The days of handloading may be numbered.

[wanneroo]

Polymer cased ammo is already used in the military, they've been shooting polymer 50 cal lately and soon will be adopting a new polymer round and caliber for the infantry.

Will there be some polymer cartridges out there in our world, sure, but I don't see them totally taking everything over. People are still shooting muzzleloaders, black powder and plenty of cartridges that have their origins in the 1800s.

[wanneroo]

Of course, the older the reloaders get and retire from reloading, it does affect the demand curve for components. The activity in that market has diminished because fewer millennials are replacing them.

I know more young shooters that reload than the boomer generation. Especially those in the action shooting sports, just about everyone reloads. Reloading will always be a niche hobby but if anything is a stable market.

[GunLawyer001]

The Democrat/Socialist/tyrants would certainly consider a "keeping ammo legal" 2-step scam by mandating that all commercial ammo be made from non-reloadable components, and then after 10 years or so, banning new ammo.

The 2nd Amendment aside, it would be impractical to ban ammo, given the vast supply of cases and primers and powder, and the ability to cast new bullets.

But the weakest link is the primers. We all realized this during the several Great Primer Shortages. Making primers is beyond the ability of most garage reloaders. Modern powder is similarly hard to make. But brass cases are also beyond the ability of casual reloaders to make, so if they wear out, and all new cases are non-reloadable plastic, then control of the ammo supply becomes possible.

That being said, the govt will always ensure that soldiers and cops have ammo, so the black market for diverted govt ammo will thrive, as will the supply of ammo supplied by the cartels that used to smuggle in weed and foreign peasant migrants.

Also, it would take Americans a long time to use up the trillion or so rounds of ammo currently in private hands.

[Tacgunner]

Brass won't go away, but the market for reloadable brass might change if: our military goes from 5.56mm to another caliber, or moves away from brass casings. This will mean the end of "surplus" 5.56mm brass from our military. Other countries use that caliber, so non-US surplus will remain for awhile. If our military no longer uses brass 5.56mm, companies making that brass will no longer have contract over-runs of it to surplus off. Domestic 5.56mm brass prices will gradually rise.

Us Old Farts who remember "surplus" .303 and 30-06 know how prices will go up, but the supply never really goes away. It will just cost more to play at the range. With the untold number of AR15 rifles everyone has, I can't see an increase in brass prices that will drastically affect the market, at least for the next 10 years or so.

Those who "bulk reload" will feel the brass price increase (if any) first. Those of us who reload in smaller quantities for accuracy issues will be less affected as we don't go thru the brass as fast. For those who are worried about 5.56mm brass prices, you can find auctions for several thousand surplus casings, and bid on them. If you have 50K of 5.56mm surplus brass, who cares about price increases/availability in the future? You will have enough to last your lifetime (if you reload them all several times each you end up with plenty for your kids to reuse).

[PAMedic=F|A=]

Polymer cased ammo is already used in the military, they've been shooting polymer 50 cal lately and soon will be adopting a new polymer round and caliber for the infantry.

Will there be some polymer cartridges out there in our world, sure, but I don't see them totally taking everything over. People are still shooting muzzleloaders, black powder and plenty of cartridges that have their origins in the 1800s.

I've never seen it. Not saying it isn't out there, but it isn't common.

Edit. Polymer cased ammo. I've seen Polymer bullets for live fire shoot houses and such.

[wanneroo]

Brass won't go away, but the market for reloadable brass might change if: our military goes from 5.56mm to another caliber, or moves away from brass casings. This will mean the end of "surplus" 5.56mm brass from our military. Other countries use that caliber, so non-US surplus will remain for awhile. If our military no longer uses brass 5.56mm, companies making that brass will no longer have contract over-runs of it to surplus off. Domestic 5.56mm brass prices will gradually rise.

Us Old Farts who remember "surplus" .303 and 30-06 know how prices will go up, but the supply never really goes away. It will just cost more to play at the range. With the untold number of AR15 rifles everyone has, I can't see an increase in brass prices that will drastically affect the market, at least for the next 10 years or so.

Those who "bulk reload" will feel the brass price increase (if any) first. Those of us who reload in smaller quantities for accuracy issues will be less affected as we don't go thru the brass as fast. For those who are worried about 5.56mm brass prices, you can find auctions for several thousand surplus casings, and bid on them. If you have 50K of 5.56mm surplus brass, who cares about price increases/availability in the future? You will have enough to last your lifetime (if you reload them all several times each you end up with plenty for your kids to reuse).

The military is leaving 5.56 behind, so yes eventually the large volume of surplus brass will go away over the next decade.

[wanneroo]

I've never seen it. Not saying it isn't out there, but it isn't common.

Edit. Polymer cased ammo. I've seen Polymer bullets for live fire shoot houses and such.

The military is rapidly moving towards polymer composite cased ammo and like 50 cal it is already being used in combat right now.

[gghbi]

I know more young shooters that reload than the boomer generation. Especially those in the action shooting sports, just about everyone reloads. Reloading will always be a niche hobby but if anything is a stable market.

YES! Back when I was active in IPSC, I could not have shot as much as I did without my Dillon Square Deal punching out rounds every week to keep me going. Buying that much ammo would have been out of my budget back then, and even more now.

[dunno]

I don't think it means the end of "Hand Loading" but might slow down "Re-Loading". I would imagine you could order new plastic empty hulls the same as you can order new brass to load.

You wont save as much money but you can still have your custom or specialty loads.

"He said loads"
~Beavis & Butthead

[abner13]

Plastic cased ammo as well as ammo with totally consumable , , , don't know what you would call it , , , have come and gone since the 70's.