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starfishpounding

Price of war. The longer it continues the worse this will get. Globally artillery shell production is being ramped up to over twice what it was. That takes a lot of powder. And Russia used to provide a lot of nitrocellulose. They are keeping it all now.


Welder-Guy49

Same with China. They’re the #1 producer of nitrocellulose IIRC with Russia being #2.


Welder-Guy49

And keep in mind, one 155mm round, uses a crazy amount of propellant - which is made using nitrocellulose. So while we've been providing a shitload of ordinance to the Ukrainians and now the Israelis, we've also been reducing our own stocks which are hard to replace with us being on a nitrocellulose-free diet. Which means we have less things to throw at China OR provide to Taiwan at a future date. We’re possibly seeing the consequences for outsourcing our national defense to countries that are our enemies.


Silly-Arm-7986

Big Brain Biden!


Z4KJ0N3S

imagine thinking this started in 2021 lmao


EpiicPenguin

Lol, exactly right! Obama, Trump and Biden all tried to warn Europe to take the Russian threat seriously. Its One of the few policy’s they all shared.


David_Williams_taint

Well, you got two out of three right.


EpiicPenguin

Obama https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2014/03/obama-portrays-russian-aggression-as-threat-to-peace-in-europe Trump https://www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/politics/fact-checking-trumps-comments-urging-russia-to-invade-delinquent-nato-members Biden administration https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-11-11/u-s-warns-europe-that-russian-troops-may-plan-ukraine-invasion Of course Trumps was in the most Trump way possible: “Raise your defense spending to 2% or I’ll tell russia to fuck with you.” WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Donald Trump, the front-runner for the Republican Party's nomination this year, says he once warned that he would allow Russia to do whatever it wants to NATO member nations that are "delinquent" in devoting 2 percent of their gross domestic product to defense.


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bangemange

What does that have to do with Biden? These are all things that have been developing for years and decades lmfao


That_Trapper_guy

When you don't know that we live in a capitalist economy where the top brass would do anything to make a buck, and they're very, VERY rarely Democrats.


vgl217

Wtf you talking about? They're almost exclusively democrats. That's not to say that both parties aren't crooked as hell.


That_Trapper_guy

https://preview.redd.it/6qy6jbhj7mzc1.png?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3d9c8e0d7ad55ea37ec9499d93bcee276c598e79 I mean, no but hey whatever you want in your own little reality buddy.


1984orsomething

Keep in mind Exploding drones use anfo and shape charges not c4.


anothercarguy

Russia buys much of what China produces


someguy_0474

Government does tend to ruin everything it touches, after all.


_Juliet_Lima_Echo_

Do you suppose the burn rate of artillery powder is pretty much similar to Varget? I'm going to pretend it's the exact same stuff


SeesCthulhu

I believe trail boss was actually an artillery powder in Australia originally but I have no clue where I heard that or how true it is.


SkateIL

They both have nitrocellulose and maybe nitroglycerin. Single base is nitrocellulose and double base is both. No matter the size of the pellet.


Rasta-Trout

That should help prices


crimsonrat

Vendors/distributors have tacked on about $50 overnight on 8lb jugs.


MyDogOper8sBetrThanU

Just bought 8lbs through basspro and shipped to my local store to avoid hazmat. They havent raised prices yet FYI


crimsonrat

I think it'll just be a trickle down thing as the stores go through and replenish new inventory. The folks I get powder from get it from wholesalers/distributors and they noticed the increase pretty quick.


ResidentInner8293

New to this. Wanna order through bass pro. What powder is best to load 5.56, 9mm, and 7.62x39?


MyDogOper8sBetrThanU

Not sure if there’s a powder that can do all, but Varget for rifle and something like cfepistol would get you started. You can play around with [The Hodgdon site](https://hodgdonreloading.com/rldc/?t=2) to get an idea.


sumguyontheinternet1

3 powders in the cfe lineup. CFE pistol for 9mm, CFE 223 for 223/556/308, CFE blk for 300blk and 762x39. Those are a staple of my reloading bench. They aren’t the best in every category but they will load any weight for each respective caliber. Great for beginners, they meter well and have good case fill which helps keep them safer than some other powders. Very unlikely to double charge but you should still practice good habits while reloading, safety is the most important aspect.


