Why are small pistol primers hard to find?

It’s no secret that the demand for firearms and ammunition has reached record levels due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the civil unrest in cities around the United States, and the prospect of an anti-gun president on the horizon. Hence, primer production is the bottleneck in ammunition production process.

Is it possible to make your own pistol primers?

According to current BATFE rules, making ammunition primers for your own personal use is legal (as is making your own fireworks.) Selling them or even giving them away is not legal without acquiring the appropriate Federal Licence(s) for manufacturing and selling explosives.

Why is there a shortage of ammunition primers?

Demand remains strong, driven in part by new gun buyers. Transportation costs are 2-4 times higher than pre-COVID, and logistics are slow, complex, and unreliable. Raw materials costs continue to rise, now also 2-4 times what they were pre COVID. Ammunition component chokepoints, especially primers, remain a problem.

Why are primers gone?

When it comes to ammunition supplies, bullets are easy to manufacture, brass can be re-used, and powder is generally stockpiled by companies (though perhaps not the kind you’re looking for). This leaves primers, which are relatively difficult to make, as the component that causes the bulk of ammo shortages.

How are primers manufactured?

In manufacture, the primer caps are filled with primer mix using a method called “rubbing.” This process begins with a thin steel plate containing several hundred holes. The plates are placed on shaker tables and primer caps broadcast over their surface. The shaking motion causes a cap to fall into each hole.

Is Hodgdon going out of business?

Effective immediately, Hodgdon Powder Company, Inc. has made the decision to cease manufacturing operations at the company’s Camp Minden, Louisiana site while evaluating strategic options for the black powder business.