[Part 2 of Reloading Components - Favorite Companies)
PRIMERS
(1) Primers are unique to the caliber and type of projectile you are loading. Pay attention, check your reloading manuals, and make sure you order the correct type of primer you need for that specific round.
(2) Primers come in assorted sizes, power levels, and even specific applications.
(a) Standard primers come in small pistol, large pistol, small rifle, and large rifle. Ok, that is 4 sizes/types so far.
(b) Most primer companies also offer magnum primers, so they also offer small magnum pistol, large magnum pistol, small magnum rifle, and large magnum rifle. Ok, now you have 8 sizes/types so far.
(c) Some companies also offer military specification primers, designed for loading either .223/5.56 (small rifle) and .308/7.62 (large rifle) that will be fired in semi-automatic rifles. These have harder primers, designed to avoid slam-fire issues when the bolt slams a new round into the chamber during firing. Ok, now we have 10 sizes/types.
(d) Some presses require the use of primers packages in strips in their presses. Ok, factoring in both standard and magnum level primers, it looks like if strips are required, we have just moved up to either 18 or 20 sizes/types of primers. Have I missed any other existing primer options – maybe, probably, I really don’t know.
(e) I am not trying to make primers seem a complicated issue. But my point is they can be.
(e1) Most reloaders will be able to meet all of their needs using only standard primers – meaning 4 basic sizes/types.
(e2) But given the various options that are available for purchase, I hope you can see how easy it could be to order the wrong primer if you do not pay attention to what you need and what you have ordered.
(f) Remember you are paying a hazmat fee to get them shipped to you. Because of the hazmat issue, most companies have a policy that they can not offer an exchange on primers. If they will accept them for exchange, you will have to find an FFL holder to ship them back to the company, and your return shipment will require you to pay a hazmat fee to send them back. You are still returning hazmat material, which must be shipped as federal regulations require, even if they are being returned because you order the wrong primer. This hazmat issue is simply why many companies will have a notice/policy that simply says they can not accept primers for exchange purposes.
(3) Primers routinely come packaged in plastic trays of 100 primers. Most companies place 10 trays in one box of 1000 primers. They will then package 5 of these 1000 primer boxes into one shipping carton for shipment to companies (5000 per carton).
(a) Walk into a gun store, and they may sell you one tray of 100 primers, or they may require you to purchase a full box of 1000. It just depends on how that store decided to allow them to be sold.
(b) Most companies that will ship primers to you, will require they be sold in quantities of 1000 primers (boxes), because of the hazmat fee issues.
(c) Some companies will allow you to mix and match brands and sizes/types to reach a magic number of primers for a discounted price. Other companies will not allow this mixing, and require you to stay within one brand in each size/type primer order.
(d) You simply need to ask that company what their policy is on primer purchases.
(4) Each size/type of primer is unique to the caliber and bullet style you want to load with it.
(a) Pay attention to what your reloading manuals specifies for that load.
(b) If a manual required a magnum primer, they will note that in that load data for that powder.
(c) Otherwise they are giving data designed for standard (non-magnum) primers.
(5) For safety reasons, do NOT substitute primer sizes/types because you have x but don’t have any y on hand. By this I mean, handgun rounds are designed to use only pistol primers. Do not substitute rifle primers in handgun loads. Stay with the listed reloading data in the manual. Likewise, do not use pistol primers in rifle rounds – stay with the listed data.
(6) Reloading manuals develop that specific data using various components most list for that specific bullet.
(a) They will specify the brand of brass, primer, and bullet weight and type used, and specify the overall length of the loaded round (OAL).
(b) If you change any of these listed components or OAL, you have changed the resulting data for that specific round.
(c) If you can not duplicate the exact components (and I often do not for reasons of brand preference I have), then make sure you are starting off with a lower powder charge. Then work up larger powder charges watching for signs of excessive pressure.
POWDERS
Powders will also require you to pay a hazmat ($20.00) fee when you order them.
(1) Each company has its own set policy on these fees, and again you simply should ask before you place your order to avoid unexpected hazmat charges.
(2) Local zoning restrictions may complicate powder storage for some companies, and not affect others.
(a) Example: Midway is affected by a local zoning restriction. Because they are within a certain distance from a major highway, they are prohibited by a local ordinance from storing both primers and powders in their warehouse for shipment.
(a1) They have elected to store primers, and do not have any powder in their warehouse. So when you order powder, they contact the company making it, and request they simply drop ship your powder order directly to you.
