Ammo and Primer Shortage Will Continue into 2021
Gander Outdoors in Kenosha, WI — reader-submitted photo on GMToday.com
The ammo and primer shortage is real, and it’s here to stay — well into 2021. That’s what industry experts tell us: “With [ammunition] demand far outstripping supply and inventory levels in the channel at all-time lows, we see strong demand continuing[.]” — Christopher Metz, CEO of Vista Outdoor
Certain types of ammunition, 9mm Luger for example, are very difficult to find these days. And what IS available is often marked up 300-400% over 2019 prices. Demand has far exceeded supply. And the ammo shortage won’t end any time soon. Vista Outdoor’s CEO Metz added: “Despite us producing flat-out for six months, there is no buildup of inventory at any of our customers. In fact, every one of them would like significantly more. Simply put, consumer demand continues to outpace our ability to supply.”
Ammunition Shortage Impacts Primer Supply
Rifle and pistol primers are nearly sold out everywhere, with some less-than-reputable vendors now charging 4-5 times the normal price. So what’s going on here — why can’t you find primers? One reason is that primer producers such as Federal and CCI are using the vast majority of the primers they make to complete their loaded ammunition, which is flying off the shelves.
What is causing the ammo panic buying and primer shortage?
There are a number of key reasons:
1. Concerns over the recent election and potential Democratic Party control of U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, and the White House;
2. General worry and paranoia caused by the COVID-19 pandemic;
3. Fear of new legislation banning guns and restricting ammunition purchases;
4. Social unrest and rioting led by BLM and left-wing activists and tolerated/encouraged by Blue State government officials; and perhaps most importantly,
5. The vast increase in the number of new gun buyers.
Huge Increase in Gun Purchasing in 2020
2020 will probably set an all-time record for gun purchasing in the USA. This spike in gun buying has been propelled by the greatest annual increase in gun ownership in U.S. history. According to data from the NSSF, roughly 6.2 million Americans purchased their first firearm in 2020. A NSSF dealer survey estimates that 40% of all gun sales were conducted to purchasers who have never previously owned a firearm. And women accounted for 40.2% of first-time gun purchases. We’ve never seen that kind of spike in gun ownership in a single year. This is unprecedented.
Ammo Shortage Will Continue for Many Months, Well into 2021
What are the prospects for greater availabilty of loaded ammo in the months ahead? Not so good according to Vista Outdoor CEO Christopher Metz whose company operates Federal, CCI, RCBS, Alliant, Blazer and many other shooting industry brands. Metz declared: “We currently have over a year’s worth of orders for ammunition.” That value of those back-orders exceeds ONE BILLION dollars. “This is unprecedented for our company. With demand far outstripping supply and inventory levels in the channel at all-time lows, we see strong demand continuing[.]”
There is some good news however — the former Remington ammo factory will start cranking out ammunition again. The American Rifleman reports: “Vista Outdoor has purchased the [Remington Outdoor] ammunition factory in Lonoke, Arkansas [and will resume] production at or near full capacity. The Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette reports 300 employees furloughed by the former owner of the plant will soon be recalled to join nearly 400 still working at the facility.”
Similar Posts:
- What Caused the Ammo Shortage? When Will Things Get Better?
- America’s Big Ammunition Plants Are Running at Full Capacity
- Primers — Why There is a Primer Supply Shortage
- Vista Outdoor May Sell Off Savage Arms and Stevens
- Remington Ammo Production Resumes in Arkansas Factory
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Tags: Ammunition Shortage, CCI, Democratic Party, Federal Primers, Primer Availability, Vista Outdoor
All the years that we have supported the gun and ammunition and components industry, and the first opportunity the supply chain gets, from manufacture down to the local gun stores, they screw us over and over and over.
Americans screwing Americans.
Randy you are absolutely right! This will never stop but for one reason…”its all about me and I have to take care of me” mentality consumers have. I have loaded ammunition that would take me 10 years to shoot and that’s going thru a case a week. I have half that much in components. But even with that I continue to buy only when the price is right, which it is not right now for a lot of loaded ammo but is on components thru LE/Military purchase programs and dealer pricing. My guns will never become paper weights for me, my kids or grandkids. To get anyone let alone a large group, half the country buying ammo now to stop and force the price down is “NEVER” going to happen. Instead of complaining but agreeing we are getting screwed by the retailers selling the ammo won’t help but remember who these folks are when times are over supplied. But again try getting everyone to remember that….bottom line is like anything supply and demand drive the prices but you need to be prepared so when times like this happen in the ammo world you can sit back and be relieved you don’t have to buy. Poor planning on your part is not an emergency on mine.
