Primer source?

[Ray B]

I was with a bunch of hunters last week and the subject of ammunition came up. One fellow said that the main shortage now is for primers and that the reason for it was that the source of Lead Styphnate was China and china is no longer selling it to the US for political/embargo reasons. Does anyone know if this is valid? If so, we may need to figure out how to make primers within the boundaries of the free world.

 

[sestoppelman]

Just looked around a bit on the web and found nothing to support that, however it wouldnt surprise me either.
If true, I guess we would be importing more primers at least if allowed to by the current crop of anti freedom, anti gun morons running the country.

 

[Ray B]

If it's true it would be one more thing that US industry has farmed-out to some place in order to get it cheaper. I'd guess that the primers that Winchester Remington and Federal were making 30-40 years ago were made in the US since before Nixon made his trip to China, they were considered a third world industry. checking primer composition, lead Styphnate is the primary ingredient and it consists of mixing styphnic with lead hydroxide. Styphnic is made by mixing nitric acid with resorcin. Resorcin is a compound made of Carbon Hydrogen and Oxygen. So it would seem to me that there are plenty of raw materials available in the free world to make primer compounds, but at this point the equipment, skill and knowledge to complete the task without an accompanying explosion may be where the shortage lies. to say nothing of the ambulance chasers in the risk management departments.

 

[Shootist43]

Thanks for the chemistry lesson Ray B, that should clear up some of the confusion. Another thought to consider is that without primers "Uncle Sugar's" ability to provide ammo to its troops for practice and or other uses would soon dry up. I seriously doubt that is going to happen. Besides that there are lead-free primers but to my knowledge I've never used them.