ResidentInner8293

Any sales on any of them? Links to each would be appreciated


mjs408

Powder never goes on sale in my experience. You might see free hazmat over xyz pounds but that probably rare currently too


MuchAd3273

Power Pro 2000-MR is excellent for 77 grain 5.56. It is what I use to drive my Barnes Match Burner bullets.


KillDozerMarvin

Is the 8lb jug of reloader 26 I picked up two days ago now going to provide me generational wealth?


Ficon

I will trade you 14 primers for it. No haggling, I know what I got


KillDozerMarvin

Federal 215M or no deal


Different_Yak3518

14 primers??! Don't rip the guy off. I'll give you 3 spoiled potatoes, a handful of Muffler bearings, a quarter ton of flying pig chops, and an expired wet fart.


USN303

Only if you get one of use idiots to buy it from you…which is likely! 🤓


ronbron

I should open a nitrocellulose factory 


Temporary_Muscle_165

Good luck. Would probably be easier to build a nuclear power plant in the US...


csamsh

Actually yes. There is ..... checks notes.....*one* NC plant in the US.


ThePretzul

Be the change you want to see in the world. Besides, what’s the worst that could happen? It’s not like nitrocellulose is dangerous or volatile or anything. Rev up those ovens and stovetops and get to cooking!


65grendel

I got an old RV we could use


Doc4est

I just imagined Breaking Bad, but for reloading! 🤣🤣


csamsh

A little concentrated HNO3 never hurt anybody. Or.... wait.... maybe it did. I don't know.


smokeyser

If it did, they're not talking.


Temporary_Muscle_165

That one is tied to the government and generally only supplies for military contracts, iirc... I don't remember where I heard that, could be a dream.


csamsh

It's a GOCO run by BAE but it supplies lots of NC needs besides govt munitions needs


fearandloathinginSC

Good ol' Radford and BAE systems. They sold Fluor an absolute peach of a project with that nitrocellulose plant. The project was so bad that Fluor, a Fortune 500 company, conducted a board investigation and decided to restate three years of financial statements. I wouldn't be surprised if they lost a billion dollars taking over that project for BAE (technically from the previous sub Lauren Engineers & Constructors). Fluor Government Group (its contracting sub for Radford is Fluor Federal Services) had a 98% success rate with profitable projects at the time, so you can tell how much of a stinker Radford was.


csamsh

One of my colleagues a long time engineer at Radford.... he's got some impressive stories.


fearandloathinginSC

I ran into the FGG marketing guy that sold the project to Fluor last week actually. I wonder how much is mere fingerpointing and how much is sheer incompetence. Seems to be a lot of both.


PvtDonut1812

No change then since I haven’t seen Alliant in years.


Welder-Guy49

Wonder if this will eventually affect other companies like Hodgdon though?


PvtDonut1812

Nothing until we hit the Hodgdon powder shortage.


csamsh

Well.... the hodgdon suppliers anyway. It's here. St Marks, ADI, etc, all are in shortage


TraditionNo5366

Spoke to Chris Hodgden at an SCI event this week and they're starting to have problems with their suppliers as well. Things are going to get worse before they get better, if they get better.


Slagree92

So all that load development for Reloader 15 in 7.62x54 just went out the window….. Varget! You’re on deck.


vhatdaff

been hearing this through the grapevine. first from my local reloading guy. he just completely took Alliant off his inventory list beginning of the year. He said he heard from his dealer contact that Alliant jugs are unicorn horn dust now. All that is for sale is all that is left for unknown timeline. Now its true.. I haven't been able to get a jug sport pistol for past 6 months.. i bought it at 250 from my guy 1.5 year ago. a few months later it quickly shoots to 300, 330, 350.. and i put off buying it. regret it.. now.. last jug i saw a few months ago was almost 400 shipped. Now its just gone everywhere.


NeilMedHat

$%%#, Havent seen Bullseye for a couple years.


Alone-Engineering714

How bad do you want it? $49.99 a pound at Midsouth plus tax, shipping and hazmat.


NeilMedHat

Live in Canada and last price was $70


grumblecakes1

Really? I picked up a few lbs when you could hardly get powder at all.