(a2) So with this company, I know from previous discussions with their excellent customer service folks, if I were to order two different brands of powder, say Accurate Arms (Western Powders) and Winchester, I would be charged two powder hazmat fees. Each powder company has to pay the hazmat fee for their shipment.
(a3) Some companies may store only powder and not primers on hand for similar reasons. Other companies are allowed to keep both materials in their warehouse.
(a4) Once you understand any specific restrictions that a particular company is required to follow, you then understand they are not trying to play hazmat fee “games” with you in your order. But to understand this, you need to ask questions.
SHIPPING FEES
Most companies compute your shipping fees based on the weight of the box(s) they will be sending you. They go to a chart their shipper has supplied them (UPS or FedEx usually), look up your zip code and the weight of your order, and find the shipping fee amount that will apply to your order.
There are no hazmat fees associated with ordering brass or projectiles to load, but these are usually heavy items. Their weight will add to your order’s total weight. Expect to pay a higher shipping fee, even if you have saved yourself the haxmat fees linked to powder and primer orders.
SUGGESTED “TRICKS” IN PLACING ORDERS
(1) Try to buy your components locally if you can. Doing so may cost you a few dollars more on each item. But if they are heavy, such as bullets or brass, you have saved yourself the shipping expense a company will charge you. If you are buying primers or powders you save yourself the hazmat fees.
(2) Some gun stores sell only a few or even one brand of reloading components. Other sell a wider selection. But if you only want or need 100 or something, they will often save you money over placing that same order with a company.
(3) Usually gun shows will give you better “deals” on items, when compared to gun stores. You will find a larger brand selection and quantity selection than many gun stores will offer you. Plus you are in one location where various dealers are competing for your dollar with those other dealers. Do not be bashfull, check the various prices you have found at various tables. Try to work a better deal for yourself with a dealer than he has listed. The worst he can say is “no”, and many will realize this is a potential sale I may lose. I can afford to drop my profit a bit and make a sale, why not. Remember, the worst answer they can give you is no sorry, that is the price. Keep walking around and asking the same question. I bet eventually you will find a dealer who is willing to give you a better price for what you want to buy at the gun show.
(a) They have loaded up those items for their storage area at their business, and transported them to the gun show. Anything they do not sell, they know they will have to load back onto their truck, and drive back to their business, and put back into storage.
(b) "If I don’t sell it here, I am going to have to play with it again, putting it back into storage at my business" often will cause a gun show dealer to work a better deal with you. Especially if you are asking on a Sunday afternoon. More and more they are looking at all the things they will have to pack back into their vehicle and drive back to their business.
(4) Buy your components in bulk quantities whenever possible. I try to always bulk order my primers (lots of 5000 per size), powder (largest container they sell), brass (at least 1000 pieces if not more), and bullets (at least 1000 if not more). Your per unit cost will go down, sometimes greatly. This is where using a company for your orders can still save you some money, even when having to pay shipping and hazmat fees.
(a) Gun store may buy 10,000 of a specific brand and primer size/type. They will stock their shelf and reorder when they are running low.
(b) If they are going to a gun show, they will probably place a larger order to have additional quantities to sell at the gun show. Maybe that gun store now orders 30,000 or 40,000 of that one specific brand and size/type of primer for the gun show. They get a better price the more they buy, and if they choose to do so, can pass their savings on to you the customer by offering a bit better price at the gun show. Plus remember, they really don’t want to have to load it up, drive it back to their business, and find storage space for it there. It messes up their established inventory system at times.
(c) Companies, especially the larger ones, may well order 100,000 or 200,000 (or more) of that specific brand and primer size/type for their inventory. They then get a lower unit price from the manufacturer, and can pass that savings along to you, while still making a very nice profit.
(5) Ok, you don’t need or can not afford to order in quantity, and get the better deals on your components. Talk with some other reloading friends and work up a group order on components. One person places the order, and when the items arrive, everyone divides up the component costs, shipping and hazmat fees. You still get the benefits of making the larger order, without hurting your budget as much. It is a win-win for you and all of your friends.
(6) Always look for “freight free” or “shipping included” bulk purchases. These deals normally make use of the U.S. Post Office express mail shipping box. The Post Office will charge the shipper $9.95 to ship the box. As long as the item will fit into the box, its weight does not matter. I grin when I see that Midway has the item I wanted to order listed as a “freight free” deal.
