Photo courtesy Laurie Holland, TargetShooter UK Magazine. Primers and powder are the most in-demand reloading components these days. Primers are the most difficult component of reloading. It may seem like a quest for the Holy Grail. This is a problem for handloaders. Although you may be able find substitutes for your favorite powder or bullets, you won’t be able to start if you don’t have primers. Primers can be found at all possible places, including local gunshops, private sales, sale tables at shooting clubs, gun/hunting forum classifieds and large outdoor stores. GunBroker is a great auction site to check out. You should be looking at many places, including local vendors, gun clubs, and big retailers like Cabela’s or Sportsman’s Warehouse. Talk to your shooting buddies and check for estate sales. Take into account all possible sources — not just online vendors. The men who are scoring primers are reverting to the old-fashioned ways of doing things like visiting local gunstores, looking at estate sales and “networking” with members of local shooting clubs. First, it is a good idea to join a local shooting club if you don’t already. We recently purchased powder at a local shooting club meeting and exchanged some H4198 for Hodgdon Varget. Forum member just recently won both primers and powders from a member of the shooting club. You can maximize your chances of success by regularly visiting 6-10 brick-and mortar locations in your area. Combining forces with your shooting buddies is a great way to do this. You can get together 3-4 guys to go out and search for all the local outdoor and gun shops that sell shooting supplies. You CAN get lucky. We regularly visit a small gunstore at a nearby mall. We were able to find CCI pistol primes last week! Deliveries are indeed happening. You just need to be vigilant. You should check it often. How to Find Primers — SEVEN STRATEGIES 1. Make a list with all local gunshops and outdoor supplies stores within a radius of 70 miles. You should call them on a regular basis.
2. Join a local shooting club. Participate in meetings where you can exchange/sell products. (We recently swapped pistol primers for rifle primes that we needed).
3. Join local/regional gun forums. You might find listings for “face to face” transactions where you could buy/exchange primers. Our AccurateShooter Forum has a thread called “Where to Find Primers”.
4. Keep track of multiple vendor websites and make sure to check them daily (we have a list below).
5. You can combine your resources with some shooting buddies. Gather 3-4 guys and go on a joint hunt for all the local gunshops and outdoor stores that sell shooting supplies. Each man should be assigned a “territory” that is close to his work location.
6. Look in your garage and other storage areas. The Editor found 5000 Winchester Small Pistol Primers in an open box. These were left over from his IDPA days and 3-gun days many years ago.
7. Consider APS Primers. CCI sells pre-loaded APS primers in plastic strips. They can still be found in some shops gathering dust. You can either remove the primers from the strips or purchase an APS priming instrument and use them as directed. Primer Online Sellers Here are the top online retailers that sell primers, as well as other reloading components. These primer inventories are often sold out quickly. You should check your inventory regularly. Persistence pays off eventually. Primer shipments DO arrive. They just sell out quickly. Brownells
Graf & Sons
Midsouth Shooters Supply
Powder Valley Inc.
Precision Reloading
Bruno Shooters Supply
MidwayUSA
Natchez Shooters Supplies
Sportsman’s Warehouse (check online and in stores)
Academy Sports
Cabela’s Best Strategy For Online Primer Purchasing (Not auctions)
These (and other) online sellers require that you check your email “early” and “often”. Primers can arrive quickly and sell out quickly. It is a good idea to bookmark multiple sources and visit them several times per week. The Russian Primer Imports have drastically reduced, resulting in a worsening of the primer shortage.
WARNING — SCAM websites want to steal your money
Be wary of websites that sell unlimited quantities of difficult-to-find primers. Five criminal websites have been selling reloading products, including powder and primers, in recent weeks. Here a quick tip — if the website does not take regular credit cards (MC/Visa/Amex/Discover) it is likely a scam site. It is also possible to order Varget 8-lb jugs. Bottom line: Avoid any seller without a track record and avoid sites that only accept Zelle, Venmo and Bitcoin. Last Word — Online Auctions for Primers
We are seeing people selling primers for insanely high prices ($200/1000!) Online auctions at Gunbroker or elsewhere. Be very careful. Primers are a HAZMAT item. They can only be shipped legally by Hazmat certified businesses. HAZMAT-certified sellers may not be available to you. Don’t expect to receive your money back if your primer shipment is seized by the seller or not delivered due to non-compliance.