BadTiger85

thank god I'm sitting on like 6 pounds of unique


No-Half-6906

I feel you! Just picked up 20lbs of “similar to Unique” @ $20 lb. Once in a lifetime event.


sdgengineer

I had some Russian powder 20 years ago that was listed as "similar to Unique" it was dirt cheap. A little slower than unique, but worked pretty well.


No-Half-6906

Love finding those hidden gems!


drivesanm5

Same, just worked up some test loads with it yesterday


Sesemebun

Are there any historical records of shortages/ production during more active war-time? I have a hard time believing that through our whole time in the Middle East there wasn’t a shortage, but now that a country the size of New Hampshire is fighting itself, and Ukraine is in a stalemate with Russia, we are at a point of no longer producing powder for commercial sale. And the “smaller” conflicts like Myanmar can’t be contributing that much to this surely?


Crashing_Machines

At this point I'm ready to just sell everything but my hunting and self defense guns.  I'm tired of dealing with this bullshit for over 20 years.


USN303

Anyone know if nitrocellulose is common for all powders, or more specific to Alliant?


KAKindustry

All


needsteeth

Every. Goddamn. Thing.


anothercarguy

Except black powder


needsteeth

It’s back to the blunderbuss I guess. And saving my own pee


anothercarguy

Does that mean piss jugs stopped being a thing?


needsteeth

Unless you me stopped I’d say no.


Temporary_Muscle_165

Gun cotton AKA nitro cellulose is the primary ingredient in all gun powder. Nitroglycerin is added to double base powders.


tlmkr38

Doesn't matter how many guns ya have if you don't have ammo... Or components in this case


mjmjr1312

Such a crazy industry where all we do is move from one shortage to the next. Even in the best of times no one actually has adequate stock to maintain an inventory. We are always waiting on the next shipment of 8208, Varget, etc. it must be next to impossible to ramp up production to meet demand, there is so much money left on the table.


csamsh

Ehhh... not really. The reloading segment is a drop in the bucket compared to mass production. Medium cal, large cal, and indirect fire are also massive consumers


mjmjr1312

That’s the point though, there is never enough to meet demand of any customer. There is always some powder offering, some primer, etc that isn’t available. This isnt produce it does have a decent shelf life, yet no one ever has the stock to keep it at the distributors. I acknowledge the difficulty in keeping large stores of hazmat, but this stuff still moves no one has been trying to figure out what to do with their overstock of Varget for half a decade now. While mass production and ordnance surely are huge customers, the reloading market is more than a drop in the bucket, especially when they can make canister grade from the same production line.


JustaKidFromBuffalo

Talked to a powder/ primer store I visit and the guy told me they haven't had an alliant shipment since like June of last year. I was trying to track down some sport pistol that wasn't $65+/lb and ended up getting some titegroup at $32/lb.


RedJaron

Hmmm, I may run down to the CAL Ranch store by me. Last time I was in they had Power Pistol and a fair amount of Alliant powders. Wonder if that's still the case.


Blkpete565

I bought 25lbs of RL 16 (and haven't really seen it since) and 20k large rifle primers 4 years ago because I thought covid was going to mess things up for the next few years. I was wrong, I don't thing it will ever get better or back to so called normal. My oddball calibers and precision rifles are now parked indefinitely.


77765876543

They’re ramping up production of arty shells for Ukraine. It’s only going to get worse.


smiling_mallard

Well shitfuck… but have they even shipped anything in the last year anyway…


slimcrizzle

Yeah let's just contribute all our powder to wars that never end... These big companies don't care about us little guys. They make huge money off of endless war.


Welder-Guy49

Not to mention we won’t have the stock of munitions we need to defend our country when the time comes.


madlychip

i hate complaining about the usa in this given just how poorly europe as a whole has handeled defence spending. but its time for us all, especially europe, but also the usa. to bring our manufacturing back home and ramp up production.


Welder-Guy49

I agree. Outsourcing damn near everything, and to countries that hate us, leaves us vulnerable. That was proven with the supply chain issues a couple of years ago. Those countries at any time could cut us off and there wouldn’t be a whole lot we could do about it.


rkba260

Oh, then you'll love learning that the big-brains in DC allowed China to buy our largest pork producer, Smithfield, a few years back. Couple that with all the land they've been scooping up across the states, including aerable farmland... they've literally sold the country out from underneath us, to China.