Pro2nd,
Same for me, my supply will take me a number of years to exhaust and will also buy when prices are as good as they’ll get in the future. In the meantime I bought a $2,000 air rifle that will shoot 300 yards. I bought 4,000 match grade pellets for $104. No primers, brass or powder needed. Adapt and overcome.
Personally I feel like this happens more and more and the savvy retailer would open more capacity investing their profits…and that reloaders are their most reliable customers and their needs should be met over panic buyers even if there are limits. But that is just one man’s opinion.
I don’t see why the gun and ammo manufacturers even sell their product to the government, when it is the government that wants to shut them down.
Is the Primer & Powder shortage real, or another “gun control” method.
Why is Canada getting USA made powders & primers when shooters in the US market can’t?
The Canadians don’t seem to have a problem getting American made reloading supplies and ammunition.
Primers from CCI and Winchester are available in Canadian stores.
So are various brands of ammunition.
See for yourself.
Here is just one of the many Canadian shops.
https://www.bullseyenorth.com/reloading-primers
Even the big 2 in the USA (cabalas & bass pro) don’t have ammo, powder or primers for sale.
One reason US manufacturers claim for the shortage is; millions of 1st. time gun buyers bought up the ammunition.
Question:
Did they also become 1st. time reloaders?
And why can’t foreign Primers be imported to fill the gap?
They used to be readily available.
Brands such as Seller Bellot, Rws or Fiocchi manufature boxer primers, not just berdan.
There must be a lot of 1st time gun buyers & reloaders in Europe.
Either way;
Maybe I am wrong, I’ve been wrong on things before, but for now, it’s my opinion this is a made to order shortage.
What do you think?
The great Primer shortage will not stop until the suckers paying 400.00 per 1,000 stop paying it . Many of the gun broker sellers are actual gun shops. They have loads of inventory that is not making it to the shelves on their actual store. Why should they when someone is willing to pay 400.00 for a 29.00 box of primers.
If you want the price to go back down stop buying it for the price of gold . Only then will the price return to normal.
STOP CREATING THE DEMAND. ITS A DEMAND SOMEONE CREATES EVERY ELECTION.
HOW MUCH DID YOU PAY FOR AR 15 MAGAZINES WHEN OBAMA RAN . NOW THOSE MAGS ARE HOW MUCH ?
In my state i have found a few gun shops putting primers straight to gun broker for 300 to 400 per brick. I will not forget the shops that did this. I will never do business with them again. Many shops have not done this and those will be who receive my business later on .
Barry And John. Thank You for your posts, You are correct, The only small rifle primers I can find are in Canada And they won’t ship to the US. I have been reloading for over 50 years, And this shortage is Getting old, I have Brass, Bullets, Powder, Just No Primers, Any primers online are being priced gouged and I refuse to buy, And refuse to do any business with Greedy Bastards(GunBroker.com) who want to make our life more miserable In these Trying Times. God Bless, Stay Safe, Hopefully things will change for the better.
Supply is flying off shelves but not to commercial vendors. Powder and ammo contracts with US Govt cteating shortage. You can speculate how that works but if theres no ammo your 2A means nothing.
HAZMAT controls any type explosives movement any hwy or state line.
HAZMAT has everything to do with shipping of components to reload around country.
Secondly, Since when does government reload ammo? Why the 6 billion primer purchase?
my @.02
like she said “human nature sucks, I oughta know”
If the ammo companies are really putting out ammo, where is it all going? No dealers have anything in stock and no back order. So where is it going??
I was notified by a non US company that they have tons of primers but cannot ship to USA because they are not allowed due to export restrictions. Wonder who did that? Biden?
Biden and Harris couldn’t have been elected without gun owners voting for them. We’re our own worst enemeys.
Almost sounds like the EO’s Biden has been pushing thru have been all about guns/ammo/supplies – we will never know the truth moving forward.
Yeah, he really believes in the 2nd A.
Give me break, it’s time for bows & arrows!
