, at over 10 cents each.

 

[Mark_Mark]

Our LGS looked almost like that yesterday. Plenty of primers and ammo in stock. Bullets and brass too. But…. Prices are high. $40-45 for powder. $70-100 for a brick of primers. Only thing I didn’t see was SRP and LRP. No limits except on powder. 3# per Person

Booooo in price! But I an’t hatting

 

[Clipper67]

I load because I enjoy it, and it provides me an almost unlimited source for those calibers I shoot. Not a hoarder, but I still have a few thousand spp and lpp, even a thousand srp...bullets have been reasonably priced...Xtreme is one of my favorites, and I have about 15 pounds of various powders, more of my favorites though. Approaching 86, I am grooming one of my grandsons to be the heir of my bench. He's a great lad, 25 now, teaches High School Biology in a nearby city.

 

[jmorris]

…if having ammunition is important for a buyer, then limiting themself to one source of ammunition is foolish and shortsighted.

I do not disagree with that at all. I haven’t “needed” anything since the 80’s. However, even people jumping rope have to know the best time to get in…

You don’t want to start googling “parachutes” after the plane starts going down. If you make it out of that one, you’ll never be down again though.

 

[MikeSD]

Only if things get worse and signs are not pointing in that direction around here.

Things ALWAYS get worse, when Democrats are in charge.

Still looking for AA9 and some large pistol primers. Found some commercial 10mm loads, and some 180Gr bullets, but I'm still short of powder and LPP. Also found a 10mm die set, so I'm getting close. I have found someone willing to sell 700 Large primers but he has yet to tell me if they are large pistol or if they are std or magnum, or if they are large rifle. Working on the powder now.

Maybe I need to work a trade with someone. I have plenty of other commercial rounds. Just need 500 or so of 10mm.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Things ALWAYS get worse, when Democrats are in charge.

Still looking for AA9 and some large pistol primers. Found some commercial 10mm loads, and some 180Gr bullets, but I'm still short of powder and LPP. Also found a 10mm die set, so I'm getting close. I have found someone willing to sell 700 Large primers but he has yet to tell me if they are large pistol or if they are std or magnum, or if they are large rifle. Working on the powder now.

Maybe I need to work a trade with someone. I have plenty of other commercial rounds. Just need 500 or so of 10mm.

I got a pound of AA#9 off GoneBroker last month for $40 shipped to my PO Box. NOS still sealed There are good buys to be found, you just have to be careful. Large pistol primers are another story but they are around. I been trading loaded ammo to people who have primers but don’t reload -either used to and gave it up or never did but had relatives now departed who did.

 

[jmorris]

Things ALWAYS get worse, when Democrats are in charge.

Perspective, after 8 years of Obama and two years of Trump, AR manufacturers were falling like rotten peaches and you could get lowers for $30 and build an AR for under $300.

Would have sucked to have been the guy that decided to jump in right after Obama part 2 and Sandyhook when cheap 16” carbines were going for $1500 then see this add two years after the next election.



Without everyone jumping in to cash in before the fun ended, the rock bottom prices wouldn’t have followed.

 

[MikeSD]

I found a temporary source for 10mm ammo. They only sell 1 per customer/day. Going back for 2nd box of 50 in a few minutes. I bought 3 more .22 pistols the other day. I have tons of .22 but only a couple of 10/22s.

Maybe I should try trading some of my Gold Medal Match (.308) ammo, for primers.

 

[MikeSD]

The saga continues.

I have located a small supply of 10mm ammo at a reasonable price. Picked up another 300 rounds. So my short term needs are met, wtih about 500 rounds.
I have located a Dillon 550C, with 9mm conversion kit. Have 3rd party 9mm dies that will work. Just need primers and powder, for 9mm.

I have everything to load 10mm, except 10mm conversion kit. The shell plate is same as 9mm shell plate. Pins are different but if I go slowly, I can make those work. But the issue will be the powder funnel. In a pinch can the 9mm powder funnel work? I guess I could just drop the powder manually but it would be nice if I could just use the 9mm funnel until I can locate a "W" funnel.