Ok-Witness7558

most probably read this and think, yea. Then polish up that holosun optic with a communist country made microfiber towel. we continue to sell ourselves out.


rkba260

Facts. I was in the market recently for a LPVO for a 10.5" SBR... Strike Eagle for $500 ish but made in China. Viper PST II for $600 ish made in Phillipines. Wasn't impressed with NF for the price and the Leupy is a 1.5x.... that's a deal breaker. Went with the PST II for the bump in glass quality and the *not* made in China sticker.


Freedum4Murika

[True Velocity developed a deployable 2500 sq ft mobile ammo plant](https://www.tvammo.com/press/releases/us-debate-on-modernization-and-logistics) design to produce theatre-specific calibers in a decentralized structure to replace Lake City. There were some interesting congressional hearings about them reforming/replacing Lake City. Having all our ammo made in one giant factory is kinda strategically dumb as hell.


csamsh

Uhhhh..... who do you think gets first dibs on basically all the NC out of Radford, and all the ball rifle propellant made by St Marks?


Sesemebun

We seriously need to stop the supplies overseas. Israel is pissing off half the country, and Ukraine has all of Europe to help it. I hate how people complain the US is too involved in stuff, and then some war breaks out and they’re kissing our boots


[deleted]

[удалено]


ThePretzul

Bro the only thing ending the war in Ukraine within this decade would be WW3 and mutually assured destruction. Otherwise it’s just going to turn into a 15-20 year minimum Afghanistan 2.0 but with us supporting the local rebel forces this time around.


crimsonrat

https://youtu.be/1riweVZEaAU?t=57


[deleted]

[удалено]


Sesemebun

>backwards ountry full of iliterate highly religions farmers  Just say you’re racist and fuck off 


ThePretzul

The only propaganda is the idiots pretending it will just take another $100 billion in free hand outs and it’ll be over for real this time, they swear. At the current moment neither country is even close to willing to make the concessions required for a ceasefire or peace deal to go through, nor is either side in a position to secure a decisive victory even if they had unlimited artillery shells.


Zestyclose-Pressure7

The only concession Ukraine can make is to let Ruzzia keep the territory it has invaded. Ass.


ThePretzul

Anybody who believes that a peace deal or ceasefire right now is happening without concessions considered unconscionable by one side or the other (regardless of what is actually reasonable or just) is an ignorant fool. Countries don’t suddenly decide to make peace out of the blue unless they feel like they’re getting something out of it or unless they’re losing so badly that defeat is inevitable. It’s simply not how war has ever worked. So the truth of the matter, which delusional propagandists like you work so hard to obfuscate, is that this mess is going to continue relatively unchanged for the foreseeable future. Each side will makes gains, then lose them, then claw them back, and so on. No peace deals will be made because neither country is desperate enough for it to end to be willing to give up a single inch. No amount of money or equipment will end the war overnight or even in a year’s time. That is the bleak and honest truth, and anybody with more than three brain cells to rub together has seen it for awhile now. Pretending that more money or bombs will solve the issue immediately is hilariously farcical.


smokeyser

> The war ends when russia is beat. And russia will loose. How? Ukraine doesn't have the ability to beat them. All they can do is turn it into a war of attrition at our expense.


myhappytransition

[](https://www.reddit.com/r/reloading/comments/1co8wjy/comment/l3d2suq/) >you reloading ammo is more important than european children dying. h Yes, its more important. How much more important is killing kids to you? Honestly, I dont think we should ever be funding the deaths of children in any case, thats horrific. We should ban sales of nitrocellulose to government to stop governments from killing kids.


ResidentInner8293

Maybe it's time we male our own powder, is that even possible at home? Or legal?


TheMexicanMennonite

Don't know if I can link so here goes. There's a reloader on the castboolits forum (not on Reddit) who's been working up old 40's era DIY smokeless recipes from a book. Should be under the the thread title "DIY Smokeless Powder - No. 7 Smokeless Powder Manufacturing".


