new face of prepping ahead

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  • Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,282
    HoCo
    So, this last spring then summer while "working from home" I used by breaks to prep brass. Prepped and then primed a bunch of brass. I also loaded up a bunch of 9mm and 223 for my plinking loads. With the powder/primer scare going on, I'm fearful to put a primer or powder into ANYTHING unless I think I"m going to be shooting it the next week. With the nasty weather and the time I have to work on reloading I'm like a deer in the headlights trying to figure out how to best spend time and only thing I can think of is to mold bullets and prep brass w/o priming. I have however, done a bunch of work taking inventories so that when I see something , I know if I need it or not. I worked up spreadsheet with powders, primers, prepped cases, bullets and know where my imbalances are based on common calibers I have been shooting or think I'm going to shoot. I DO shoot in the winter time down to freezing temps (usually rifle when its coldest) so I know I'll be depleting inventory. I think I may even spend more time on Black powder than I did this year. I used to shoot Black powder 1 out of 3 times to the range. Did not do so much of that this year though. Time for a change up pitch I think.

    I guess what I'm trying to say that w/ the scare, I have to plan out what I'm doing more than ever before.

    Anything special others have come up with to prep ahead? Maybe reloading tool improvements?
     

    steves1911

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 2, 2011
    3,026
    On a hill in Wv
    I bought a lot of mil surplus once fired lake city 7.62 about 8 or 9 years ago for dirt cheap. Its sat in bags since I bought it up untill about 4 months ago. Been processing that and using the time to go through all my guns and fine tune them. I've been laminating dope charts for my rifles some with multiple loads . Not sure if I'll attach them to the stocks or just keep them with the ammo.
     

    ohen cepel

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 2, 2011
    4,509
    Where they send me.
    Taking more, and better notes so I don't have to try the same ammo twice in something.

    Also, not reloading as much at a time as I may regret putting a limited component together that way later.

    Going slower to not waste things and looking at old/odd ammo or brass a bit closer to see what its best use could be.

    I was never wasteful but have tightened up more.
     

    Archeryrob

    Undecided on a great many things
    Mar 7, 2013
    3,064
    Washington Co. - Fairplay
    Dude, relax. Ammo will be good a long while if you stuff it and load it in crates and keep it in a modest environment. Keep plenty and you'll be fine. You will probably have 10 times + what anyone around you will have.

    Things are tense, but its not close to OMG yet. Buy some ammo cans, brass and start putting it up, if you makes you feel better.
     

    John from MD

    American Patriot
    MDS Supporter
    May 12, 2005
    22,734
    Socialist State of Maryland
    I have rounds loaded 20 years ago and they shoot fine. I also have primed cases that have been primed for as long. I keep my loaded rounds in ammo cans and my primers and primed brass in metal file cabinets. Both are in the basement where the humidity never gets over 60 and the temp stays between 65 and 70 all year.

    Prime and be happy.
     

    Rockzilla

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 6, 2010
    4,516
    55.751244 / 37.618423
    I have rounds loaded 20 years ago and they shoot fine. I also have primed cases that have been primed for as long. I keep my loaded rounds in ammo cans and my primers and primed brass in metal file cabinets. Both are in the basement where the humidity never gets over 60 and the temp stays between 65 and 70 all year.

    Prime and be happy.

    Sounds about right, got reloaded ammo in "cans", 81mm Mortar tubes, from the
    70's & 80's all work great. Primers in "cans" from the same era. Basement where
    it's cool and humidity is about like above 60 and below.

    -Rock
     

    Harrys

    Short Round
    Jul 12, 2014
    3,362
    SOMD
    Back when Rainier was in business I had a contact that worked for them. He called one day in Jan 2020 and said they were selling all their stock and going out of business. He was able to get me 2000 rounds of 40 caliber 165 RMJ FN luckily I had plenty of 180 HP in stock so more could not hurt. I saw this crap coming in FEB 2020 and started stocking up on brass, primers and powders from my local suppliers. By the end of March 2020 things started to hit bottom and the mass scramble was on but too late.

    To keep busy over the past year I have prepped, and primed cases for 40 cal., 30/30, 45/70 and 50 cal. S&W and put in my ready service locker. I have been doing some leather work and tinkering. Like others I have spread sheets of inventory, looked though about every type of powder that can be used with my ammo. So if it becomes available I can scratch it up.

    The manufacturers of ammo, powders, projectiles and primers, typically do not stock their products. They typically receive their orders from suppliers and make enough for their orders. It was like the lack of toilet paper stores had small stocks and ran out as fast as it came in. It is a little different with ammo suppliers, they do have storage constraints and even if they ramp up their production it is not enough. The powder suppliers were designed for a certain production amount, and it is impossible to keep up with demand.

    Large contracts for our military are taking priority over everything as the manufacturers capacity is at 100%. DHS for example, go through about 1,000,000 rounds a month. The powder, primer and projectile manufacturers are concentrating on making enough for their contracts leaving little trickling down to the re-loader.
    Some suppliers are importing powder, primers and projectiles from foreign countries just to keep up with their big contracts. The foreign countries are also having some supply issues except for Russia and China. The US also produces ammo for our NATO allies, further placing a strain on the entire industry.

    Also, the acquisition of hand guns, rifles and even black powder guns to some extent all fall in what has happened to the supply chain. The manufacturers have go out of business, sold out, have been incorporated into conglomerates and even have re organized.

    Lessons to be learned from this is do not get caught with your pants down. It is great that we have helped each other in locating ,brass, powder, primers, projectiles and amenities. However, it could be a lot worse and we cannot do anything about it except help each other.
     

    erwos

    The Hebrew Hammer
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 25, 2009
    13,866
    Rockville, MD
    Prep brass. Cast and coat bullets. The only reason to really load deep is because of the stupid law about not being able to have more than 5lb of powder at a time.

    That said... if you've got a load you love, there's also no reason NOT to load a bunch of it if you have a place to keep it.
     

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