Update: Just found a 10mm conversion plate and some powder for $40/lb. Looks like I'll be in business for loading 9mm this weekend.

I noticed a ton of CCI primers hit the market at ridiculous prices ($300+/1000). I suspect some will sell but I'm hoping most will not and the price will drop.

Slowly but surely I'm solving my ammo shortage in 9mm and 10mm.

 

[gifbohane]

I have not seen a primer for sale since March of 2020.

Not in the LGS or at the usual online sellers like Midway and Brownell's. The scumbags on the internet "selling" them for hundreds of dollars a brick can eat them.

 

[Average Joe]

Now ? NO, Reloading equipment is at a premium now. Components are hard to find, and will cost you an arm and a leg.....wait until this craziness subsides.

 

[JDTomba]

While I agree with agree with everyone above, i.e supply/demand, prices and everything else I buy ANYTHING I can find from lead to m olds to spare parts for both guns, and equipment. The reason is I DON'T THINK it will get easier to find supplies. The manufacturing base we have was enough BEFORE the Government began stockpiling ammo they don't even use. It was fine before this led to shortages and hoarding. It was fine before there was a Justice Dept. and an ATF that is almost violently anti-gun, which will lead to more hoarding. Components for everything from 80% lowers to pistol braces are in the process of being outlawed. The President and every Democrat leader are coming out and saying the 2nd Amend is meaningless. In Calif alone 6 out of the 10 gun laws for everything from magazines holding more that 6 rounds to certain, semiauto handguns and sporting rifles ; although found illegal are STILL being enforced and will take YEARS to make through all the Courts. In can take up to 18 months AFTER passing a background check to be able to purchase a rifle and some (a close friend and retired cop) have been waiting 5 years for a handgun permit and thats not even concealed just to purchase. Once these things are on the books whether legal or not they can take years to be cleaned up. I buy what I can afford, have limited my trips to the range (even I won't pa .15 cents for a primer) without hoarding. When I see 2 of anything I buy 1, when 5 I buy 2. Just my opinion.

 

[rsrocket1]

The answer is a conditional YES!
Very few people buy reloading equipment when it's readily available and cheap. They have the attitude "I'll get around to it someday but why reload when I'm only saving a few pennies per round, MY time is more valuable than that!"

See how cheap and available 9 and .223 are now!

You are now experiencing something that has happened several times in the past decade. So your approach should be buy when the prices are reasonable whether you "really need it" or not. If you find a press or reloading setup at a reasonable price now, buy it even if you don't have everything you need. When things loosen up, save up extra cash and buy when you see a bargain. You don't even need to have a complete setup. When you do finally get a complete setup, learn, load, perfect even if it's for a cartridge that is "cheaper at Walmart than I can make".

When things get tough, you will be all set to replenish your stocks when the shelves are bare.

 

[jebova2301]

The answer is a conditional YES!
Very few people buy reloading equipment when it's readily available and cheap. They have the attitude "I'll get around to it someday but why reload when I'm only saving a few pennies per round, MY time is more valuable than that!"

See how cheap and available 9 and .223 are now!

You are now experiencing something that has happened several times in the past decade. So your approach should be buy when the prices are reasonable whether you "really need it" or not.

When things get tough, you will be all set to replenish your stocks when the shelves are bare.

This is spot on. Too many people get caught up in the "well, it's not cheap enough to make a difference and supply is plentiful, so there's no reason to buy reloading gear." Then when a panic hits and prices are astronomical, it suddenly isn't the right time again, because the prices are too high. You buy when the prices are reasonable, even if it doesn't net a huge savings, and then you use that stock to ride out the bad times so you don't get caught with your pants down on panic pricing.