Its COVID… no wait, its the Democrats, …. no wait its the military industrial complex, no wait its a government conspiracy to take away our guns, ammo and reloading component, no wait its because the manufacturers are paying extra to ship it all the way to to Canada and sell it there…….. SERIOUSLY? Its the morons who believe all this BS and are lining up at Academy at 6 am to clean the shelves so they can hoard 10 times what they will shoot in a year and/or resell it at inflated prices to other morons who buy it because they are panicked and believe the same BS. If you have enough ammo and components to last you for years YOU ARE THE PROBLEM. Meanwhile in my area 4H kids can’t find .22 ammo and can’t afford it when they do find it. They can’t shoot in local competitions. Wow you “me first” guys that are buying it all up should be proud.
I agree that somebody is screwing over the reloaders and I don’t think you can blame the democrats. They took over the government about a year after the shortage started.
I also have seen american primers for sale on Canadian web sites so it is not a production problem.
It is a money grubbing swindleing people that are in the sales chain, probably the last step of the ladder, selling powder and primers and brass out of the back door. During the previous shortage a local gun store did not have anything on the shelves for customers that walked in, but if you bought a gun they had ammo for you.
I don’t shop there anymore.
P.S. I totally agree with JBM !
Thanks for that info Barry, I click that link to Canadian shop and my jaw dropped. Something is very fishy, and scary going on…
Pretty hard to argue with JBM. If you’re in the comments to brag about how you’ve got more than you can shoot in a life time, it’s pretty clear why the rest of us can’t find any. Certainly don’t need to hear any tripe about folks working as hard as they can to make as much money as they can being part of the problem while the same folks that picked the shelves clean of TP do the same thing with ammo/components.
Yep you can sure find primers in Canada that wont ship to the US but it is still over priced.
The retailers in the end of the supply chain are marking everything up 50-2000% and selling on gunbroker while leaving their shelves empty. The managers at the big name places are buying everything themselves before the stock hits the floor. To stop this the manufacturers are going to have to cut the chain with distributers and sell factory direct to the end users. They would even make a lot more money by doing so and the actual users would pay less for the product. The greeeeeeeedddddyyyyy middlemen would be out looking for an honest job. When this is over, I’m going to remember the companies that supported this.
Well dave, your logic is similar to a democrat’s – missing the obvious point.
Those who have enough for years didn’t buy it all yesterday…they have stored it up during the good times – the harvest – NOT during the famine. As Jesus said, keep your lamp filled with oil. Don’t be the bridesmaids who have no oil and go knocking for some only to strike out.
Of course it’s too late now for ammo! What I personally can’t stand — unprepared dolts crying about not finding anything when really you should have been stocking up during the Trump or Bush era. Damn people are dumb.
Think ahead.
Jay, I agree…i have always stocked up an ammo and I have not had to buy any of this inflated ammo during the “Great Ammo Shortage of 2020″…and I have probably 2-3 years worth on ammo on hand….why you ask…because I bought it during Trump’s time in office…so I’m set for now…i figure it’s like having money in the bank if needed…just my opinion
I think too many people are reselling. I think many of them may not even shoot. They have a friend or relative that shoots so they hear about the shortage and make a quick buck. In the 2013 it was the gun shows that were driving the prices, now with Covid the gun shows aren’t as prevalent and it’s become an online venue. So, which is worse? I don’t know I think it’s a sign of the times.
I am however a little surprised that during 2020 people didn’t have as many places to shoot, yet they still continued to buy everything that wasn’t nailed down.
There’s one thing for sure, we as a gun community are showing the anti-gun factions that there is a true fanaticism. Which isn’t a good thing for responsible shooters and gun owners.
Hopefully people will learn from their mistakes before the government steps in to help.
The manufacturers and retailers are screwing over the re-loader. Manufacturers don’t increase production and have cut out much of the re-loader primer supply. Retailers have jacked up the prices to usury levels. I will not forget this if prices ever become normal again and buy from those that did not screw us us now. I sure hope some investors and foreign primer companies come to the US and start manufacturing here. I will then buy their product and tell the present manufacturers to go to hell. As I said, the screw will turn and then I will get my revenge for the way they are treating re-loaders now.
I can believe most powders that are suitable for 223/ 308 would be in short supply, but SHOTGUN and BLACK POWDER as well? Didn’t think there were that many muzzle loaders out there. Just try finding 00 buckshot. The whole shortage thing stinks.
I am afraid that I am the one who generally has bunches of primers. But I bought them at $2/100 when they were on sale. I am just a pack rat, I guess.
Anyway, being blessed that way, I figure that I am obligated to share with my local friends who are in need. I have given away powder too. We need to help each other survive this silliness.