(a) Receiving heavy items from a company using this shipment method will normally save you quite a bit of shipping fees. The heavier the item your order, the more you have saved in shipping fees.
(b) Remember you can ship heavy items in this same manner. Go to the Post Office, and ask them for their express shihpping boxes. They normally keep them in the back, are free, and will be folded flat. They also come in assorted sizes. Just put them together, tape them securely, and load them up.
(c) Do you need to ship a heavy item domestically? This is a great way to do it for a very reasonable price, as long as the item will fit into one of their express boxes.
(d) For less than $2.00, you can add tracking options to your shipment. They give you a tracking number than both you and the person receiving the package can track on the USPS site.
I am sure there are many other things I could have mentioned, if I had only remembered them. There are also other tricks too. But my goal was not to write a reloading manual, or a how to guide. I simply wanted to mention some suggestions and tricks I have picked up over the years from buying reloading components.
Are you a long time reloader with other tricks or suggestions? Feel free to list them in your response. Everybody benefits from our suggestions.
MY FAVORITE COMPANIES FOR COMPONENTS:
Over the years I have dealt with many different companies trying to find my “best deals” on components. But I have found that as I have gotten older, it has been easier for me to simply deal with a couple for 95% of my component orders. The remaining 5% I normally try to get from gun shows.
(1) MIDWAY
http://www.midwayusa.com/ When ordering most bullets, most brass, my primers and my powders, I generally go with Midway.
(a) For me they offer the widest selection of component choices in one spot, and their prices are very reasonable in my view. They also will offer my “make me smile” freight free offers at times too.
Are there other companies that offer better prices and shipping fees on some items. Well I am fairly sure there are some that can do better than Midway on some items.
(b) But for me, part of my choice of Midway in largely sentimental as well. I have been using Midway for my components for 3.5 decades now. For nearly 20 of those years I had a class 1 and 6 FFL. I could find better prices on components using my FFL, but then I had to pay normal shipping fees for my orders.
I quickly discovered Midway when a fellow reloader suggested them. They had a unique policy on shipping for many of those 3.5 decades – they shipped your order to you for free. I might have paid them a few dollars more on 1000 bullets for example, but the money I saved on shipping fees made them the best deal in town to me.
(c) So I reckon these days, if I have to pay someone a shipping fee, I figure it is only fair that I pay it to Midway. Again this is strictly a personal decision on my part. But I also love finding their freight free offers.
(d) Add in the fact that I think they have an incredible customer service philosophy, and it makes them a company I enjoy giving my component dollars to.
(2) GHOST PRODUCTS / CZ CUSTOM SHOP
https://czcustom.com/catalog/index.php?osCsid=089260945b31d2134eff67a860608f72I use this company whenever I want to order Starline brass or Zero bullets in certain calibers.
(a) The only brand of brass they sell is Starline, which is fine as it is the brand I prefer to buy when possible.
(b) Zero is also the only brand of bullets they sell, which is also fine with me. I am working up test practice loads to equate to duty rounds, and I expect they will work well for me in that role.
(c) All of their bulk brass and bullet offers are shipped via the US Post Office, with the $9.95 fee included in your purchase price. Trust me folks, paying $9.95 for 3000 bullets in one box is a great deal on shipping in my view.
(d) It is not really a downside, as long as you want these specific calibers. But because they are a company that generally deals with competitive shooters, they only stock these items for competitive calibers.
So these deals are restricted to 9mm, .38 Super, 40 S&W, and .45acp.
(e) But many of you have read where I am fond of the 357 Sig
round. The projectiles needed are either 9mm (.355 diameter) or .38 Super (.356 diameter). So for my practice/approximate my duty loads, I use the .38 Super (.356) Zero 125gr JHP bullets.
His best deal on these is 3000 bullets shipped bulk in one box. Want more, just order 2 or 3 of these 3000 bulk boxes of the same bullet.
(f) I also appreciate the fact that he tries to stock a variety of bullet weights and styles within each caliber. While most competitors do not load JHP bullets for matches, he has realized many folks would like them to reload with. So he has added them to his options.
Ok, here is the chance to list the companies you enjoy giving your component dollars to. Doing so will give our members other options for dependable companies they can call to order things. Remember, many are just getting started now, and have not used anyone for the items they need to reload yet. This is the chance to help everyone compile a longer list of folks they should deal with.
If I have caused more questions than I answered, please feel free to ask those questions here.
twoguns
Urban Survival Range
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