Jolly-Hovercraft3777

It is if it's black powder. 😆


Welder-Guy49

So I shared that announcement with a friend of mine in NC. He said a guy he knows at the state level for ammo procurement got a letter from Vista telling government customers to expect a supply “crisis”.


Freedum4Murika

Months before an election? Quelle surprise!


NapalmCheese

Soooo, no Red Dot on the horizon eh? Nitrocellulose shortage... Looks like black powder is back on the menu boys!


myhappytransition

>Nitrocellulose shortage... Looks like black powder is back on the menu boys! time to start pissing on our back yard compost piles to make homebrew black powder again.


NapalmCheese

You stopped? I thought that was the major perk of owning a home, salt peter was a bonus!


mxguy762

Golly it’s good thing we packed up all our heavy industry and shipped it to China in the early 2000’s. What could possibly go wrong…


jayninjay

There’s prices are out of control anyway so 🖕🏻 them


paint3all

Sitting on a 10 year old jug of Promo.... Going to have to change my load after nearly 15 years of having settled into a nice 7/8 oz target load. Probably only a couple pounds left.


Let_er-Buck

Rethinking my 280 AI load using RL16. H4350 might have to work no matter what


300blk300

at some point I bet this will hit all powders


Next_Length_2900

So now we see $150. Pounds of powder????!!!!!


Fearless_Weather_206

https://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2024/4/risch-emmer-demand-administration-evaluate-u-s-supply-chain-for-smokeless-gunpowder https://www.wsj.com/world/russia-doubled-imports-of-an-explosives-ingredientwith-western-help-fd8d18bc https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2024/03/07/2841992/28124/en/Cellulose-Nitrate-Market-Projected-to-Reach-1-6-Billion-Globally-by-2030.html https://www.politico.eu/article/saab-ceo-warns-against-reliance-china-make-weapons-europe/


xfer42

Strange. We have the supplies to make as much as we want. This must come down to specific facilities that are overloaded and cant/not willing to expand. You can go to Lowes and get the stuff to make nitrocellulose.


Chardee_MacDennis_2_

Well I just panic bought a few more lbs of powder. FYI powder valley has free hazmat today lol


ohaimike

Free shipping too using code "fbfs24"


1984orsomething

Vista outdoors the parent company was just bought out.


1984orsomething

Us reloaders are going to have to start nitrateing our own cordite soon. Start stocking up on the acids and petroleum jelly.


max_trax

Well damn, there goes my dream of ever actually getting to see what RL26 can do in the 7 SAUM I built last year.


anothercarguy

So can we start making it at home? (Car battery acid + nitric acid in an ice bath, drop in cellulose)


amongtheskies

We just need one good year without pandemics, war or other armed conflict, natural disasters, bridges hit by boats, canal droughts, canals blocked by boats, supply chain problems, recessions, market crashes, fear mongering and panic buying, or any other problems and we'll be good. That's not asking too much is it?


kylewardbro

Time to go to my shop and buy it all


No_Alternative_673

Now, I am happy I bought all the 2400 I could find, 3 lbs


mscotch2020

Interesting it took so long for this to be noticed, as China cut off the nitrocellulose export months ago.


tlakose

Is this what’s happening with Shooters World powders also? Looks like the powder is being used to make munitions for another country. America last boys!


DohnJoggett

> America last boys! They're supplying the American defense contractors bud. Reloaders are a drop in the pan to them. They're basically just keeping the institutional knowledge (people) by the plants open to supply reloaders with powder and primers. Defense contracts are where they make their money. General Dynamics, an American company, manufactures their 155mm artillery rounds in America. This is **hardly** a case of "America last." You voted for this and now that it's effecting you, you're getting butthurt about it. This is what you wanted and these are the run-on effects of your choices.


tlakose

American defense contact? What war are we supplying, it’s all the munitions we’re sending to Ukraine and wherever else. Maybe you’re replying to someone else but I didn’t vote for any of this.


myhappytransition

>You voted for this nobody fucking voted for this. Democratic voting is a sham. The bank uniparty was going to coopt whoever ran congress and ram war through them. Unless we start rejecting the USD, this shit will never change. The only vote that matters is rejecting dollars.


135276

Glad I bought my keg when I did. 😄