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The price of lead, bullets and ammo...

MAC702

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
6,331
Location
Nevada
It has no choice but to affect bullets. Yes, bullets may be made out of recycled batteries, but with a major domestic smelting operation going away, the buyers of THAT lead will now be turning to other sources as well, and the recycled sources will be competing against the imported sources, blah, blah, blah. It will affect us, we just don't know how much yet.
 

WalkingWolf

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Jul 31, 2011
Messages
11,930
Location
North Carolina
There will still be lead smelted, just not here in the US. It will be shipped to other countries with less regulation and then shipped back to the US. It may drive prices up a very small amount, IMO. But if there is a big increase that would be the public's fault if they panic.
 

mpguy

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Joined
Mar 25, 2012
Messages
689
Location
Suffolk Virginia
There will still be lead smelted, just not here in the US. It will be shipped to other countries with less regulation and then shipped back to the US. It may drive prices up a very small amount, IMO. But if there is a big increase that would be the public's fault if they panic.

Agreed. The US hasn't produced or more accurate, smelled lead on par with counties like China in a few years.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk
 
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HPmatt

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Joined
Aug 18, 2013
Messages
1,468
Location
Dallas
Agreed. The US hasn't produced or more accurate, smelled lead on par with counties like China in a few years.

I remember visiting El Paso over the last 30 years and Asarco was smelting lead/copper on the west side. You could taste the bitter taste of arsenic at the back of your throat when the wind was blowing up the mountain toward Mesa.

The smelter shut down about 15 years ago - the cost for EPA air compliance was about $300 million. Business filed Ch 11 due to pollution liability and is now owned by Mexicans.
 

renoglock22

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2010
Messages
168
Location
Greensboro, NC
This company has 2 other smelters in the U.S.. The one closing smelts primary lead, the other 2 that ammunition is made of recycles lead. This shouldn't affect ammo prices at all.
 

jpm84092

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2010
Messages
1,066
Location
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
New Ammo Shortage? EPA Uses New Regulation to Ban Lead Bullet Manufacture

The current temporary occupant of the White House did not succeed in getting congress to ban certain firearms, so now he is going after all firearms by using EPA regulations to ban lead ammunition.

Link: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/12/1...-regulations-bans-force-switch-to-green-ammo/

This will of course disproportionately hit those who can least afford a substantial rise in ammunition costs ass lead ammo disappears from the shelf and is replaced by "green" ammo costing substantially more per round.

Yellow Cat Out
 

jpm84092

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2010
Messages
1,066
Location
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
“Manufacturers use recycled lead to make ammunition. They don’t buy from smelters,” Mr. Keane told me Monday. “The EPA closing, which has been in the works for a while, will have no impact on production, supply or cost to the consumers.” "Lawrence Keane is the senior vice president and general counsel for the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), which represents the ammunitions and firearms industry."

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/dec/2/obamas-epa-smelter-closing-will-not-affect-ammunit/

Thanks for sharing that. Still, I wonder if the news will create a new run on the ammo that is starting to reappear.
 

jpm84092

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2010
Messages
1,066
Location
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Thanks for the link

"“Manufacturers use recycled lead to make ammunition. They don’t buy from smelters,” Mr. Keane told me Monday. “The EPA closing, which has been in the works for a while, will have no impact on production, supply or cost to the consumers.” "Lawrence Keane is the senior vice president and general counsel for the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), which represents the ammunition and firearms industry."

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/dec/2/obamas-epa-smelter-closing-will-not-affect-ammunit/

Thanks for sharing that link. Still, I wonder if the news will spark a new run on the ammo that is beginning to reappear. With no new freshly mined from the earth) lead source, at some point the recycled lead will begin to diminish and thus affect both the price of lead weights for balancing tires and ammo prices. The recycling of lead pipes is pretty much past its prime.

A factor in rising ammo prices is extreme demand coupled with low supply (which is mostly due to hoarding - and yes, I am somewhat guilty of that). There are some of us out there who believe that if the "stuff hits the fan", once precious metals (gold, silver) tank, the new currency will be commonly used ammo.

