The shortage will last a long time
Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2020 2:20 pm
As has been mentioned previously, it's the raw materials compounding the issue. Specifically copper and lead. And it's not just the ammo industry that is feeling the effects. It must be recognized that copper, lead, and other raw materials are necessary for many industries worldwide besides ammo. And, like it or not, ammo producers are not the top priority for the mines and processors and the others in the supply chain upstream of the ammo producers. Not even close.
Please don't bother bragging about how big your stash of reloading components or ammo is. Nobody needs to know.
Please don't bother bragging about how big your stash of reloading components or ammo is. Nobody needs to know.
https://bearingarms.com/cam-e/2020/07/2 ... d-monster/
“As far as the ammo is concerned, the number one thing you have to have in order to make ammunition is raw materials, being lead and copper,” Kastner said. “So all of the lead mines in the United States are in the state of Missouri; Missouri shut them down the first of March. All of the copper mines are in South America; South America shut them down in April. … The lead mines are now open in Missouri, but getting copper for the casings is one of the choking points.”
Just a couple of weeks ago news agency Reuters reported that Chile’s copper mining industry was at a tipping point, thanks to a surge in coronavirus cases among mine workers. At the moment, production is actually up over 2019 levels, but that could soon change.
Patricio Elgueta, president of Chile’s Federation of Copper Workers (FTC), an umbrella group for Codelco’s unions, said miners are exhausted and scared of falling ill but keep working to make ends meet.
Elgueta said unions were weighing a proposal from a regional roundtable of healthworkers, politicians and social groups to draw down production to a “minimum” at all of the mines around the hard-hit city of Calama in order to sanitize them.