Anyone know what's up with the powder supply? I've been on waiting lists at the mail order houses for a month, waiting for some IMR 4831, H4831 and IMR 4350. I would think that the manufacturers would be ramping up to meet the demand.

I bought a pound of IMR4350 2 weeks ago but the place is out now...

They are getting shipments but selling out fast

Snake

Good luck. Between the hoarders and the "I'm gonna sell it for the highest price I can get" gun show whores powder and primers are gonna be hard to get at reasonable prices for a while. I'm hoping that 6 months or so down the road the gun show whores are choking on what they bought high and tried to sell higher. Hell, a guy out my way is advertising on Craigslist 2400 for $75 a pound. Yeah, he can go pound.

Another resident from Tora Bora

I finally got my order from Powder Valley this morning, which I had placed on 2/1/13. Almost 6 weeks later!

"Ramping up production" is a bit like asking them to run a three minute mile.

I found a bit of powder in stock at Scheels yesterday. Not much of anything popular though.

Something like H4350 would be on limited supply/backorder at this time of year anyway, due to competition season heating up.

Like cooking, in which a good meal can't be rushed, powder production can't be rushed either.

It's kinda like "If one woman can make a baby in 9 months, can 9 women make a baby in 1 month."

Eight-pounders are my future. Fewer varieties, but much more quantity are my plan.

Democrats, and their lust for Lordship, are really startin' to wear thin.

IMHO, and I have not quite caught up to my goal, but when I buy a new gun, I desire to figure the number of rounds it might last, say 4000 or whatever. And then buy enough powder of the same lot to last. After I decide what shoots best.

I have not bought a single pound of powder since the late 80s. Other than buying this and that for testing.

Just didn't make sense.

FWIW I've read that its the nitro whatever we don't make here, but import.. and you can't speed that importation up IIRC.

Heck I have bought 8 pounders on a whim, that I have never opened to this day, because it was something I thought I might end up using.

Note that of course you go a lot further with an 8 on pistols than on mag rounds and that makes a difference in the pocket book.

Bottom line my for sure goal, ammo or components for at least 1000 rounds of every centerfire I own. 4 cases of steel shot for the duck guns plus what I'm going to use that year. 5000 rounds of pistol ammo. XXXXXX rounds of rimfire.

Seems crazy, but certainly not stupid.

All,
Thanks for the info. Didn't know that most powder was imported, but still confused by the lack of powder. In most industries, if there is a demand, producers will:
1) Get more raw materials.
2) Work overtime.
2) Add a second shift.
Admittedly, adding production capacity for a short term spike doesn't make sense.

Making gun powder isn't like "most industries"

There is a lead time for procuring raw materials. Stuff isn't on the shelf at wally world...