Sad and Sickened at powder prices

[STFU]

Ah, but it IS political.
Most of the " shortages" now are due to demand, yes, but it's not consumer demand but military demand chewing up available powders and primers.
If libs stay in power, there will be more wars in the middle east and possibly Europe.

Love you all like brothers, but this is just pure FUD.
Nope, nope, nope...that's not how this works.

 

[ljk]

Supply and demand.

The wars burn a lot of gun powders, fertilizers use a lot of Potassium Nitrate(type of raw material in gun powder)

EPA, OSHA and ambulance chasers have made manufacturing gun powder commercially in the U.S. nearly impossible to be profitable, except for the gov. We, as a country, hasn't produced the powder and raw materials in decades. Most of the powders were imported from Europe and they get their raw material from South America, old comm bloc and China.

In EU, their REACH regulations are doing the same thing as our EPA and OSHA.
https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/chemicals/reach-regulation_en

Overview​

The Regulation on the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals (REACH) is the main EU law to protect human health and the environment from the risks that can be posed by chemicals. This is done by better and earlier identification of the intrinsic properties of chemical substances and by taking measures, such as phasing out or restricting substances of very high concern. REACH also aims to enhance innovation and the competitiveness of the EU chemicals industry.

 

[Creedmoor]

Brian's is where I got that $45 figure. Was there 2 days ago. Im sure if you buy 16 lbs of powder you get a better price. I walked out with a box of gold dot projectiles for a good price. Not bashing Brian's surplus it is what it is and he pays more so we pay more but I hadn't bought powder in a year and the sticker shock was.....well shocking.
Just glad I'm not desperate for any.
BTW..I love Brian's surplus

Oh, I know some prices are over $60.00 a pound. I've been stocking some of the faster double base rifle powders that not a few months ago were just under $200.00 for an 8 pounder.
I'm just glad I packed away what I did, when I did. I feel for the new folks loading.

 

[bowhunter911]

here is an article i found from 2018 about what guns and ammo manufactures called the "Trump slump" it explains why prices on guns and ammo were so good after Trump was elected, there was more supply than demand and no panic buying like when libs get elected...............................
“The day after the election, it’s just like somebody turned a faucet off,” said David Dobransky, 67, who owns Dobransky Firearms, a small gun shop in North Canton, Ohio. Since then, sales there have been cut in half, and nothing the president or Congress has done or said following the Florida shooting has improved business.
Gun owners apparently have faith that Trump won’t impose more restrictions, gun show owners say.

 

[Freedom2A]

Inflation has to bear much of the blame. $10 in 1975 is the same as $57 today in 2024. Add in supply and demand and the prices right now make more sense.

 

[Brian's Surplus]

Started reloading just prior to Covid and was able to stock up on primers and powders. I stopped by a LGS that I previously bought powder from and the change in prices is insane. Saw Unique for $69 a lb. I was never able to find Unique back when it was reasonably priced.

$69 for a pound of Unique is insane right now. We just sold out a couple days ago, but we were selling it for $51.41 + tax (which I still think is high).

Yes, powder prices have gone up dramatically. Unfortunately (I really hope I'm wrong about this), I expect powder prices to at least double in the next 2 years. Double from what they are NOW.
It's a little off topic, but I don't see the overall situation in the world getting any better in the foreseeable future. The worse the global situation is, the higher gunpowder and related components will go. I think powder will become much more expensive soon.

I REALLY hope I'm wrong about this.

 

[Sniper 79]

I keep consolidating and selling off. Just unbolted my like new Dillon XL650 off the bench. Done priced me out of the sport. Planning on cashing out guns too. Sad and sick to say the least.

 

[Aszerigan]

I read things all over the internet just like the rest of us. I'm glad I'm out of the retail supply market at this point, but the manufacturing side isn't much better. People can speculate all they want, but suppliers like @Brian's Surplus know more about it than any of us. Trust the good guys like him, and if he say's it's coming again (which we all know it is), then buy now. Keyboard junkies hypothesize, dealers know the real facts.

The time to buy was yesterday, the time to buy is now. Always has been.

Primers will never be $25/k again. Prioritize what you enjoy and spend your money on it. If spending money on reloading supplies isn't a priority, then find something that means more to you. That's your choice.

 

[10mm]

I keep consolidating and selling off. Just unbolted my like new Dillon XL650 off the bench. Done priced me out of the sport. Planning on cashing out guns too. Sad and sick to say the least.

