CCI Caps - CCI reply regarding availability

I emailed CCI yesterday asking if caps are being produced and why caps cannot be found anywhere. I don't buy the response but the following is the reply from CCI technical services.

"We are currently producing and shipping millions of primers and caps a day. With the current market we are in it is very difficult for distributors and dealers to keep them on the shelves. Our products are sent directly from the plant to distributors. Where it is then sold to retailers and then to you. We have no way of tracking who has it or when they will receive it in stock."

Millions a day kind of cracks me up, just don't see it.

well then. where are they going to?

Rhacknc said:

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Millions a day kind of cracks me up, just don't see it.

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He said "primers and caps" so he wasn't being specific about how many of each. Might be 999,000 primers and 1,000 caps and he's still telling you the truth. That's how it goes when they really don't want to answer the question.

Sounds like a canned reply.

I have heard that they only produce Blackpowder caps at certain times of year. They have to change their lines over to run them and then change back to primers. This happens in the summertime if I remember correctly.

wiscoaster said:

He said "primers and caps" so he wasn't being specific about how many of each. Might be 999,000 primers and 1,000 caps and he's still telling you the truth. That's how it goes when they really don't want to answer the question.

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I'm sure you are exaggerating at 999,000 and 1,000 to make a point.
But, just in case someone takes it seriously.... No company would do that. It wouldn't be economically viable to produce, inspect, and ship 1,000 caps.
More likely their number is an average over time. X number of thousands of primers this month, or quarter, Y number of thousands of caps the next month or quarter,,,,, or whatever their production rotation might be. With a lean toward more primers than caps of course, because they are going to sell far more of them.
Seeing as we are talking CCI, how many of those primers were shipped to companies like Blazer that use CCI primers to make their ammo?
Does any company do something similar, repackaging caps into combo packs or something for resale?

So did they lie? Probably not. Are the numbers straight forward? No, need to know how that number was arrives at.

Don't forget, people hoard stuff, some retailers may "hook up" their buddies with larger quantities of primers/caps/powder or whatever, before they put it on the shelf. There are plenty of people out there with deep pockets or large credit limits who will buy more of anything shooting related than they could ever use in their lifetime. Sometimes I think the only reason some shops can keep primers and caps on the shelf is with high prices.

Rhacknc said:

I emailed CCI yesterday asking if caps are being produced and why caps cannot be found anywhere. I don't buy the response but the following is the reply from CCI technical services.

"We are currently producing and shipping millions of primers and caps a day. With the current market we are in it is very difficult for distributors and dealers to keep them on the shelves. Our products are sent directly from the plant to distributors. Where it is then sold to retailers and then to you. We have no way of tracking who has it or when they will receive it in stock."

Millions a day kind of cracks me up, just don't see it.

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That's because, it's being withheld and hoarded, I'll say it again, hoarded by the entities that receive the caps after they leave the factory. JMHO. Can't prove it, don't have any "inside" info, it's just the only explanation. I don't know why the Factory would lie about it; they're not under any legal program to even make the darn things in the first place.

Brokennock said:

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Seeing as we are talking CCI, how many of those primers were shipped to companies like Blazer that use CCI primers to make their ammo?
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I think more to the question is how much of this production of primers is shipping to Lake City or other U.S. military ammo plants, rather than commercial market?

You guys actually think they make percussion caps everyday? I'm betting they tool up to make them once or twice a year, make as many as they think they'll sell (or have orders for), and mothball the equipment til next season. Kind of like Winchester making .218 Bee or .348 ammo; seasonal runs.

With all due respect for the affection given to the hobby of the membership here, demand for percussion caps is laughably small compared to any other type of primer.

it,s those darn Boomers again...

The last time I was able to buy CCI caps (online) was in August of 2021. I was then able to buy some RWS 1075 caps last September. Basically, there are some shooting supplies I'm always on the lookout for, and when they show up, I try to buy enough to hold me for a few years of average shooting.

wiscoaster said:

He said "primers and caps" so he wasn't being specific about how many of each. Might be 999,000 primers and 1,000 caps and he's still telling you the truth. That's how it goes when they really don't want to answer the question.

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Sounds like the White House Wokesperson dingbat is working for CCI.

Sadly, many retailers just aren't stocking muzzleloading items anymore. My local Academy Sports stopped as of last fall.

Thank God for self reliance.

Adam in WI said:

You guys actually think they make percussion caps everyday? I'm betting they tool up to make them once or twice a year, make as many as they think they'll sell (or have orders for), and mothball the equipment til next season. Kind of like Winchester making .218 Bee or .348 ammo; seasonal runs.

With all due respect for the affection given to the hobby of the membership here, demand for percussion caps is laughably small compared to any other type of primer.

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Your comment is true, I believe. It's a complicated thing overall.

springfield art said:

Your comment is true, I believe. It's a complicated thing overall.

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I Bought 1000 cci caps in January

The Biden administration is buying and hoarding all the percussion caps to disarm us. They will make a run at flints next.

Edm said:

The Biden administration is buying and hoarding all the percussion caps to disarm us. They will make a run at flints next.

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Well dang! Good thing we are taking a trip to the UK in May, I can bring/send a bunch of flint back if you know someone that can turn the stones into gun flints. There is a lot of flint to be found over there, alot of of old building and churches exteriors are done in flint stones. At least in East Anglia where I am familiar I have seen a bunch.

Rhacknc said:

Well dang! Good thing we are taking a trip to the UK in May, I can bring/send a bunch of flint back if you know someone that can turn the stones into gun flints. There is a lot of flint to be found over there, alot of of old building and churches exteriors are done in flint stones. At least in East Anglia where I am familiar I have seen a bunch.

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It is amazing how much flint is there

flconch53 said:

It is amazing how much flint is there

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Yes, and some of it is stone.