Oops, $2/100 was the price I bought at.
I suspect that as things come on line again, they will start with the most popular – stuff which fits the 223/ 308 first.
It only makes sense, as that will satisfy the most customers.
Since a lot of what I shoot is the less common calibers, I expect that would be the last to come back on line for the most part. .257, 8mm, . . .
FI/FO: First in/ first out.
Is there anyway that someone can trade ammo for some primers? Just curious
Kindest regards,
Mike
I am Canadian can address some of the comments concerning supply here in Canada. The stock you are seeing was probably imported previously. There is no panic buying here but eventually our supply of American Primers will likely dry up. However we import primers from around the world which America does not.
I think we can put plenty of blame on the Republicans….and I’m a Republican! Fear motivates voters and in the attempt to re-elect Trump they pumped the electorate as full as they could that all our guns, ammo, etc, etc, would be confiscated. Same thing when Clinton and Obama got elected, I’m just getting my Obama primers used up now. It’s political and creates a false “herd” mentality. Compounding it more is an efficient retail supply chain, where everything is easy and fast to get, eliminating stockpiling and freeing up cash. Why can’t we just get along? These threats are pure BS and create the false, boom-bust markets. We need to see through it.
I just want enough ammo/reloading components to live my life like I normally did before all this crap started. Is it too much to ask to be able to buy some powder and primers so I can at least go hunting, or take my kids to the range and plink? So sick of this shortage.
I have enough to get by for a year or so but this is getting ridiculous.
I am confused. I have found large amounts of primers (CCI, Federal, Winchester0 to name a few, in Canada. The have statements that they will not ship to USA. Why are American companies shipping to other countries and not keeping products in the USA!! I keep seeing people say BUY AMERICAN… now I see American companies throwing us under the bus….GO FIGURE
What Lyle said is dead-on. This frustrating shortage has been brewing long before Biden was elected. “We” republicans turned the oven on with some very exaggerated rhetoric. Now some of us want to blame and complain because it’s getting hot. when we participate in the WWE version of politics and think that rhetoric on both sides is actually true… we become the problem.
When i was 20 I shot every week and could only afford to be about 6 boxes ahead on ammo. When I was 40 i made sure I was 1000 rifle and 1000 handgun calibers ahead. After all the political storms I started buying what i might want in the future. Now i reload and buy 5000 or 10 k primers and 5000 bullets ahead. I want several years of ammo and components and buy them during sales and rebates when things are widely available.
I feel bad for very young folks with little money and for people that just bought guns. They were not prepared but started thinking better.
Older guys that shoot or reload and have seen political shortages 5 or more times are idiots if they did not prepare. At least have 10k rounds of 22 ammo. But the reloaders should have bought up the critical parts/ powder and primers at least for several years ahead. It was not that expensive and you should have seen this coming.
If you shoot factory ammo a hundred rounds a month for example you really should have 2000 rounds at all times. Again it was not crazy expensive to stock up.
Hunters , well i dont understand not buying 100 rounds ahead for rifle and 1000 shells ahead for bird hunting.
This whole deal also makes it clear owning a couple calibers minimum makes sense. When 40 cal used police trade in glock were 25o bucks that was a great deal. You could put in a 9mm barrel.. but this last year .40 was far easier to find than 9mm. 357 sig is still available and 10mm is still available. So having a second gun in a different caliber.. even a ruger or taurus or lesser name would make tons of sense.
And people stocked like i am should buy no ammo when ammo is tight. As i have done for almost 2 years. So others can buy what they need. I have sold tons of ammo to students i taught to shoot at 2 years ago prices. I feel good about keeping others stocked. I have given out lots of 12 guage shells for trap and clays to folks from my gun club. These are people i also want to help. Much of that ammo was donated to young people shooting programs and competition. I sure have no problem trying to help them.
I’m a shooter and sometimes reloader in the Audio Video business, we’re have a shortage of equipment to sell & instal because they all have chips in them now and chip manufacturing was down worldwide because of COVID-19. Also because of COVID-19 people stayed at home and our business boomed, this creating a perfect storm for shortages. Now everything is back ordered and we’re having shortages, I can’t get product to make money. I see equipment being scalped on eBay but I refuse to support greedy AH’s.
