Pistol Powder still lacking?

[Brick]

here's an exchange between me and Alliant Powder. They're still sticking to the high demand story and I'm still having trouble believing it. BTW I sent the same message to Hodgdon (who says powder is NOT going to ammo manufacturing) and Western Powders and NSSF. None of theses others have answered as of yet.

Brick,
You are saying you want the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth right?

Where the greatest amount of powder is going is for the manufacturing of ammunition for the civilian market. Companies such as Winchester, Remington, Speer/CCI, Federal Hornady are using most. Throw on top of that all the small remanufactured ammunition companies across the country and the demand for powder is extremely high. There are signs of an easing in this extreme demand. More ammunition is found on the shelves today than there was 8 months ago. Primer orders are dropping off. Finally, gun sales are way down today compared to recent times. Having worked in retail in the past, we saw similar situations with ammunition and primers. Those periods lasted a maximum of 18 months. We are currently into this about 18 months. If historical trends follow through, then we should be seeing an easing in this extreme demand soon.
Thanks,

Shoot Straight
Name snipped
CCI/SPEER/ALLIANT POWDER
2299 Snake River Ave.
Lewiston, ID




-----Original Message-----
From: Brick
Sent: Friday, August 22, 2014 9:53 AM
To: Alliant Reloading
Subject: Alliant Powder - Ask the Expert Form


Name & Address snipped
Little Meadows Pennsylvania 18830 USA


It seems like a year since pistol powders of any kind have been available. I've been keeping an eye on the bigger supply houses and there is simply none listed.

I have some powder on backorder at one supplier, but they cannot even guess when they'll be able to deliver.

The "story" about high demand has gotten old and worn thin. It is no longer believable, simply because there are no pistol powders available anywhere from anyone! We would expect that if Titegroup was unavailable, there'd be some HP-38 somewhere or if Hodgdon couldn't put out enough CFE Pistol, Vihtavouri or Alliant would have something, somewhere. But there's no Unique, no Clays, no 231, no Red Dot, no N310, no A#5, no Bullseye or H100 or 700-X, nothing!

We've had enough, the time has come to tell the whole story.

[Remington788]

here's an exchange between me and Alliant Powder. They're still sticking to the high demand story and I'm still having trouble believing it. BTW I sent the same message to Hodgdon (who says powder is NOT going to ammo manufacturing) and Western Powders and NSSF. None of theses others have answered as of yet.

I picked up a pound of Winchester Auto Comp this week at King Shooter Supply. They had several cans of it on the shelf along with other brands and types.

[wanneroo]

King Shooters probably has the best supply I have seen in going up and down the east coast over the past 6 months. Most places do not have any pistol powder at all. My LGS hasn't seen any in months and doesn't expect any.

Ammo supplies are starting to pile up, so I think gradually supplies will improve and it should not be an issue.

Also I think what has happened with such an extreme drought last year and having the shelves cleared, lots of new people have got into reloading and that has increased demand beyond normal levels as I imagine most powder manufacturers sell most of their product to ammunition manufacturers, large and small. Reloaders are probably a side show for them with only so much allocated to that business. You bring in a bunch of new people and increased demand and that hoovers up a lot of it.

No I don't think there is any conspiracy, just high demand beyond what manufacturers can produce.

[Twoboxer]

The demand argument is easy for me to believe. I believe the "Handloader's Market" is an EXTREMELY small segment of the worldwide ammunition component market.

When Winchester and Remington experience high consumer demand for ammo, they will put all the extra components they can produce (and maybe the tiny fraction destined for the Handloader Market) into finished ammo to boost revenue and profit. And they did so. For a long time you saw (eg) NO Winchester or Remington components anyhwere; only recently are you beginning to see primers.

Since they want to produce ammo, the actual powder manufacturers (which does not include Hodgdon) will supply them.

Maybe that comes at the expense of part of the Handloader Market supply, but that doesn't have to happen for the huge relative increase in Handloader demand going to old loaders, new loaders, hoarders, stocker-uppers, flippers, and investors to keep the shelves clear. And with big ammo producers taking all they always do and perhaps more . . .there's nothing extra to add for the expanding Handloader's Market.

NO ONE is going to make equipment investments just because (eg) 0.5% of the market has tripled in size . . . and some maybe most of that is believed to be "temporary". EG, Hornady suspended some SKUs to cut lost time in changeovers, added OT, maybe added a piece or two of gear . . . but that kind of "expansion" is basically "it".

Don't need a conspiracy . . . a fire at a powder plant or two didn't help . . . but demand is enough explanation for me.

[bogey1]

STOP BUYING IT! Seriously. The prices will come down as long as people stop buying/hording. You wont miss anything, you can still make your own (worst case scenario).

[krugilla]

A shop by me has received over 200 lbs of powder over the past two weeks. I bought what I needed. Prices were a little high, but not crazy.

[Stooperzero]

Once or twice a month while Im out I usually grab a can of Whatever powder i use first comes to mind that day.

[Pilot321]

I have stopped buying everything until sanity returns, unless I see it reasonably priced, which means at or near pre-panic levels, accounting for CPI (inflation). I will use the powder I have, and the .22's I have. When that is gone, I will keep a certain amount of rounds for home, and self defense and that is it.

[Hamltnblue]

On a side note I was in King Shooter supply on Friday. CCI small pistol primers were only 30 bucks.

[Brick]

Ya'll are kidding me right? KoP is a 330 mile round trip!
And King's website doesn't list any pistol nor do they appear to ship same.
I f you know different, please educate me.