 

[Howa 9700]

Log jam on components may be breaking loose. Walked into a retail store known for reloading supplies, and found about 15 different powders available on the shelf, including IMR 4064, IMR 4895 and Varget. On one wall were about 10 different presses, including a Forster press that had a price sticker of $350 on it. Normal retail. Wide selection of dies, Starline brass and bullets. There was a stack of about 25 to 30 bags of shot by the door. Pallets more in the back. Clerk said full stock of shotgun primers and wads.....so loading for shotguns, no worries. Only thing missing was pistol and rifle primers. I left with pound of Varget and box of Hornady bullets and paid $75 total for both.

Following components thread above, even those are starting to show up on Midway, etc, and price is $76 per K. Keep that up and GoneBroker primer sellers will be left holding the bag.

Have also noticed more and more powder dumps on the mail order places. As of yesterday, Midway had at least 10 different VV powders, including VV140. Available powders went to 2nd page before they ran out. They don't last long, but they keep turning up. That is different than even 3 months ago......when it was nothing. Always nothing.

So......anyone wanting to get into reloading......not dirt cheap yet, but getting more possible by the day.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Log jam on components may be breaking loose. Walked into a retail store known for reloading supplies, and found about 15 different powders available on the shelf, including IMR 4064, IMR 4895 and Varget. On one wall were about 10 different presses, including a Forster press that had a price sticker of $350 on it. Normal retail. Wide selection of dies, Starline brass and bullets. There was a stack of about 25 to 30 bags of shot by the door. Pallets more in the back. Clerk said full stock of shotgun primers and wads.....so loading for shotguns, no worries. Only thing missing was pistol and rifle primers. I left with pound of Varget and box of Hornady bullets and paid $75 total for both.

Following components thread above, even those are starting to show up on Midway, etc, and price is $76 per K. Keep that up and GoneBroker primer sellers will be left holding the bag.

Have also noticed more and more powder dumps on the mail order places. As of yesterday, Midway had at least 10 different VV powders, including VV140. Available powders went to 2nd page before they ran out. They don't last long, but they keep turning up. That is different than even 3 months ago......when it was nothing. Always nothing.

So......anyone wanting to get into reloading......not dirt cheap yet, but getting more possible by the day.

All quite right but those $76 primers on Midway have been limit one, include $13 HazMat fee, and minimum $12 regular shipping. That brings them up into the $100/K range - higher if you're in an internet sales tax state.

 

[Howa 9700]

Guess the point is they actually have them, which hasn't been the case. Hopefully that is a sign things are catching up. If so, won't be long until the local retail outlets have them (no haz mat or shipping) or else you can buy in bulk. Midway has had free shipping on orders over $49.

So if it gets to the point available again at local retail, or no limits, free shipping and one haz mat fee, that's getting back to normal.

That was pretty much the case with most things at my local reloading shop. The only thing they were really missing were the primers.

 

[CoalTrain49]

You can either stock up on ammo or stock up on components when prices are low. Reloading, by itself isn't a cure for an ammo shortage.

I started metalic reloading during the last shortage. It didn't help because powder and primers disappeared for a long time. I made the decision at that time to have a two year supply of components ready for the next shortage, which is here, and I'm still shooting ever week.

Personally, I would do one or the other. Not both. If you're worried about being over stocked or need some cash, you can always sell ammo. Powder and primers, not so much.

 

[Jimfern]

This week I was able to collect on my bet that stuff would be back in stock before the end of the year.

 

[MikeSD]

I just picked up a brand new, in the box, Dillon 550C, with 9mm conversion kit, for exactly Dillon prices. Nice. And I have found 3500 primers (1000 Small Pistol, 2500 Large Pistol), so I think I'm good to go. Got some 3 die sets for 9mm and 10mm for about $50 each. I have 124gr and 180gr Hornady XTP bullets. And I have found 6 pounds of CFE and Power Pistol at good price.

Looks like I'm good to go, for now. I will be looking for other dies and conversion kits in .223, .357, .44, .45 Colt, and 45 ACP, but will take my time looking for deals on those.