Ranier shutting down

**DucatiRon** · May 24th, 2019, 06:36 PM

Rainier doesn't cast lead. There bullets are cold swaged from lead wire. They are copper plated though. I will attest to the bullet and ammo market is very tight right now. If you don't have your overhead under control you are on your way out quickly. And that goes for anyone in the accessory market also.

This will be the year manufactures start to close.

**abner13** · May 25th, 2019, 04:50 PM

Originally Posted by DucatiRon

Rainier doesn't cast lead. There bullets are cold swaged from lead wire.

Any lead processing is under the gun so to speak. I'll bet their health and workmans comp ins premiums are up there.

**DucatiRon** · May 25th, 2019, 06:35 PM

Originally Posted by abner13

Any lead processing is under the gun so to speak. I'll bet their health and workmans comp ins premiums are up there.

No its really not. I work with lead every day. Health ins is up bit that's for anyone.

We have the second highest product liability ins rates in the world. Premiums are based on sales. No base rate hikes in the last 5 years.

Sales are whats down. Period. We are in the 3rd year of a Republican President after 8 years of record sales. Its slow.

And only 1-2% of the shooting population reloads by average.

Unless your supplying an OEM or multiple OEM's right now your pretty much shit out of luck.

I have seen at least 4 commercial bullet casters in my area go out of business in the last 5 years.

Even if you have a good product you need alot of sales to keep the door open.

**abner13** · May 25th, 2019, 07:46 PM

The soldering depts. of the last place I worked was heavily scrutinized. Airborne lead sensors , Hepafilters around the wave-soldering machines, monthly employee lead/blood tests and a few other things on top of using lead-free or 95/5 in many applications. The cost of lead is going up too , as you probably know.

**SgtRecon** · May 25th, 2019, 08:16 PM

Originally Posted by abner13

The soldering depts. of the last place I worked was heavily scrutinized. Airborne lead sensors , Hepafilters around the wave-soldering machines, monthly employee lead/blood tests and a few other things on top of using lead-free or 95/5 in many applications. The cost of lead is going up too , as you probably know.

Stop into a SCUBA shop and price the weights ...OUCH!! sometimes $4,5,6 bucks a pound, I started scrounging the backstops at the ranges I belong to and cast my own, been out of the sport for 25-30 years and recently dove (pun intended) back into it with my daughter taking lessons, it seems like every time I say the word scuba I tear a $100 bill in half

**DucatiRon** · May 25th, 2019, 08:57 PM

Originally Posted by abner13

The soldering depts. of the last place I worked was heavily scrutinized. Airborne lead sensors , Hepafilters around the wave-soldering machines, monthly employee lead/blood tests and a few other things on top of using lead-free or 95/5 in many applications. The cost of lead is going up too , as you probably know.

Soldering is hazardous because of the fumes from the flux and the working temperature. Casting bullets not so much. Flux helps oxidize so lead fumes escape.

No reasonable fumes commercially casting bullets with good clean alloy.

As for the cost of lead ya it has gone up but not that bad. I haven't even raised my prices on my bullets in 5 years. The overall difference is less than a buck a box. That cost I can still absorb. Hell the box costs me a quarter each.

**Steve in PA** · May 25th, 2019, 09:57 PM

I found out Rainier was closing a few weeks ago. Sucks big time. I’ve been reloading their bullets for a long time.

**GeneCC** · June 3rd, 2019, 08:58 PM

I worked in industry doing circuit board repair. Solder fumes are bad. Wave solder machines are where you get smacked with heavy vapors. The solder is flowing over steps, being slopped onto boards and such.

I am not clear about casting pots.

The biggest sources of lead poisoning used to be automobiles, followed by paint. Tetraethyl lead is a great anti-knock additive. Damages catalytic converters. Paint used to contain lead oxide.

**GeneCC** · June 3rd, 2019, 08:59 PM

The box costs a quarter a piece?

Shame that a body cannot purchase bullets by the bagful. So much by the pound.

**DucatiRon** · June 3rd, 2019, 09:17 PM

Originally Posted by GeneCC

The box costs a quarter a piece?

Shame that a body cannot purchase bullets by the bagful. So much by the pound.

Yes. The box and the label equals about 25 cents. Buying by the pound or case is great savings for me and the buyer. But not many stores want to stock a 50lb box of bullets.