I'm afraid that's the state of things. I'm all but out of the 9mm and 45 acp game and consolidating calibers down as far as is comfortable.

 

[trader]

biden is printing 1 trillion dollars every 100 days he's been in President Trump's white house. soros has turned America into a banana republic that prints money like venezuela. in biden's 3 years he increased the money gross total by over 45%. which means he's by doing this decreased the value of the dollar by the same amount. all great societies have destroyed themselves. glad i'm old and won't be around to see the total collaspe.

 

[indyk]

With cheap ammo Tula, Wolf 223-556 was 23 -32cpr a month ago.
Now over 40-50cpr sometimes more with shipping.
I seen it coming as well as many many others.

 

[Aszerigan]

With cheap ammo Tula, Wolf 223-556 was 23 -32cpr a month ago.
Now over 40-50cpr sometimes more with shipping.
I seen it coming as well as many many others.

And quality 556 can be loaded for $0.30 per round if you have brass. Not sure why anyone would pay upwards of $0.65 a round for junk.

 

[Trapper Jim]

While there are a lot of things to blame on the demorats, the gouging of our powder and primers are probably directly related to the shareholders and BOD of the controlling financial conglomerates of the industry. One might want to look into the what political party makes up that roster.

It’s seldom the easy answer that fits neatly into a simple narrative. Perception is reality to many folk.

See you in the powder line…..


Trapper

 

[bgcatty]

The above post by Aszerigan is spot on. Prices are indeed through the roof and I strongly believe it’s in part due to Bidenomics which is also to blame for part of the downfall of our country.

If only the sheeples would realize how bad the Democrats really are for our country, there may be a chance for a significant turnaround.

 

[ljk]

https://www.france24.com/en/live-ne...-powder-shortage-to-supply-shells-for-ukraine

EU internal market commissioner Thierry Breton told reporters in Paris Friday that the bloc also faced challenges finding the raw materials for gunpowder.

"To make powder, you need a specific kind of cotton, which mostly comes from China," he said.

"Would you know it, deliveries of this cotton from China stopped as if by chance a few months ago," Breton added.

China and Russia have in recent years ramped up economic cooperation and diplomatic contacts, and their strategic partnership has grown closer since the invasion of Ukraine.

In Russia this week, China's Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong declared relations "are at their best period in history".

Breton said that "Nordic countries have found a substitute for the Chinese cotton... innovation is at work, precisely to meet the need for powder, because... we have problems today with powder capacity".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrocellulose

Nitrocellulose (also known as cellulose nitrate, flash paper, flash cotton, guncotton, pyroxylin and flash string, depending on form) is a highly flammable compound formed by nitrating cellulose through exposure to a mixture of nitric acid and sulfuric acid. One of its first major uses was as guncotton, a replacement for gunpowder as propellant in firearms. It was also used to replace gunpowder as a low-order explosive in mining and other applications. In the form of collodion it was also a critical component in an early photographic emulsion, the use of which revolutionized photography in the 1860s.

Majority of the Chinese cotton is produced in the Xinjiang region of NW China, which has been sanctioned by the EU and US for the unfair treatment of the Uygur population.

 

[574mag]

Reloading brings me peace and I just enjoy the process. I’ll continue to buy when I find something “cheap” but won’t be loading any 8mm rem mag or 300 weatherby for a while! Prices always go up fast but take forever to come back down.

 

[Onebad06vtx]

I have cases of primers that I paid $8 per 1000,sure glad Im a hoarder. lol

 

[574mag]

I sure do wish I was loading back in the good old days!

 

[Mij]

Been down this road before. This time we should be looking at the current administration, and not just for powder and primers. Have found some at good prices, not that I am am short. When you measure your stock in hundred of pounds of powder and 100 of thousand primers.

Sir:
Believe I know who you are, I’m making the assumption you are the son of a fellow I learned a lot from back in the day. So I knew/know your dad. I also believe your grandfather was my school teacher.

I’m marking your future post for viewing, Hope things are well.
Mij.

 

[three50seven]

I would say anything Alliant, and especially Unique, are the outliers. Most Hodgdon/IMR/Win powders can still be had for $30-40 per pound. Alliant and their parent comapny Vista Outdoors have done it to themselves with steady price increases.

I have a few pounds of Unique, and that will probably last me a lifetime of .44 Special loading. I have found other powders more suited to most of the other calibers I load for.