“Reasonable” Primer cost?

This new primer mfg is just fantastic news. Now the "big two" primer companies now have a new player, and a win for the consumer as demand drops, as does prices.
 
I can just about guarantee you that the new primer factory isn't intended or expected to drive the price of primers down to pre-shortage prices. If a new factory for cheap primers was an attractive (aka profitable) business venture, someone would have done it before the shortage. I hope the new factory does materialize and supply starts meeting demand, but I'm not counting on ever seeing pre-shortage prices again. Just MHO.
 
BCR1 said:
Every other forum I'm a member of has an actual "quote" button to click on, not a two step process you have to go through.

Yeah, we turned that feature off on purpose a long time ago. People don't edit what they are quoting, so when it was on, someone would put up a post with a lot of photos, and then we'd get half a dozen complete copies, photos and all, quoted below it. It was taking up too much space and adding too many pages with the unnecessary redundancy.
 
I can just about guarantee you that the new primer factory isn't intended or expected to drive the price of primers down to pre-shortage prices.
I never said anything about mid $30's pricing ever again but if the new guys price theirs in the $50-$60 range, the others will have to drop their price or else.

Bill
 
I never said anything about mid $30's pricing ever again but if the new guys price theirs in the $50-$60 range, the others will have to drop their price or else.

Bill
or else buy them out and not drop their prices.

Will be interesting to see if the new factory actually materializes and if we will see any difference if it does.
 
Will be interesting to see if the new factory actually materializes and if we will see any difference if it does.

There are three new primer manufacturer's spooling up. I'd be surprised if all three are successful, but 1 or 2 of the three would be nice. Based on the licensing and capital investment, they will have to make a LOT in a short amount of time to recoup investment. But based on the numbers I have seen, I just don't see any way retail primer prices drop below $40/1k again.
 
Will be interesting to see if the new factory actually materializes

Not sure I'd buy anything related to internal combustion from a brand new manufacture . Maybe for plinking I don't give a care ammo but no way for HD/SD Zombie's ammo . I need my thing to go bang when I need it to go bang .
 
There are three new primer manufacturer's spooling up. I'd be surprised if all three are successful, but 1 or 2 of the three would be nice. Based on the licensing and capital investment, they will have to make a LOT in a short amount of time to recoup investment. But based on the numbers I have seen, I just don't see any way retail primer prices drop below $40/1k again.
I've only heard or read about the one in Hooks, TX (near Texarkana). Who and where are the other 2?
 
Metal god said:
Not sure I'd buy anything related to internal combustion from a brand new manufacture . Maybe for plinking I don't give a care ammo but no way for HD/SD Zombie's ammo . I need my thing to go bang when I need it to go bang .

Expansion Industries is already an ammo mfg based company, and as is 99% of the case with primers... "I just need them to go bang" . Myself, i'm pretty confident there won't be issues and once available I will absolutely want to try some.
 
Just a guess here but based on all the replies I agree that what the end answer is when it comes to reasonable cost it depends on what we call reasonable. Earlier I mentioned that any primer or other component for that matter is worth what someone is willing to pay, no more and no less.

So for someone sitting on 50,000 or 100,000 primers maybe a few cents but for someone having no primers apparently much, much more, as much as ten cents. Primers are like anything else, not worth much till you don't have any in which case they are worth a bunch.

Ron
 
Nonsense. Primers, especially small pistol primers have never been abundant in my area. I have never seen more than four bricks of Federal Small Pistol Primers at any of the particular gun stores/shops I frequented way before the Biden presidency and $35 per thousand. I would often buy all they had, or would let me have.
I started reloading a little more than 10 years ago.
My shooting club had small pistol primers by the pallet.
I was paying $28.00/1,000 when I would buy 5,000 at a time.
This is in Canadian dollars which are worth about 80% of what the US dollar is worth.

In June of 2020 when I started seeing shortages being reported on US forums I went out and bought 5,000 BR-2 and BR-4 for $64.00/1,000 ($51.00USD).
I also found S&B LPP for $36.00/1,000 ($28.80USD)
My club just posted this picture yesterday.


That pallet is worth around $75,000.:eek:
I’m down to 4,000 SPP and I’m debating picking some up.

When shooting something like 338LM or 300WM or other specialty cartridges $0.10 for a primer is inconsequential.
When shooting 300 rounds of 9mm per range session the primer cost is up there with jacketed bullets.

I was just gifted a MEC Sizemaster and found some Federal 209A primers in stock for $69.99/1,000. I think I’ll grab some before they disappear.
 
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The payroll manager of a computer corporation told me in 1980 a good way to help keep retail prices fairly constant is to stop giving all employees pay raises. Twice during my 16 years employment there, financial straits required everyone to work 5 days a week but get paid for only 4.

That made me remember when in the early 1950's I was in high school and worked for a house building company as a carpenter making $1.00 an hour.
 
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The last time I purchased any primers I paid $23.00 per thousand and the time before that I paid $13.00 per thousand. I'm hoping when things settle down we might be able to get them for $40.00. a thousand. I'd be comfortable at that rate. Wishful thinking I know.
 
The most I’ve paid was around $45/1000. I’ve got a stash of around 30,000 primers plus 100 pounds of powder. My biggest shortage is .264 bullets.
 
I was just in a gun store in N GA this weekend, pallets of shotgun ammo, cases of every Hodgdon powder and ammo in every cartridge from .22 short to 338Lapua. They only has had boxes of LR primers and they were priced at $179/1000..................Glad I don't shoot a gun that needs those!
 
Two years ago it was ~ $30/1000 even at Cabelas. Raw materials have not gone up that much since then...however...the ammunition companies are loading as fast as they can to produce factory cartridges...hence the shortage of primers for reloaders...just IMHO...

I'm hoping that with a sea change in the political climate nation-wide, that we'll see demand taper off...and prices return to the former levels...They did after Obama left office...and I stocked up...hope it goes the same this time around.

But with another summer like last year's...burning cities, looting and riots, the average citizen with no real hobby interest in shooting may continue to buy...and keep the prices up...for factory loads...and the resultant primer shortage will continue.

Rod...YMMv
 
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