Yellow Cat Out -
 
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chowda

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 22, 2013
Messages
215
Location
here
Still, I wonder if the news will spark a new run on the ammo

The firearms community seems to have more than their share of used car salesmen, so this will be just another excuse to see all those ads/gun show comments of "rare!, hurry!, get before banned! Soon to be banned!" etc. I saw the start of that in colorado during the clinton times and it seems to have died down during bush, but came back with a vengence during zerobama and his liberal/progressive ilk.

Keep buying firearms and ammo as normal. I mean doesn't everyone buy some each month/paycheck? ;)
 

Gil223

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2012
Messages
1,392
Location
Weber County Utah
“Manufacturers use recycled lead to make ammunition. They don’t buy from smelters,” Mr. Keane told me Monday. “The EPA closing, which has been in the works for a while, will have no impact on production, supply or cost to the consumers.” "Lawrence Keane is the senior vice president and general counsel for the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), which represents the ammunitions and firearms industry."

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/dec/2/obamas-epa-smelter-closing-will-not-affect-ammunit/
And without lead smelters, exactly where will the virgin lead come from to initiate the recycling process? Is somebody expecting the outdoor shooting ranges to sift through the dirt and sand to recover lead? An indoor range might consider that, but it would be very impractical for most outdoor ranges. You can only recycle something so many times before there is not enough of it left to recycle. It's the "law of diminishing returns" in action. Combine minute fragments? That too will eventually lead to non-availability, even if 90% is recoverable each time. Virgin lead IS a naturally "renewable resource" - the EPA has just chosen not to allow further renewal (I have to wonder what wheel weights and battery plates will be made from now). Pax...
 

Franky

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2013
Messages
271
Location
popple butte
"“Manufacturers use recycled lead to make ammunition. They don’t buy from smelters,” Mr. Keane told me Monday. “The EPA closing, which has been in the works for a while, will have no impact on production, supply or cost to the consumers.” "Lawrence Keane is the senior vice president and general counsel for the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), which represents the ammunitions and firearms industry."

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/dec/2/obamas-epa-smelter-closing-will-not-affect-ammunit/

Neat article. Another chicken little conspiracy theory by the doomsday prepper/paranoid crowd gone pffffttt.
 

Campo6245

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2011
Messages
32
Location
USA
Terrible News

This is simply terrible. Talk about back door politics. Thank you for posting. It is crucial that fellow Americans know what is going on.
 

OC for ME

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2010
Messages
12,452
Location
White Oak Plantation
If you are trying to stock up on rim fire ammo today, you are already too late.
Got a bunch. Not more than I need, but pretty darn close. I've been stocking up on rim fire for many years now. Won't say I was stocking up cuz of a SHTF scenario, but hunting small game keeps a variety of meat in my freezer and the ammo goes quick when learnin youngins to handle and shoot safely and properly.
 

Gil223

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2012
Messages
1,392
Location
Weber County Utah
So, you are saying that the SHTF will not be caused by EMP that will melt all metal, guns and ammunition? Or are you trying to cause a run on a common ammo in which you have a fiscal-economic interest?

I just stocked up on fifty liters of good wine to help me watch patiently this impending catastrophe.
In general, EMP's are more disruptive than they are destructive, having their greatest immediate impact on the electrical/electronic infrastructure. Altitude is one of the several variables that determine the scope of an EMP. My understanding, limited though it may be, is that neither a N-NEMP nor a HEMP would "melt metal". The greatest potential for damage outside the electrical infrastructure, would be from overheating of our wiring, and the resultant fires. The radioactive fallout from a HEMP could be widespread and devastating - depending upon the altitude and the power-level of the detonation - but, it would be secondary (a byproduct) to the HEMP's primary intent. Pax...

P.S. IANAP - the preceding is a layman's understanding of EMP hazards. ;)
 
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