What shortage?

[Sparkitoff]

When the alleged “shortage” started, I rushed to get some powder ordered. Somehow I inadvertently ordered from 2 different places. Needless to say, twice as much as I intended showed up. No loss, I have plenty of powder now. I get emails from both vendors and they both regularly have powder in stock almost always.

 

[Old Hawkeye]

That's a poor attitude to have, not knowing the individual situation of a person, especially ones who are new to the hobby or wanting to get started. There was a time many, many years ago, I was working 7 days a week raising a family , just trying to keep my head above water; if I had two nickels to rub together at the end of the week I felt pretty good. Should I have just got a new hobby ? Yes, $60 for a pound of powder that will get you about 100 shots seems small in the big picture, but can still be a lot to someone fallen on hard times.

I understand what you are saying and I'm not trying to beat you up. I know all hobbies cost money to some degree; I also understand most BP shooters don't fall into that category , but there are some out there.

If you ordered 25 lbs from Grafs today it would cost you $25 + tax delivered to your door, not $60. What is "poor" about my attitude. I'm just stating reality. If someone is to too poor to buy powder what am I supposed to do? Start a "go fund me " account for him? Maybe petition Congress to start a new gov't assistance program for "new BP shooters that live below the poverty level" so you can feel all warm & fuzzy about helping the "underprivileged". Maybe we could make it legal to buy BP with Food Stamps. This is the REAL world & the market place sets the price. Whining constantly about it will not change anything. I was taught that if you wanted something you did what it took to reach your goal through hard work & enterprise, not by whining & complaining. I'll say it again, "If you can't afford to pay, you don't get to play". Sometimes the truth hurts!

 

[FishDFly]

Old Hawkeye, very well said sir.

Folks just need to put the big boy panties on and grow up.

This place at times reminds me of the Gallo Winery, just full of whine.

 

[UndeadPoet]

Grafs & Sons in Mexico, Missouri. It's just a simple mouse click away!

I bought powder, 1075s, and musket caps from Grafs last year (hazmat was $19.95 then and powder prices were a little lower). Great to deal with. I see they do have their (new version) house powder (it used to be Goex, now I think it is Schützen), and Schuetzen, in stock, but are completely out of Swiss. Yes, if you search, and if powder has come in, you can find it online from various sources, at various per pound prices (some with minimum or maximum required purchase quantities), and with varying hazmat fees (Grafs is pretty low). However, I can tell you that Grafs was out of everything until fairly recently, and when they or any other dealer has got supply in in the past year, it went quickly. Also, if the shortage is truly over, even with inflation prices, that would be a great thing.

 

[UndeadPoet]

I don’t know that I would refer to the black powder/caps/primers, etc. shortage as “alleged.” Whether it was artificially or purposely created or not, stuff was not generally available online or in any local retailers, and if it was it was at gouged prices. Goex ceasing production wasn’t made up. If you had a different or better experience and/or have had a local place to constantly obtain these items, well then you have been one lucky b@st@rd. I have started seeing #11 CCI caps ($9.99 per 100, I think) back in store at Academy Sports in NC, and occasionally powder has been available for brief periods online, but that has been about it. Felt pretty real to me…

 

[1BadDart]

I've been blessed with a good job and can afford to buy the needed supplies to shoot my new build when finished. As others have mentioned, powder isn't the issue, caps are. I bought 10 pounds from Grafs and am happy to have it. I refuse to pay the stupid prices for caps and the inflated hazmat fees some are charging. Luckily, I have a couple friends with plenty of caps who are willing to help me out. Plus, I have a flintlock that I can swap for the percussion lock if needed and I can find flint near the river too.

I can relate to being broke. Back in the late 80's I was a carpenter, building houses, doing roofs, decks, whatever I could to make money. I was married with a small child, and we struggled, there were times in the winter I bought groceries with pocket change that I saved in the summer. I'm not ashamed of it, nor proud of it, but I was happy to have the change when needed, and I needed it. There was no money for hobbies, and I didn't waste any of the little money I had on them. We played a lot of cards back in those days. LOL

 

[SOLANCO]

"How can a $23.50 HazMat fee & $12.95 shipping "eat you up"? If someone can't afford that then they should probably consider a different hobby."
$23.50+$12.95=$36.45 . How many shots worth of powder would you buy? If 100 it costs you an additional 36 cents per shot. If 500 it's 7 cents. If 1000 it's under 4 cents. Figure how much you would buy and what your total cost per shot would be. Including ball, patch and cap if necessary. The result probably compares favorably to center fire unmentionable cartridge costs.

 

[Bad Karma]

Including shipping and haz mat, 1000 cci caps would cost $92.00. Is that a good price?

9 bucks per hundred isn’t horrible considering the rampant inflation in every other sector of the economy. Four years ago I paid 4.00 per hundred and they were available everywhere.

