New club idea

[gadabout]

I will call it the 10,000 club. You pick your caliber, then when the situation calms down a bit you buy 10,000 primers, brass, bullets with enough powder to reload them all. Putting them in cold storage to hold for the next major problem that comes our way.  What do you all think?? "The 10,000 Club" I like it!!  Craig

[DDRiller]

Already a member 

[Kenk]

Absolutely 😊

[AlinMi]

Already a member 

Ditto,

[sqlbullet]

I would comment for those pursuing this goal:

There will be local regulations about the amount of gunpowder you can store, and how it must be stored.  Usually the first hurdle comes in around 25 lbs.  For 10mm this would only become a concern if you were loading AA#9, which would spot in at 24.28 lbs of powder at max charge with a 155 gr JHP for 10K rounds.

But, if you are stockpiling for something like 223, 308 or about any other rifle cartridge, you are definitely going to be over 25 lbs, and with some of the larger cartridges like 270, 30-06 or the big magnums you could be pushing 100lbs of powder for 10K rounds.

In my area, over 25 lbs has to be in a wooden storage magazine constructed of 3/4" minimum wood and capable of resisting burn through for 1 hour.  Note that the construction is intentionally designed to both resist heat and fire intrusion, but to fail at very low pressure so if the powder does start to burn it doesn't result in a high pressure failure.

Note that this means a fire resistant "safe", AKA Residential Storage Container is a bad idea.  While it may protect your powder longer, if the powder does ignite it will be like a 1000 lb bomb going off.

There are usually similar changes in requirements at 50 lbs or 75 lbs and again at around 150 lbs.

In my own home state the rules limit residential buildings to 10K primers and 50 lbs of gunpowder.  TBH, I have exceeded those, but I do comply with the requirements to keep the powder in wooden magazines of wood not less than 1" thick and I keep each 50 lbs group separated.  I have one group in the concrete surrounded cold storage under the front porch, one in the concrete bonus room under the garage and one in the reloading room.

I have also discussed this with my insurance agent and had a special inspection and subsequent rider added to my policy.

I think this is a great club to be a member of, but be aware that joining has repercussions beyond just the cost of lead, brass, primers and powder.  CHeck you local laws and fire codes and check in with your insurance agent so you know you are still covered in the event of a fire or other disaster.

[oldman10mm]

Been a long time member for 223/5.56 and 38sp/357M.

[gadabout]

Boy I guess I really stirred the pot with this one. I came up with the idea as I am out of stuff to reload and it will never happen again. The 10,000 number was just a handy number for too many rounds to have stuff in storage for reloading. I used to buy primers by the 100 count and it would last me months. I haven't have a easy place to shoot until lately so I never burned them up like I can now. I can see me having 5000 small pistol primers on hand at one time but to store an extra 5000 would be wasteful but it is better than what we are doing now which is nothing!!!!!!  Craig

[sqlbullet]

In the great shortage of '08 I was caught with basically nothing on hand but lead and brass.  I decided then that I would stock up if and when supplies ever came back.

And I did....Kind of.

I also have 6 kids, mostly in college now, as well as two sons-in-law.  Starving college students and newly-weds often don't really have cash to put into a rainy day closet of ammo or components, and even if they did, there hasn't really been any to buy for almost two years now.

When 10-12 people head out to the desert with their AR-15's or M1 Garands or semi-auto pistol of choice, shooting 1-2K rounds is not out of the ordinary.  And when the supply of primers is divided between large, small, rifle, pistol, magnum, regular, you end up with only a couple thousand of any one flavor even if you have a "large" stash.

Small pistol is the weak spot for me.  When this started there were only a few 9's in the safe and the kids mostly shot AR's.  Since then they have all gotten their CFP's and now want to practice with their carry guns, usually a 9mm.  I have about 1800 small pistol primers left on hand, and maybe 1500 rounds loaded.

[gadabout]

Jokingly I said pick one caliber which would make for one primer choice. You and I both see how this wouldn't work with your many primer needs. I am shooting 9mm to the largest extent but do shoot some rifle. I still will stock up at lease in primers and some powder. Seems like I always have bullets.   Craig

[Kenk]

Your a smart guy Craig 😊

[sqlbullet]

As much as I really hate small primer 10mm and 45 ACP, I kinda wish that they were all small primer.  Even 44 magnum would work fine with heavy compressed charges using a small primer, and if you had issues you could step up to small rifle magnum.

About the only thing I load that really, in modern times, needs a large primer pocket is probably 300 win mag.  My primers logistics would be hugely simplified IF all my brass had small pockets.  Not to mention press logistics in progressive presses.  As it stands I set up my "volume" press for small primer since I primarily load large volume of 9mm and 223.  But that relegates the 550 to large primer duty which puts it having to load things like 30-06 for M1 Garand, which is right at the edge of what will fit.

[gadabout]

Boy I agree whole heartily with the small primer thinking. Really I load more 9mm than all other rounds put together but having 4 or 6 different primers on hand for the odd small group of rifle or odd large pistol round is a pain if you ask me.   Craig

[gnappi]

Well over that already :-)