There’s nothing political, the government isn’t conspiring against us, no clown named Q, no big lie, no 5G in vaccines, Gates can’t make a chip small enough to get through the vaccine needles. It’s just scared hoarders, it’s un American. We used to be living up to saying we’re exceptional, now we’re petty small minded people dying unnecessary because some believe in conspiracy theories and wolfs in sheep’s clothing rather than reasonable facts. It’s not Facebook it’s the people that believe or profit in the junk that’s pushed there.
Then I can hopefully get my small pistol primers and load some ammo.
I see some comments here blaming users for hoarding, but few blaming retailers for gouging.
I was standing in line to buy rimfire ammo (I load all my own centerfire) at WalMart. A lady in front of me just bought ALL the .308 and .30-06 ammo. Her bill was something like $1500.
I jokingly asked if she was planning an insurrection. She replied: “No I have a gunshop in PennYan.” This was the third WalMart on her list of 5 in NY and PA to visit that day.
She gave me the number of the shop and I checked it out online. They were buying up all the ammo in the big box stores, then re-selling it at 100% to 150% markup.
Essentially this ‘mom-n-pop-shop’ was removing affordable ammo from the reach of local hunters and jacking up the prices for on-line sales.
The shop was a Henry Gold Dealer. I called Henry and let them know about the business practices. I contacted the gun clubs and told them about the business practices.
These vile shops will never be forgotten.
It’s October and everything is in short supply. I’m gradually buying up my reloading tools, although I haven’t used any of it yet because I can’t get supplies.
When are things going to normalize?
Expect this shortage to go well into 2023 if Bye-Den does not do something else to interrupt foreign suppliers of components. That will extend it.
Markets will not return to normal until we stop pressuring supply. labor, shipping, and other supply chain issues are also wreaking havoc
As long as ammo flies off the shelf, primers will continue to find their way into ammunition instead of our primer trays. As long as there’s an organized effort to pressure inventories at all outlets like Walmart or Academy, markets will stay off balance.
Guys take their whole family to circumvent purchase limits, and somehow have time to return routinely.
Correction:
Will continue into 2022…
quite possible longer.
In regards to the primer shortage, I saw a video by the CEO of Vista (Federal), stated that all of their primer production (Federal, CCI, Remington) was going to new ammo production. I think the the same thing is happening with powder. The big shot at Hodgdon said they were still shipping 80% of their production to the reloading industry. I don’t believe him. Powder has become as non existent as primers.
I just gave a guy at work a complete lee reloading set, 500 primers (different sizes for his guns ) 1 pound of pistol powder and one pound of rifle powder. He’s got kids and is apprenticing in the shop I work in. Its not a lifetime supply but it at least gets him going with reloading and will help him and his kids out a ton. It’s not like I have a lifetime supply but I did buy what I have when it was reasonable. Reloaders need to help reloaders. I’m not tech savvy but would be cool to have a site where we could help each other. The guy I gave this stuff to I charged nothing just agreement when things get more normal he could replace the primers and powder. Maybe just maybe we could get each other through this shortage
It’s 2022 now and still no primers. We no longer have a large military force overseas. So are the manufacturers filling orders for other countries, maybe say China . Or is the government paying you to keep production down in effort to disarm the general public.
This shortage is no accident, our glorious overlords have created the bullet shortage by shutting down imports of most of our most popular imported bullets.
With far less bullets on the market, US bullet manufactures are making a fortune, and in no hurry to tell everyone why there is a shortage in the first place.
The last thing they want to do is sell us components so we don’t have to buy finished ammo from them at outrageous prices, or make us aware of the import politics so that we’ll become outraged and put an end to their money tree.
This not complicated, just deceitful politics as usual, and no help at all from our bullet manufactures who like what it’s done to their bottom line.
With the ongoing shortage of primers, there has arisen a slew of scammers, all claiming to have virtually ALL makes and sizes of primers, offering them at only slightly higher than retail. They even make you buy in bulk, saying your order must exceed $250 or more. The key elements to spotting these bastards is: very young in their history, like last year or so. Only taking a couple of forms of payment, Zelle, Venmo, Bitcoin, being the usual, no credit cards.their websites are full of sophisticated design, to make you feel confident. They use other people’s FFL, and even their name. BEWARE! They are out to steal your money and personal information for other scams. Always check, always be suspicious of a site that has unlimited inventory, when REAL vendors like Midway, Cabela’s, Brownells, etc. are all out of stock. Editor: We advise against doing business with any online vendor that does not take MasterCard, Visa, and Discover.