Small pistol primers

[BeagleDog]

After several false starts, at the ripe 'ol age of 58 I'm finally getting into handloading. Maybe I'm wrong but my perception is that I keep hearing how hard it is to find primers. GB has dozens of listings and while I was restricting myself, by choice, to either Federal or Winchester, I did buy 3,000 Federal small pistol yesterday for $145 shipped. If it wasn't for a $35 hazmat charge by the seller it was right in line with what my "mentor" told me to expect "if I could find them in the first place".

BTW, what pushed me over the edge to finally get into it was in the last year I bought two .38 Supers and in the heavier grain loads especially, I can get it up pretty far past a 9mm - plus .38 Super ammo is pretty hard and expensive to come by anyway.

If anyone has a favorite Super load please share!

 

[slippingaway]

That's a little high, especially the $35 hazmat charge.

The last time I bought Winchester primers online, they were $30/thousand, and the hazmat fee was $22.50. I got 10,000 primers shipped to my door for $335.

The trick to getting primers from MidwayUSA.com is to write down the "expected in stock" dates for the ones you want, sign up for email notifications of when they're back in stock, and check your email every 5 minutes on the day they're supposed to be in. They usually show up anywhere from Noon to 3:30 central, and sell out in 20-40 minutes.

 

[BeagleDog]

That's a little high, especially the $35 hazmat charge.

The last time I bought Winchester primers online, they were $30/thousand, and the hazmat fee was $22.50. I got 10,000 primers shipped to my door for $335.

Thanks for the input. As this was the absolutely first time for me to order primers I wasn't sure what to expect. I will say this, as a good shopper, the $145 SHIPPED was the best price per 1,000 I found on GB or GA. I probably confused the issue by even mentioning the shipping cost. Maybe on some other sites I could have saved a few bucks but I was excited about getting started. I'll check some local stores in the coming days but I was told to not hold my breath on availability and the 8.25% sales tax will certainly eat up at least some of the shipping charges I could save by buying locally.

 

[Hammerdown77]

The trick to getting primers from MidwayUSA.com is to write down the "expected in stock" dates for the ones you want, sign up for email notifications of when they're back in stock, and check your email every 5 minutes on the day they're supposed to be in. They usually show up anywhere from Noon to 3:30 central, and sell out in 20-40 minutes.

I've been sitting there reading email, when the Midway email notification popped into my inbox. I opened it and went directly to the page with the primers or brass I'd selected for notification, only to find they were out of stock. Literally took less than 10 seconds. I've had this happen almost every time, so I'm not sure their email notification is worth much.

 

[stare-decisis]

Only two gun shops around here have primers and Gander Mtn is one, they are selling for 49.99 for 1k, other place has them for 53$/1k. So you did ok in my book.

 

[slippingaway]

The trick to getting primers from MidwayUSA.com is to write down the "expected in stock" dates for the ones you want, sign up for email notifications of when they're back in stock, and check your email every 5 minutes on the day they're supposed to be in. They usually show up anywhere from Noon to 3:30 central, and sell out in 20-40 minutes.

I've been sitting there reading email, when the Midway email notification popped into my inbox. I opened it and went directly to the page with the primers or brass I'd selected for notification, only to find they were out of stock. Literally took less than 10 seconds. I've had this happen almost every time, so I'm not sure their email notification is worth much.

Depends which email service you use. If you're using one provided from your ISP or work, especially if you read them through Microsoft Outlook or another standalone email program, there can be a 30 minute (or longer) "lag" between them sending the email and you seeing it, especially if your Outlook is already running. The primers and brass definitely sell out in 20 mins or less. (Outlook checks for new mail when it first starts, then depending on its settings, only checks again every 15-30 minutes)

I use Google's online mail service, so they show up instantly if my browser is open to my Gmail inbox. Some of the other free online mail services have delays too, but Gmail doesn't. So far every email notification that I've gotten from them has been in stock if I clicked it right away when it showed up.

 

[drew76]

At this very moment, Wideners has large and small pistol and rifle primers in stock for anybody interested (Wolf brand). Less than $30 per 1,000.

http://www.wideners.com/itemview.cfm?dir=278|284|737

 

[mattsbox99]

You can also get on Cabela's backorder list, they will ship when they come in and they only charge you shipping and hazmat once, no matter how many packages it takes to fill your order.

I ordered SR, LP, and LR last year and it took about 2 months to get them all, I got them in 3 seperate packages. They are way cheaper to wait on the backorder and you get them in a respectable time frame.

 

[rwnielsen]

You can also get on Cabela's backorder list, they will ship when they come in and they only charge you shipping and hazmat once, no matter how many packages it takes to fill your order.

I ordered SR, LP, and LR last year and it took about 2 months to get them all, I got them in 3 seperate packages. They are way cheaper to wait on the backorder and you get them in a respectable time frame.

I have 8k on backorder from them since mid-November.
Last email said 2-10 (or so). They're Winchester so I'll wait it out.

 

[contender]

Which 38 super do you have? Comp, +P, TJ, ??? I get brass at USPSA matches,,!

 

[WyoGunner]

I have been buying small pistol primers locally for $28/1000. That seems to be the best price I can find.

 

[marlin1881]

Where are you finding these at that price? I'll drive up and get a few, if you don't mind... Thanks.

Marlin

 

[Mobuck]

I'm not giving $50/k for primers until I'm totally out. If you're buying 2-3k, it's not a big deal just pay the going rate and be done with it. There's a lot of scalping going on and I don't believe in that kind of activity. I will say that at least 3 of my wholesalers are literally out of primers except 209 shotgun and some of the less popular choices. I recently messed up on a purchase of some small rifle primers and let the supply get away. I was expecting to get a relative to make the pickup and save the hazmat fee and got fubar'd.

 

[mattsbox99]

Which 38 super do you have? Comp, +P, TJ, ??? I get brass at USPSA matches,,!

You best not be stealin' my Comp brass!

 

[edlmann]

You'll have to register and login to see the ads, but click here for an ad on the Uzitalk forum, 5000 primers for $145 delivered.

BTW, the "For Sale" forums there often have interesting stuff.

 

[BeagleDog]

Which 38 super do you have? Comp, +P, TJ, ??? I get brass at USPSA matches,,!

Hi Contender.

I guess your question will expose me as to how little I know about all this so far. I'm assuming by comp you mean those race guns I see on GunBroker and the like. GB had just one absolutely beautiful .38 Super 1911 STI this and that, that and this, this and this, that and that etc ect :lol: with a 27 round mag (Wow!) about 3 weeks ago. The guy said it was about a $4K gun. I bid on it until it reached $1,200 but it sold for $1,275 so maybe I should have stuck around.

By +P I assume you mean a pistol that can handle true +P loads versus the factory stamped +P designated only for idiots not to use modern ammo in old .38 autos. TJ I have no clue what you mean and the fact you have following ???? must mean there are even more variables :?:

What I have is a used Tanfoglio I picked up at an estate sale that my gunsmith says has had some custom work done including a new trigger, hammer spring, and recoil spring and buffer (And I am assuming I can use true +p loads - I haven't seen anything written about them that said I can't) and I just had delivered a brand new Taurus PT1911 (SS - I love the look) which I haven't even shot yet but once again am assuming is good to go on +p. If for any reason you think either of these guns are a question mark, obviously please let me know.

Thanks