Primers

[Texas1911]

I found a good place for some 200 gr. SWC bullets, but primers are a bit on the high side for me.

I need to stockpile more pistol primers, and I'm even contemplating selling off some of my small rifle and large rifle in barter for pistol primers. Does anyone have any good resources for them? I would like to order about 3000 of each.

I got a few months to spare before I start getting into the full swing of reloading.

 

[Dawico]

If you have time, keep your eye on Cabelas. I think they have the best prices around, if they have any in stock. I know a couple places up by me that always have them, but the prices are horrible. I mean $40-$60 per 1000 horrible. That explains why they always have them though.

 

[RetArmySgt]

Midsouth shooters.

 

[TexasRedneck]

Graf and Sons....they'll accept backorders, and I doubt you'll find a better price anywhere.

 

[PopsXD9sc]

+1 on Graf and Sons. Just bought small and large pistol primers from them. 5k each and with shipping and HazMat only cost .03 each. As good or better than local prices and we don't have them locally. Normally do a search at Wideners, Powder Valley, Grafs, Natchez, and Midway USA on a daily basis. Well, I did before getting lucky with Grafs.

 

[Texas1911]

Graf and Sons....they'll accept backorders, and I doubt you'll find a better price anywhere.

What kind of lead time have you been experiencing? I don't mind waiting, just don't want to buy 5000 and have it turn out to be 6 months.

I've been buying a thousand as I find them at Cabela's and McBride's. We haven't had any come in at work in a good while unfortunately. I'm trying to not buy more than I can use so that others can get primers also, but I might have to get a little greedy on the pistol primers, I'm set on rifle.

 

[JMATT199]

Carter Country in Spring,Tx has all the reloading supplies you will ever need. I have searched everyone online for prices and availability. Carter's has the best inventory and prices. A 1000ct of small pistol primers (federal or CCI ) 35.97, and in stock.

 

[randmplumbingllc]

What kind of lead time have you been experiencing? I don't mind waiting, just don't want to buy 5000 and have it turn out to be 6 months.

I've been buying a thousand as I find them at Cabela's and McBride's. We haven't had any come in at work in a good while unfortunately. I'm trying to not buy more than I can use so that others can get primers also, but I might have to get a little greedy on the pistol primers, I'm set on rifle.

I think about 6 weeks was the longest. If you are not stuck on a certain brand, they will ship what comes in first. They are real good to deal with, just tell them what you want. And soooo much better then Midway. Ordered some .500 S&W dies, Graf and sons was 25% cheaper and had them in stock. Midway didn't have in stock AND 25% more ? No brainer......

 

[TexasRedneck]

My last order was the longest - 3 months - but bear in mind that order was for 40k CCI primers w/no substitutes in small, large an' small mag. I buy that many at a time so I can spread the hazmat out over more boxes. That order, the primers were $22/k, hazmat 22.50 an' shipping/handling 4.50 - spread out over 40k, it brought my cost per k to $23.17. Kinda hard to beat.....

 

[Texasjack]

I noticed at a gun show last week that they seemed to have pretty good stocks of primers. Also, Carters Country FINALLY seems to have a decent stock (although bullet availability is pretty spotty). Things may be loosening up a bit (or maybe the economy is just slowing down sales).

 

[TexasRedneck]

I think that supply may have finally started catching up w/demand. As soon as election results were obvious, I stocked my reloading supplies VERY deep. Paranoid? Not in my mind - because since then, how many times have we seen guys posting, lamenting the fact that they couldn't shoot because they couldn't get ammo and/or components? I readily admit I'd gotten complacent - during the Clinton years, I kept a pretty decent stock of supplies, but once he left I let things slide WAY too far. Even if ammo gets so cheap again that there's not much savings in reloading, I will maintain deep stocks - it just ain't worth the worry of someone deciding I don't need ammo.

 

[Texas1911]

Ammo isn't going to get any cheaper than pre-election prices. All the manufacturers are telling us it will be going up considerably in 2010.

 

[TexasRedneck]

Ammo isn't going to get any cheaper than pre-election prices. All the manufacturers are telling us it will be going up considerably in 2010.

And they hope like the blazes we'll believe that. I expect there will be SOME increase just because of raw material increases - but it remains to be seen how high they'll stay, IMO. If the components are available and cheap enough, ammo manufacturers will be forced to trim prices just to remain competitive.

 

[TexMex247]

Eastern Bloc countries and Russia have been pumping the US market full of components and loaded ammo lately. I decided to take the plunge last year and bought several thousand Wolf primers. So far, they have performed flawlessly. Even academys Monarch brand is just re-boxed russian and serbian ammo. The price on that stuff has been a little up and down but I guarantee you this, those russian/euro manufacturers are gonna keep sending it our way. So, the price can only go down if you ask me. They just about double their profits sending it here where we just keep eatin' it up. Personally I like the quality of the serbian brass(PRVI) and the price is starting to drop now that places like academy have an abundance of it. Even the M855 and other military loads are starting to come down a bit in price. It has been a rough ride but I think the ammo market is finally settling down. Hopefully the component market will follow suit.

 

[Texas42]

I got 5K small pistol Wolf from Graf and Son's. It took a couple of months, IIRC. Ended up about $30/thousand. Not as good as Redneck, but I can't afford that many.

Very happy with Graf's as a rule.

 

[Texas42]

Looks like Wideners has some Wolf Large Pistol Primers in stock.

 

[TexasRedneck]

Trick is to "partner up" with some others around ya, and then pool your order into one larger one. Wish I had someone around me to do that with - paying for 35-45k primers at one time DOES add up!

 

[medalguy]

I noticed yesterday that Pat's Reloading has ALL primer sizes in stock. Good people to deal with and VERY fair prices IMO.