 

[Bad Karma]

I don’t know that I would refer to the black powder/caps/primers, etc. shortage as “alleged.” Whether it was artificially or purposely created or not, stuff was not generally available online or in any local retailers, and if it was it was at gouged prices. Goex ceasing production wasn’t made up. If you had a different or better experience and/or have had a local place to constantly obtain these items, well then you have been one lucky b@st@rd. I have started seeing #11 CCI caps ($9.99 per 100, I think) back in store at Academy Sports in NC, and occasionally powder has been available for brief periods online, but that has been about it. Felt pretty real to me…

Spot on. There is a shortage.

 

[Ames]

Well, theres a backroad sporting shop up here in Maine that I can walk out with a dozen tins of CCI magnums any day I go in. $5.99 per tin.
I pick up a couple when ice fishing, a couple spring fishing, a few more when summer shooting. I keep leaving the rest for anybody else but the rack gets restocked. Not a lot of black shooters up here I guess. Idjuts must have bought into the inline stuff.
Oh well. More for me.

 

[Hawk54]

Old Hawkeye, very well said sir.

Folks just need to put the big boy panties on and grow up.

This place at times reminds me of the Gallo Winery, just full of whine.

Agree. All the social media sites are like that. Constant whining.

 

[Crowtalks]

Been reading for months about the difficulty in finding Black Powder & all the bemoaning & frustration expressed by many here.
Well, I got on line Monday the 21st & in less than 2 minutes found powder for sale. Placed an order at 1:30 PM for 15 pounds of powder to be split between 2 friends & myself. Got two different brands in both 2F & 3F along with 1000 Musket caps. Got a email yesterday that the order will be delivered to my doorstep today, Thursday the 24th between 2:30 & 4:30 PM. Including the shipping $12.95, the HazMat fee $23.50 & the sales tax $29.01 the powder was a tad less than $28/lb. If we had wanted the max order, shipping wise, of 25 lbs it would have been even cheaper per lb. So, the sky isn't falling & I am wondering what all the complaining & fretting is all about.

Are you saying the powder was a tad bit under $28/lb after you add the tax, shipping and hazmat?

 

[Crowtalks]

Including shipping and haz mat, 1000 cci caps would cost $92.00. Is that a good price?

yes

 

[Crowtalks]

How can a $23.50 HazMat fee & $12.95 shipping "eat you up"? If someone can't afford that then they should probably consider a different hobby. Everyone, not just "some" of us, is capable of planning ahead, I would think. Local store availability of BP is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Ordering it on line & having it shipped to your door is the norm in most areas.

I guess I am one of the undesirable poor, retired people out there that can't afford or justify laying down $500 for some powder in one fell swoop...especially since none of my friends and acquaintances shoot black powder...so perhaps you should get down off your high horse and stop looking down your nose at those of us that don't have the same liquidity as others.

 

[kyron4]

If you ordered 25 lbs from Grafs today it would cost you $25 + tax delivered to your door, not $60. What is "poor" about my attitude. I'm just stating reality. If someone is to too poor to buy powder what am I supposed to do? Start a "go fund me " account for him? Maybe petition Congress to start a new gov't assistance program for "new BP shooters that live below the poverty level" so you can feel all warm & fuzzy about helping the "underprivileged". Maybe we could make it legal to buy BP with Food Stamps. This is the REAL world & the market place sets the price. Whining constantly about it will not change anything. I was taught that if you wanted something you did what it took to reach your goal through hard work & enterprise, not by whining & complaining. I'll say it again, "If you can't afford to pay, you don't get to play". Sometimes the truth hurts!

Wow ! Okay, you totally missed my point, but that's fine; hopefully you feel better getting that all out . Apparently I hit a nerve judging by this rambling off the rails post about Congress, go fund me, and the "underprivileged". I didn't mean to offend you , rather I was offering a different viewpoint in a as professional and respectful manner as I could, yet I failed to convey that viewpoint. Yes the truth hurts, all truths. Good day and may God bless you.

 

[nightwolf1974]

I don't worry about paying the Hazmat fee....it is what it is. If I want it, if it's available, and if I can afford it.......I'll buy it.

"End of Line......"

 

[Bad Karma]

I don't worry about paying the Hazmat fee....it is what it is. If I want it, if it's available, and if I can afford it.......I'll buy it.

"End of Line......"

We all pay it. Whether we’re buying directly from grafs or from the local gun store. It may not be itemized but you’re paying it nonetheless.

 

[Graybeard2A]

I too like to buy bulk powder BUT, storing it tends to be a problem! where can a guy get an approved storage container?

 

[Ames]

Put it in your garage. Behind the paint cans where the burglars won't see it.

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

Their house brand now is just a tad over $22 plus their nominal $12.95 shipping fee for any size order, sales tax, & HazMat fee. Your point? Cars & trucks are $40,000 to $80,000, houses are half a million, going out to dinner with the wife can be over a hundred, yet people complain that Black Powder is over $20/lb???? Your question marks probably stand for "supply & demand". Grafs is an outstanding company that provides excellent service. We should be thankful they provide the stuff we need because there are few that do. The market is what the market is. I tell people that if you can't or don't want to pay, you don't get to play. It's just that simple. Go make smoke & have fun burning powder. That's why they make it!

When you hit the Woods during the season and are successful ...yeah its like going out to dinner!